[1799-
or pafture. They then croffed a fine trail of level country, rich in
the moll luxuriant grafs, and uncommonly well watered, chains o f
ponds being found every two or three miles.
October.] On their return they found that the Eliza whaler had
arrived from fea, not wanting more than thirty tons o f oil to complete
her cargo.
A number of the public labouring fervants of the crown having
lately abfconded from their duty, for the purpofe either o f living
by robbery in the woods, or o f getting away in fome o f the fhips
now about to fail, that none of thofe concerned in the concealing
them might plead ignorance, public notice was given “ that any
officer or man belonging to the above fhips, who fhould be known
to have countenanced or affifted the convicts above alluded to in
making their efcape, would be taken out o f the ffiip, and puniffied
with the utmoft feverity o f the law ; and as the moft ftri£t and fcru-
pulous fearch would take place on board, for every convict whichr
fhould' be found concealed, or fuffered to remain on board without
regular permiffion, fo many o f the Chip’s company fhould be taken
out and detained for daring to encourage fuch efcape. Such o f the
above public fervants as might have taken to concealments on fhore
for the purpofe of avoiding .their work, or making their efcape from
the colony, if they did not return within a week to their refpeCtive
ftations, might, upon difcovery, expedt the moft exemplary puniffi-
ment; but they would be pardoned for the prefent attempt i f they
returned immediately.”
On the day this order was iflued, the Hillfborough, which was
moving out o f the Cove, and preparing, for fea, was ftriCtly
fearched, and feveral convicts being found on board, they were
brought on fhore,and each received afevere corporal punifhment. One
of them was excuied, on condition of his declaring who the people
were that had encouraged their concealment, and prepared hiding
places for them. He accordingly depofed to two of the feamen,
who were alfo brought on fhore, puniffied, and afterwards drummed
med to the wharf, and fent back to their ffiip. The foregoing order
was then publiffied.
How well it was attended to, and what effeCt the puniffiment
o f the feamen and conviCts produced, were inftantly feen. The
Hunter * , preparatory to a voyage to Bengal, where fhe was to
freight with goods for the colony, went out o f the harbour. A
woman named Ann Holmes being miffing, the governor ordered
an armed boat from the Reliance to follow the ffiip, with fome of
the conftables, and fearch her ; with directions, if any perfons were
found on board who had not permiffion to depart, to bring her into
port again. Having found the woman, the ffiip was brought up the
harbour and fecured.
Several of her crew having behaved in a moft infolent and mutinous
manner to the officer o f the Reliance, having armed them-
felves againft the conftables with cutlaffes, and one o f them having
prefented a mufquet at the chief conftable, they were fecured, ordered
to be puniffied on board their own ffiip, and afterwards
turned on fhore. But it was neceffary to do fomething more than
this; and, a criminal court being affembred for the purpofe, the
mailer o f the ffiip was brought to trial, charged with aiding and
abetting a female convift to make her efcape from the colony.
As the offence confifted in aiding a conviEl, it was requifite to prove
that fuch was the perfon found on board his ffiip; but, upon referring
to a lift o f the prifoners who were embarked in the Royal
Admiral, the ffiip in which Ann Holmes had been fent out to New
South Wale's, no fpecific term o f tranfportation was found annexed
to her name. On the queftion then, whether the mailer
had aided a convift in making an efcape, he was acquitted, it not
being poffible by any document to prove that Holmes was at that
moment a convict. But the mailer was reprehenfible in concealing
* This ihip had been a Spaniih prize, and was the property o f M r. Hingfton, late mailer
o f the Hilliborough, and two others, free people belonging to the fettlemcnt.
M M 2 any