D 7 8 9 .-
o p in lo n , u p on o ath, th a t th e m an ’ s p u lfe v e r y ft r o n g ly ind icated either
a d e lir ium o r in to x ic a tio n , h is . tr ial w a s p u t o f f u ntil th e fo llo w in g
m o rn in g , w h e n , th e fame appearances o f w ild n e fs co n tin u in g on h im ,
•witneffes w e r e e x am in ed a s to th e ten o r o f h is c o n d u ft d u r in g h is i
b e in g in 'co n fin em en t fo r th e offen ce ; and th e co u r t w e r e o f 'o p in io n
from th e ir te ft im o n y , “ T h a t th e p r ifo n e r was. n o t in a ftate o f m ind to
be p u t u p on his trial. L ie w a s th e re fo re p laced un d e r the care o f
th e fu rg e o n a t the h o fp ita l, and th e co u r t b ro k e up.
I t w a s g e n e r a lly fup po fed , th a t a firm b e l ie f th a t h is offence w o u ld '
b e fix e d u p on h im o ccafion ed th e d e rang ement o f in te lle ft w h ic h appe
ared . H e w a s a n o to r io u s o ffender, and had b e en 'o n c e pardoned in
th is c o u n t r y u n d e r th e galiowsf. M a n y o f h is fe llow -p r ifo r ie rSs g a v e
h im cred it fo r th e a b ility w i th w h ic h h e had a fte d his part, aiid p e r h
ap s h e d e fe r re d th e ir ap plaufe ; b u t difordered as he appeared b e fo re '
th e co u r t , th e ir h um a n ity w o u ld n o t fu ffe r th em to p roceed ag ainft a
w r e tc h w h o eithe r h ad n o t, o r a ffe fte d n o t to h a v e , a fuffic ient fenfe
o f h is fltu ation.
S lo p s w e r e fe rv ed to th e c o n v if t s d u r in g th is m on th , and th e deta
chm en t re c e iv e d th e rem a in d e r o f th e ffioes w h ic h th e y b ro u g h t
from E n g la n d .
S e p tem b e r .] In E n g lan d fom e depend ence had been placed on fiffi
as a re fou rc e fo r th e fe ttlem en t, b u t fuffic ient fo r a g en e ra l' d iftribution
h ad n o t h ith e r to be en c a u g h t at a n y one time. O n the 4 th o f this'
m o n th th e p e o p le b e lo n g in g to th e S u p p ly h ad a v e r y la rg e h a u l ; th e ir
ie in e w a s fo fu ll, that had th e y h au led it affiore it m u ff h a v e b u r f t ;
th e ropes o f it w e r e th e re fo re made fa f f on ffiore, and the feine was
fu ffe red to lie un til le f t d r y b y th e tide. T h e filh w e r e b ro u g h t up to
th e fe ttlem en t, and d iftr ibu ted am o n g tKe m ilita r y and c o n v ifts . A
n ig h t o r tw o a fte r this ; a filh in g -b o a t -caught ab out on e hund red d o zen
o f fmall filh ; .b u t th is w a s p re ca rious , and, h ap p en in g a fte r th e p ro -
v ifio n s w e r e fe rv ed , n o o th e r ad v an tage co u ld be d e r iv e d from th e
c ir cum fta n ce , than that o f e v e ry m an ’ s h a v in g a filh "meal.
O n the 10 th a c r im in al cou r t o f ju d ic a tu re w a s affembled fo r the
tr ial o f H e n r y W r ig h t , a p r iv a te fo ld ie r in th e deta chment, fo r a rape
o n a ch ild o f e ig h t y e a r s o f a g e ; o f w h ic h he in ous offence b e in g fo u n d
g u i l t y , h e re c e iv ed fentence to die ; but b e in g recommend ed b y th e
court
c o u r t to the g o v e rn o r , h is e x c e lle n c y w a s p leafed to pard on h im , on
co n d ition o f h is re fid in g , d u r in g the te rm o f his natural life , at N o r fo lk
Ifland. T h is w a s an o ffence that did no t fe em to requ ire an immediate
e x am p le ; the c h a ftity o f th e fem ale p a r t o f th e fettlement h ad n e ve r
be en fo r ig id , as to d r iv e m en to fo defpe rate an a f t ; and it w a s be lie
v e d , th a t befide th e w r e tc h in q u e ftion th e re w a s n o t in th e c o lo n y
a man o f a n y d e fcr ip tion w h o w o u ld h a v e a ttemp ted it.
O n the 1 2 th , th e butte r, w h ic h h ad h ith e r to be en ferv ed at f ix oun ce s
p e r w e e k to each man in th e fe ttlem en t, b e in g exp en d ed , th e lik e
q u a n t ity o f fu g a r w a s d ire fte d to be iffued in its Head. T h i s w a s th e
fir ft o f the p ro v ifio n s b ro u g h t from E n g lan d w h ic h had w h o l ly f a i le d ;
an d , fo r tu n a te ly , th e failu re w a s in an ar tic le w h ic h cou ld be th e beft
fpared. I t n e v e r h ad been v e r y g o o d , and w a s n o t, f t r i f t l y fp e a k in g ,
a n e ce ffa ry o f life .
A fmall boat b e lo n g in g to a g en tleman o f th e fe ttlem en t, h a v in g
be en to o d e ep ly lad en w i th cabbage-trees w h ic h h ad be en c o lle fte d in a
b a y d ow n th e h a rb ou r fo r the p tirpofe o f b u ild in g , w a s o v e r fe t on h e r
re tu rn to the co v e , b y to u c h in g o n a r o c k w h ic h la y o f f one o f th e
p oin ts . T h e r e w e r e th re e p eo p le in h e r , tw o o f w h om fw am on
f f io r e ; th e th ird rem ain ed fiv e h o u rs on h e r k e e l, and w a s ac c id en ta lly
m e t w i th and p ick ed up b y th e p eo p le o f a fiffiin g boat.
C ap ta in H u n te r , u n w i llin g to lo fe a n y o p p o r tu n ity o f ren d e r in g a
fe rv ice to the c o lo n y , w h ile th e repairs o f h is ffiip w e r e g o in g on ,
Purveyed th e tw o ad jo in in g harbours o f B r o k e n B a y and B o ta n y B a y ;
and c o r r e ft Charts w e r e th u s obtained, o f the fe tw o harb ou r s, fo adm
ira b ly fituated w i th relation to P o r t Ja ck fon .
T h e nativ e s, w h o had fo r fom e tim e p aft g iv e n v e r y little in te r ru p tio
n , tow a rd th e end o f th e m on th atta ck ed H e n r y H a c k in g , on e o f the
quarter-mafters o f th e S ir iu s , w h o , b e in g re ck o n ed a g o o d ffio t, w a s
a llow ed to ffio o t fo r th e officers and ffiip ’ s com p an y . H is a c co u n t
w a s that, b e in g in th e w o o d s , a fton e w a s th row n a t h im from o n e o f
tw o natives w h om h e p e rce iv ed beh in d h im , and th a t on lo o k in g
ab out h e fo u n d d ifperfed am o n g th e trees a n um b e r that cou ld n o t h e
le fs than fo r ty . W if f i in g to in timid a te th em , h e feveral times o n ly
prefetited h is p ie ce tow ard th em ; b u t , fin d in g th a t th e y fo llow e d h im ,
h e at laft g a v e th em the contents, w h ic h hap pen ed to b e fm all ffiot fo r
m b ird s .