ACCOUNT OF THE ‘2 9 2 ENGLISH OOLONY [.x 8co.
.C H A P . X X IV .
R E PO R T S OF SEDITIOUS M EETIN GS AMONG TH E IR ISH CONVICTS.— TH E
.FR IENDSHIP SAIL S FOR B EN G A L .----L E T T E R FROM LORD MORNINGTON
R E S P E C T IN G PERSONS R E S ID EN T A T B EN G A L FORM ER LY IN TH IS CO-
TO N Y .— CORRESPONDENCE* R E L A T IV E TO IN D IAN CONV ICTS, AND
PERSONS A T C A L C U T T A WISHING TO BECOME S E T T L E R S IN NEW
SOUTH W A L E S .— ORDERS.— C R IM IN A L COURT H E LD .----JU N E . TWO
MEN HANGED FOR SH E E P -S T E A L IN G .— TH E H U N T E R SAIL S WITH
•MAJOR FOVEAUX FOR N OR FO LK -ISLAN D .— TH E BUFFALO ORDERED
.FOR S E A .— PUBL IC GAOL.----JU L Y . TH R E E M EN E X E C U T E D .— GENER
A L M U ST E R .— C A T T L E PU R CH A SED .— TH E M A R TH A D R IV EN ON
SHOR E .— AU GUST . SU R V E Y OF PU BL IC STO RES .— S P IR IT S LANDED
AND S E IZ E D .— D EA TH OF WILSON. — S E P T EM B E R . RUMOURS OF IN SU
R R EC T IO N .— VO LUNT EER CORPS.----COAL FQÜND.----TH E JOHN JA Y
A R R IV E S .----THE GOVERNOR QUITS TH É S E T T L EM EN T . — L IV E STO C K ,
& C .— OCTOBER. TH E BUFFALO SAIL S FOR EN G LAN D .----TOUCHES A T
NOR FO LK-ISLAND. ~
May.] T h e governor having received information from feveral
*of the officers, that they had good grounds for fufpeding 'that fome
o f the convids lately arrived from Ireland had not left behind
them the principles which occafioned .their being fent from that
kingdom, but were carrying on feditious correfpondences, and
holding unlawful meetings ; in order to difcover whether there
•was any foundation for this conjedure, he called ill the affiftance
•of Lieutenant-Governor King, Colonel Paterfon, Major Foveaux,
and the feveral magiftrates o f the diftridt; when it was determined
to'make a fudden and general fearch among the perfons fufpeded
in all parts o f the colony at one and the fame hour, and to fecure
their papers and leal them up.
This
M a y .]] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 493
This was put in execution upon the 15th ; but nothing was found
in their feveral dwellings which could furnilh the fmalleft fufpicion
o f the condudt imputed to them.
' On the following day, a convid, who had endeavoured with
fome earneftnefs to propagate a report that many pikes had been
fabricated, and, to prevent difcovery, had been funk in a particular
part o f the harbour, was examined before fome o f the magiftrates ;
when he confefied that he knew nothing o f what he had afferted ;
faying, that he was intoxicated at the time. He was feverely pu-
nilhed for his defign, which perhaps he chofe rather to endure, than
impeach his confederates.
From the fecrefy with which this bufinefs might be conduded,
the magiftrates fucceeded no better in an examination which was
taken before them, on an information that Harold, the Roman
Catholic prieft, had^been concerned in fome' feditious con v en tions
; nothing appearing whereby he could be criminated. The
governor, however, judged it necelfary, in confequence of thefe
conjedures, to extrad the heads o f the late ads againft feditious
correfpondence or unlawful aflemblies o f the people, altering them to
meet the lituation o f the fettlement, and publilhed them in the
form o f a proclamation, that none might plead ignorance o f the ex-
iftence o f fuch laws. - This proclamation, befide being made public
in the ufual manner, was read .on Sunday the 24th, in church, after
the performance o f divine fervice.
The Friendlhip having failed early in the month for Bengal, that
opportunity was taken o f fending dilpatches to England, and to the
Governor-General o f India; who, by the Hunter, had fent a letter
to the governor, inclofmg a lift of perfons from New South Wales
who were then refident in Calcutta, and defiring to be informed
whether any of them had left the territory without having previ.
oufly obtained permiffion for that purpofe, or ferved the regular
term of their tranfportation ; in which latter cafe, it was the intention
o f that government to return them to the colony by the firft
oppor