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September.] In the beginning, o f this month, rumours being
circulated, that the prifoners lately fent from Ireland for the crime
o f fedition, and for being concerned in the late rebellion in that
country, had formed a plan for poffelfing themfelves o f the colony,
that their arms (pikes manufactured frnce their arrival) were in
great forwardnefs, and their manner of attack nearly arranged ; a
committee of officers was appointed by the governor to examine
all fufpeCted perfons, and afcertain whether any fuch murderous
defign exifted.
In the courfe o f their inquiries, the committee faw occafion to
imprifori Harold, the Roman Catholic prieft, who from his language
and behaviour was fufpeCted o f being concerned in* the intended
infurreCtion. He then confefled, that the reports o f it
were founded in truth, and engaged to difcover where the weapons
were concealed, of which it was faid many hundreds had been fabricated
In his eonfelfion he implicated feveral o f his countrymen,
who, on being queftioned,]in their turn accufed feveral others; and
the committee adjudged them all to be deferving o f punifhment;
but Harold was never able to fulfil his engagement o f producing the
weapons, . Thefe he firft faid were burred in the ground belonging
to a fettler, which he pointed out; "but on minutely fearching every
part of it, nothing like a pike could be found. Failing in this, he
then faid they were funk in the lower part o f the harbour; but even
her,e they, could not be difcovered. He tampered with an Irifh-
man, to make a few that he could produce in fupport o f his afier-
tion ; but the man had, unfortunately for him, -been tranfported
for having been a dealer in pikes, and declared .that he would not
involve himfelf a fecond time for them. He at laftfound a nian to
fabricate one out of an old hinge, o f a barn door, but this bore too
evidently the marks o f impofition to go down with every, one ;
and his-''tale rdet with little or no credit. There was. evidently a
defign to create an alarm ; and this man Harold, from declaring
that he alone, through his influence as their prieft, was" able’ to
come
come at the fafts, was fuppofed to be aiming folely at making himfelf
o f confequence in the colony. He had applied to the governor
for permiflion to officiate as their prieft; and if well affedted to
the government, o f which there were but too many doubts, he
might have been o f much ufe to the colony in that capacity.
In confequence o f thefe alarms, and as much as polfible to do
away their effedts, by increasing the armed force o f the colony, a
certain number of the moft refpedtable inhabitants were formed into
two volunteer aflociations of fifty men each, and ftyled the Sydney
and Parramatta Loyal Affoc-iated Corps. Each was commanded
by a Captain, with two Lieutenants, and a proportionate number
o f non-commiffioned officers. The whole were fupplied with arms
and ammunition, o f which they were inftrudted in the ufe b y fome
ferjeants o f the New South Wales1 corps, and their alarm-poft was
fixed 'at the front o f Government Houfe*.
It having been reported, that coal had been found Upon the
banks of George’s river, .the governor vifited the place, and on
examination found m an y indications of the exiftence- of coal, that
ufeful foffil, o f which, Ihortly after, a vein was difcovered on the
weft-fide o f Garden Illand cove.
On the 2 1 ft, the American fhip John Ja y arrived, after a paflage
o f four months and four days, from Rhode Illand, bound to China.
She had on board a quantity o f fait beef and pork, which was pur-,
chafed by government, at the rate o f feven-pence three-farthings-
per pound, for the purpofe of ifluing to fuch people as were offthe
ftores, or who had the labour o f convicts affigned to them, at the
fame price. Thi.s was a great accommodation.
The Buffalo being now ready for fea, the governor, who had
determined to return in that fliip to England, having arranged various
matters relative to the fettlement, and the lieutenant, governor
* A s thefe were formed upon thfe footing o f the volunteer corps in England, it is to be
wilhe'd that they may as fully entitle themfelves to the praife and thanks of the community which
they weice raifed to. defend, as thofe honourable aflociations have merited and gained from theirs.
Of