S6
h e r to fa v e it from th e ru in w h ic h w o u ld o th e rw ife h a v e been its
in e v ita b le lo t. T h e fe ch ild ren w e r e to be inftructed in. read in g and
w r it in g , and in h u fb a n d r y . T h e com m an d an t o f th e ifland w a s dire
c ted to caufe fiv e acres o f g ro u n d to be allotted and cu ltiv ated fo r
th e ir b en e fit, b y fu ch p e r fon as h e fh o u ld th in k fit t o entru ft w i th the
ch a rg e o f b r in g in g th em u p a c co rd in g to the fp irit o f this in ten tion ,
in p rom o tin g th e fuc cefs o f w h ic h e v e r y fr ien d o f h um a n ity feemed
to feel an intereft.
T h e co v e w a s n ow , fo r th e firft tim e , le ft w i th o u t a Chip; a c ir cum -
ftan ce n o t o n ly f tr ik in g b y its n o v e l ty , but w h ic h fo r c ib ly d r ew o u r
atten tion to th e p e cu lia r ity o f o u r fituation . T h e Sir ius w a s g on e
u p o n a lo n g v o y a g e to a d iftan t c o u n t r y fo r fup plies, the a r r iv al o f
w h ic h w e r e a fiu re d ly p re ca r iou s . T h e S u p p ly had le ft u s , to lo o k
a fte r a d angerous r e e f ; w h ic h fe rv ic e , in an u n k n ow n fea, m ig h t
d r aw u p on h e r fe lf th e ca lam ity w h ic h fhe w a s fe e k in g to inftruCt others
to av o id . S h o u ld it h a v e been de cre ed, that th e arm o f m isfor tune
w a s to fa ll w i th fu c h w e ig h t u p on u s , as to ren d e r at a n y tim e the
fa lv a tio n o f th is little v e ffe l n e ce ffa ry to th e fa lv a tio n o f the c o lo n y ,
h o w d e ep ly w a s e v e r y one con ce rn ed in h e r w e lfa re ! R e fle c tio n on
th e bare p o flib ility o f its m ifca rria ge made e v e r y m ind an x io u s d u r in g
h e r ah fen ce from th e fettlement.
F rom th e e v id en t n e ce ffity th a t e x ifte d o f m ain ta in in g a ftridt d id
c ip lin e am o n g th e m ilita r y em p lo y ed in this c o u n t ry , it became re -
qu ifite to p u n ifh w i th fom e fe v e r ity a n y fla grant breach o f m ilita r y
fu b o rd in a tion th a t m ig h t o ccur. J o fep h H u n t , a fold ier in th e deta
chm en t, h a v in g be en fo u n d abfent from h is poll: w h e n fta tioned
as a centin e l, w a s tr ied b y a cou r t-m a r tia l, and fentenced to re c e iv e
fe v en h u n d red la fh e s ; w h ic h fentence w a s p u t in e x e cu t io n u p on h im
a t tw o p e r iod s , w i th an in te rv a l o f th re e w e e k s .
T o w a r d th e end o f th is m on th th e detachment to o k p o fle flio n o f
th e ir b a r ra ck s ; tw o o f w h ic h , h a v in g been n e a r ly tw e lv e months
in h an d , w e r e n ow com p le ted , and re a d y fo r th e ir reception. A
b r ic k h o u fe , fo r ty feet b y th ir te en , was b e g u n on th e eaft fid e fo r th e
c om m iffa ry ; and materials w e r e p rep a r in g fo r a gu a rd -hou fe .
A t R o fe H i l l th e p eop le w e r e p r in c ip a lly em p lo y ed in clear in g and
c u ltiv a t in g la n d ; b u t the la b o u r o f rem o v in g the tim b e r o f f the g rou n d
1 a, w h en
w h e n cu t d ow n v e r y m u ch retarded th e b e ll efforts o f th e p eo p le fo
em p lo y ed . T h e m ilita ry and c o n v if t s ftill liv e d u n d e r tents ; and, as
a p r o o f o f th e fmall fpace w h ic h th e y o c cu p ied , tw o Em u s o r Ca ffo-
w a r ie s , w h o m u ll h a v e been fe e d in g in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d , ran ■
th ro u g h th e little cam p, and w e r e fo in te rm in g led w i th th e p eop le ,
w h o ran ou t o f th e ir tents at fo ftran g e an app earance, th a t it became
d angerous to fire at th em ; and th e y g o t clear o ff, th o u g h lite ra lly fu r -
rou n d ed b y a m ultitud e o f p e o p le , and u n d e r th e v e r y m u z z le s o f
fom;e: o f th e ir mufquets . , _ '
V e r y little m o le fta tion w a s a t th is tim e g iv e n b y th e n a t iv e s ; and
h ad th e y n e v e r be en i l l treated b y o u r p e o p le , inftead o f h o f lih ty , it
is m ore than prob ab le th a t an in te r cou r fe o f frien d fh ip w o u ld h a v e
fubfifted . . .
M a r c h .] T h e im p ra c tic ab ility o f k e e p in g th e conviCts w i th in the
lim its p re fcribed fo r th em b e cam e e v e r y d a y m ore e v id en t. A lm o f t
e v e r y m on th fm ce o u r a r r iv al h ad .p rod uced o n e o r more ac cid ents,
o c c a fio n ed p r in c ip a lly b y a n on-com p lian ce w i th th e orders w h ic h had
been ■ g iv e n fo le ly w i th a 'v i e w to th e ir fe c u r i t y ; and w h ic h , w i th
th in k in g b e in g s , w o u ld h a v e be en o f fuffic ient fo r c e as ex am p le s to
deter others from ru n n in g in to th e fame danger . B u t n e ith e r orders
n o r dangers feemed to be at all rega rd ed w h e r e th e ir o w n tem p o ra ry
co n v en ien c e p rom p ted th em to d ifo b e y th e o n e , o r ru n th e lifq u e o f
in cu r r in g th e other. A c o n v i f t b e lo n g in g to th e b r ick -m a k e r ’ s g a n g
h ad ftra y ed in to th e w o o d s fo r th e p u rp o fe o f c o l le f t in g fw e e t t e a ;
a n he rb fo called b y th e c o n v if t s , and w h ic h w a s in grea t eftima tion
am o n g them. T h e lea ves o f it b e in g b o iled , th e y obtained a b e v e ra g e
n o t u n lik e liq u o r ice in ta fte, and w h ic h w a s re com m en d ed b y fom e
o f th e medical gen tlemen h e re , as a p ow e r fu l ton ic . I t w a s d ifcov e red
fo o n after o u r a r r iv al, and w a s th en fo u n d c lo fe to th e fe t t lem e n t ;
b u t th e grea t con fum p tio n h ad n ow rendered it fcarce. I t was fu p -
p o fed , th a t th e cOnvha in his fearch after this ar tic le had fallen in w i th
a p a r ty o f n a tiv e s, w h o h ad k illed h im . A few d a y s after th is ac cid
en t, a p a r ty o f the co n v ic t s , f ix te e n in n um b e r , ch ie f ly b e lo n g in g to
th e b r ick -m ak e r ’ s g a n g , quitted the place o f th e ir em p lo ym en t, an d ,
p ro v id in g themfelves ■ w i th fla k e s , fet o f f tow a rd B o ta n y B a y , w i th a
d e te rmin a tion to re v en g e , u p on w h a te v e r .na tiv es th e y fh o u ld m eet,
1 th e