centin e l, and to en te r th è fto re alon e , p u rp o fin g to p lu n d e r w ith o u t
th e p a r ticip ation o f his afiociates. B u t w h ile he was Handing w i th
th e k e y in the lo c k , h e heard th e p atrole ad v an c in g . T h e k e y had
d one its office, b u t as h e k n ew that th e lo c k w o u ld be e x am in ed b y
th e co rp o ra l, in his f r ig h t and hafte to tu rn it b a ck ag ain , h e m ifto o k
th e w a y , and , fin d in g th a t h e cou ld n o t g e t the k e y ou t o f th e lo c k ,
h e b ro k e it , and w a s com p e lled to le a v e th e w a rd s in i t ; th e o th e r
p a r t o f th e k e y h e th rew aw a y .
O n th is in fo rm a tion , th e f ix fold iers w h om h e ac cufed w e r e ta k en
u p and t r i e d ; w h e n , th e e v id en ce o f th e ac com plice b e in g confirmed
b y fe v e ra l ftr o n g co r ro b o ra tin g c ircum ftan ce s , am o n g w h ic h it app
e ared th a t th e fto re h ad be en b ro k en in to and robbed b y th em at
v a r io u s time s fo r u pw a rd s o f e ig h t m on th s, th e y w e r e u n an im o u fly
fo u n d g u il ty , and fentenced to fu ffe r th a t death w h ic h th e y ow n e d
th e y ju f t ly merited. T h e i r d e fen ce w h o lly con fifted in a c cu fin g the
ac com p lice o f h a v in g be en the firft to p ro p o fe and c a r ry th e p lan in to
e x e cu t io n , and afterw ard s th e firft to accufe and ruin th e p eop le h e
h ad in fluen ced t o affociate w i th h im . A c r im e o f fu ch m agn itu d e
ca lled fo r a fe v e re e x am p le ; and the fentence w a s carried in to e x e c u tion
a few d a y s after th e ir trial.
S om e o f the fe u n h a p p y m en w e r e h e ld in h ig h eftima tion b y th e ir
o f f ic e r s ; b u t th e o th e r s , to g e th e r w i th the ac com plice H u n t , had been
lo n g v e r g in g tow a rd this, m e la n ch o ly end . F o u r o f th em had been
tr ied fo r th e death o f th e ir comrade B u lm o re , -w h ic h hap pened in a
con te ft w i th on e o f th em in N o v em b e r laft ; and th e ir m anner o f co n d
u c t in g th em fe lv e s at v a r io u s tim e s appeared to h a v e been v e r y re-
p reh enfible . 1 T h e liq u o r w h ic h th e y p rocured from th e ftore w a s th e
caufe o f d ru n k en n e fs , w h ic h b ro u g h t on a ffray s and diforders, fo r
w h ic h , as fo ld ie rs , th e y w e r e m ore th an once p u nifh ed . T o th e fe
circumftances, m u ft b e added (w h a t perhaps m u ft be confidered as th e
ro o t o f the fe evils) a c o n n e x io n w h ic h fubfifted b e tw e en them and
fom e o f th e w o r ft o f th e female co n v ic t s , a t w h o fe huts, n o tw ith -
ftan d in g th e in te rn al regulation s o f th e ir quarters, th e y fo u n d means
to e n jo y th e ir ill-acquired plunder.
O n th e m o rn in g o f th e ir e x e cu t io n , one o f th em declared to th é
c le rg ym an w h o attended h im , th a t th e lik e p rac tices had been carried
1 4 - oil
6 J
on at th e ftore at R o fe H i l l b y fim ila r means and w i th fim ila r fu c ce fs .
H e named tw o fold iers and a c o n v i f t as th e p e rfons concerned ; th e fe
w e r e afterw ard s ap p rehend ed , and un d e rw en t an ex am in a tio n o f fe v e ral
h ours b y th e lieu ten an t-g o v e rn o r and th e ju d g e -ad v o c a te , d u r in g w h ic h
n o th in g b e in g d raw n from e ither th a t co u ld a f fe f t th e o th e rs , th e y
w e r e all d ifcha rged . It w a s , h ow e v e r , g e n e ra lly b e lie v ed , th a t th e
fo ld ie r w o u ld no t in his d y in g mom en ts h a v e fa lfe ly accufed th re e m en
o f a c r ime w h ic h th e y had n e v e r com m itted jjfj and th a t n o th in g b u t
th e ir co n ftan c y to each o th e r h ad p re v en ted a d ifc o v e r y o f th e ir g u ilt.
W h i le the fe tranfaCtions w e r e p a llin g a t S y d n e y , th e little c o lo n y a t
N o r fo lk I fland h ad b e en threatened w i th an in fu r re ft io n . T h e S u p p ly
retu rn ed from th en ce th e 2 4 th , after an ab fence o f fiv e w e e k s , an d
b ro u g h t from L ie u ten an t K in g , th e com m an d an t, in fo rm a tion o f th e
fo llo w in g ch im e r ical fchem e : - T h e cap ture o f th e iflan d , .and th e
fubfeqhen t efcape o f th e cap to rs , w a s to com m enc e b y th e fe l™ re “
M r . K in 'g ’ s p e r fon , w h ic h w a s in ten d ed t o b e e ffe fted on. th e h r it
S a tu rd a y after th e ar riv al o f -any Ihip in the b a y , e x c e p t th e 'S in u s .
T h e y had ch o fen th a t p a r ticular d a y in th e w e e k , as it had be en f ° r
fom e time M r . K in g ’ s cu ftom o n Sa turd a y s to g o to a farm w h ic h h e
h ad eftablilhed at fom e little d iftance from th e fe ttlem en t, and the
m ilita ry g en e ra lly chofe th a t d a y to b r in g in th e cabbage p a lm from
th e .w o o d s i M r . K in g w a s to b e . fe c u r e d in h is w a y to h is fa rm .
A meffage, in th e com m an d an t’ s n am e , was. th en to be fen t to M r .
Tamifon, the fu rg e o n , w h o w a s to be fe ized as fo on as h e g o t in to
th e w o o d s ; and the fe rjean t and the p a r ty w e r e to be treated in th e
fame manner. T h e fe b e in g all p ro p e r ly tak en care o f, a fign a l w a s
to be made to th e ftiip in the b a y to fend he r; b o a t on ftiore, th e
c r ew o f Which w e re to jb e made prifoners on th e ir la n d in g ; and tw o
o r thre e o f th e infurgents w e r e to g o o f f in a bo a t b e lo n g in g t0 * ^
ifland and in fo rm the com m an d in g o ffice r th a t th e Ihip s boat h ad
be en fto v e on th e b ea ch , and th a t th e com m an d an t rec.uefted an o th e r
rois:h t b e fent a - f f io r e ; this alfo w a s to be cap tu re d : and then a s
th e laft a f t of- this abfurd fch em e , th e Ihip w a s to be ta k en , w i th w h ic h
th e y w e r e to p roceed to O tah e ite , and th e re eftablifh a fe ttlem en t.
T h e y ch a r itab ly intended to lea v e fom e p rov ifio n s fo r th e com m an d an t
and h is officers, and fo r fuch o f the p eop le as d id n o t a c com p a n y th em
in th e ir efcape.— T h is w a s th e ir fchem e. N o t on e d ifficu lty in the
. ■ • e x e c u t io n