A C CO U N T OF THE ENGLISH CO LO N Y U1788.
a p u b lic e x am p le o f, to d e te r o th e r s from o ffen d in g in th e lik e
m an n e r . T h e co n v ic t s b e in g all affembled fo r m u fte r , fhe w a s d ir
e c ted to ftand fo rw a rd , an d , h e r h e ad h a v in g be en p re v io u fly dep
r iv e d o f its. natural c o v e r in g , fhe w a s c lo th ed w i th a canvas fro c k ,
o n w h ic h w a s p a in ted , in la rg e cha rac ters, R . S. G . (re ce ive r o f ftolen
g o od s ,) and threa tened w i th p u n ifhm en t i f e v e r fh e w a s fe en w ith o u t
it. T h i s w a s d o ne in the h o p e that fhame m ig h t ope ra te , at le a d w i th
th e fem a le p a r t o f . th e p r ifone r s , to th e p re v en t io n o f c r im e s ; b u t
a grea t n um b e r o f b o th fe x e s h ad to o lo n g been acq u a in ted w i th each
o th e r in fcene s o f d ifg ra ce , fo r this, k in d o f p u n ifhm en t to w o r k
m u ch r e fo rm a tion am o n g them. T h is , h o w e v e r , m u ff be und erfto od
to b e fp ok en o n ly o f th e lo w e d clafs o f th e fe p e o p le , am o n g w h om
th e com m iffio n o f o ffences w a s ch ie fly fo u n d to e x i d ; fo r th e re w e re
co n v ic t s o f b o th fe x e s w h o w e r e n e v e r k n ow n to affoc iate w i th th e
c om m o n h e rd , and w h o fe c o n d u c t w a s m ark ed b y a ttention to their
la b o u r , and o b ed ien ce to th e orders th e y re c e ived , j
O n th e n t h , th e g o v e rn o r fe t o f f w i th a fmall p a r t y in boats, to
e x am in e th e d iffe ren t branches o f B o ta n y B a y , an d , a fte r an e x cu r fio n
o f fiv e d a y s , re turned w e l l fatisfied that n o p a r t o f th a t e x ten fiv e b a y
w a s adapted to the p u rp o fe o f a fe t t lem e n t ; thus fu l ly co n firm in g
th e rep or ts h e h ad re c e iv ed from o th e rs , and th e o p in ion s h e h ad
h im fe l f fo rm ed .
A conv iCt h a v in g be en fo u n d dead in the w o o d s near th e fettlement,
a n e n q u ir y in to th e caufe o f his death w a s made b y th e p ro v o ft-
m a f f l ia l ; w h e n it appeared from th e e v id en ce o f M r . B a lm a in , on e
o f th e affiftant-furgeons w h o -attended to open h im , and o f th e p eop le
w h o liv e d w i th th e deceafed, th a t h e died th ro u g h w a n t o f n o u r ifh -
lr ien t, an d th ro u g h w e a kn e fs o ccafion ed b y the heat o f th e fun. I t
ap p eared th a t h e h ad no t fo r m ore than a w e e k p aft eaten his a llowan ce
o f p ro v ifio n s , th e w h o le b e in g fo u n d in h is b o x . I t w a s p ro v ed b y
tljo fe w h o k n ew h im , th a t h e w a s ac cuftomed to d en y h im fe lf ev en
w h a t was a b fo lu te ly n e ce ffa ry to h is e x iften c e , ab fta in in g from his
p ro v ifio n s , and fe llin g them fo r m o n e y , w h ic h h e w a s re fe r r in g , and
h a d fom ew h e re concealed , in ord er to p u rch a fe his paffage to E n g lan d
w h e n h is tim e fh o u ld e xp ire .
M r .
D ecember..] IN N EW SO U T H W A L E S . 49
M r . R e id , th e ca rp en te r o f th e S u p p ly , n ow u n d e r to o k th e co n -
ftruCtion o f a bo at-h ou fe on th e eaft fide, fo r th e p u rp o fe o f b u ild in g ,
w i th th e tim b e r o f th is c o u n t r y , a lau n ch o r h o y , capable o f b e in g
em p lo y ed in c o n v e y in g provifions, to R o fe H i l l , and fo r o th e r u fe fu l
and n e ce ffa ry purpofes. T h e w o r k in g co n v ic t s w e r e em p lo y ed on
S a tu rd a y s , un til ten o ’ c lo ck in th e fo ren o o n , in fo rm in g a la n d in g - ...
p la c e on the eaft fid e o f th e co v e . A t th e p o in t on th e w e f t fid e,
a m a g a z in e w a s m ark ed o u t, to be c o n f t r u a e d o f fto n e , and la rg e
en ou gh to con ta in f i f t y o r f ix t y barrels o f p ow d e r .
C h r iftm a s -d a y w a s o b fe rv ed w i th p rop e r c e rem o n y . M r . J o h n fon
p reached a fe rm on adapted to th e o cc afion , and th e m a jo r p art o f
th e officers o f th e fe ttlem en t w e r e a fte rw ard enter tained at d in n e r b y
th e go ve rno r .
I t b e in g remarked w i th co n c e rn , th a t th e nativ es w e r e b e c om in g
e v e r y d a y m ore trou b le fom e and h o ftile , fe v e ra l p eo p le h a v in g be en
w o u n d e d , and others, w h o w e r e n e ce ffa r ily em p lo y ed in th e w o o d s ,
d r iv en in and m u ch alarmed b y th em , th e g o v e rn o r determined on
en d e a v o u r in g to fe ize and b r in g in to th e fe ttlem en t, one o r tw o o f
th o fe p e o p le , w h o fe lan gu a g e it w a s become ab fo lu te ly n e ce ffa ry to
a cq u ire , th a t th e y iq ig h t lea rn to d ift in g u ilh fr ien d s from enemies.
A c c o r d in g ly , on tike 30th a y o u n g m an w a s fei/.ed and b ro u g h t up
b y L ieu ten an t B a l l o t th e S u p p ly , and L ie u ten a n t G e o r g e J o h n fto n
o f the marines. A fecond w a s t a k e n ; b u t, after d ra g g in g in to the
w a te r b e y o n d h is d epth th e man w h o fe ized h im , h e g o t clea r off.
T h e n ativ e w h o w a s fecured w a s im m ed ia te ly on h is lan d in g led u p
to th e g o v e rn o r ’ s, w h e r e h e w a s clo athed , a flig h t iro n o r manacle
p u t u p on h is w r ift, and a t r u f ty conviCt ap p ointed to ta k e care o f
h im . A fmall h u t h ad been p re v io u fly b u ilt fo r h is reception clo fe
to th e g u a rd h ou fe , w h e re in h e and h is k e ep e r w e r e lo ck ed u p at n ig h t ;
and the fo llow in g m o rn in g th e conviCt rep or ted , th a t h e flept v e r y
w e l l d u r in g th e n ig h t, n o t o ffe r in g to m ake a n y attempt to g e t
aw a y .
T h e w e a th e r , d u r in g th e m on th o f D e c em b e r , w a s fo r th e firft part
h o t and clofe ; the mid d le w a s fine ; the la tter v ariab le , but m o ft ly
f i n e :— u p on the w h o le th e m on th w a s v e r y h o t. T h e c lim ate w a s
a llow e d b y e v e r y one, medical as w e ll as o th e rs , to b e fine au d faliih
brious.