in the Sirius with Governor Phillip, and had rendered much effen-
tial fervice to the colony in the line o f his profeffion. He had
long been o f a confumptive habit.
The principal labour o f the month confifted in preparing for
wheat the ground that the inundation had devaftated.
June.] The month opened with the execution o f one o f the
prifoners condemned for Iheep-ftealing. He fuffered on the ad,
and on the 8th his companion in iniquity and wretchednefs underwent
the fame punilhment. At the moment o f his execution he
gave information o f a daring gang o f villains with whom he had
been connected.
His. Majefty’s birth-day was obferved by a difcharge o f all the artillery
in the fettlement, and three vollies from the' regiment upon
their parade.
On the 8th, the owners o f the Hunter bark having altered her
deftination, Ihe returned from Norfolk-lfland, and was immediately
chartered to take thither an officer and a few foldiers, together with
fome convidls and ftores.
The Belle Sauvage, an American ffiip from Rhode-Iiland, which
had anchored for a few days in Neutral Bay, to refit, and refrefh
her crew, failed again on the 15th, without taking any perfon from
the fettlement. As this port was conveniently fituated for thefe
ffiips to flop at and refreffi after the long voyages which they were
in the habit o f making in their route to China, or the north-well
coaft o f America, it certainly was to the intereft o f the mailers and
their refpedive owners not to infringe upon any o f the local regulations
of the colony.
The number o f robbers and Iheep-llealers Hill increafing not-
withllanding the late executions, it was deemed necelfary to pur-
fue fome other fteps to get the better 'of this e v il; and a proclamation
was read in church on Sunday the 15th, preparatory to iflu-,
ing a procefs o f outlawry againft thefe public depredators, whom
all perfons were commanded to aid and affift in fecuring.
In
297
In confequence o f this proclamation, three men were taken up,
and, being tried and found guilty of Iheep-ftealing, received fentence
o f death.
On the 29th, the Hunter failed for Norfolk-lfland, having on
board Major Foveaux of the New South Wales corps, who was
proceeding thither to take the command of that fettlement. At the
fame time were fent thofe prifoners who had been fentenced thither
for tranfportation, and fome foldiers to augment the detachment of
the regiment on duty there.
The governor having, by the arrival o f the Speedy in April laft,
received a letter from the fecretary o f Hate,- he gave directions for
preparing his Majefty’s Chip Buffalo for fe a ; which was accordingly
begun; and various accounts were ordered to be made out preparatory
to their being forwarded to England.
Information having been laid before the governor by the officers
who were appointed-a committee for fuperintending the ereCtion
o f the public gaol at Sydney, that feveral perfons had refilled the
payment o f the neceffary affeffments which had been ordered to defray
the expences o f the building ; it was ordered, that thofe affeffments
Ihould be immediately paid into the hands o f the perfons
directed to colled them, or, in cafe o f a further refufal to a meafure
which had been entered upon at a general meeting o f the landholders,
&c. in the colony, fuch fteps as Ihould be adjudged neceffary
would be inftantly purfued. Such being the conduct of
thefe people, even in a meafure where their own perfonal in-
terefts were fo effentially concerned, can it be wondered at, that
fo much profligacy prevailed in every part of the fettlement ?
July.] The prifoners who were left for execution at the ynd of
the laft month fuffered death, two o f them at Sydney on the 3d,
and the third at Parramatta on the yth o f this month. I f examples
o f this kind could ftrike terror into the minds o f the fpedators, they
certainly had not lately been without thefe falutary though dreadful
leffons.
V O L . I I . Age