Price o f an axe, - - 0 2 0.
New fteeling do. 0 O 6
A new hoe, - - - 0 I 9
A fickle, - * * 0 I 6
.Hire o f a boat to carry grain, per day, 0 5 a
The fettlers were reminded, that, in order to prevent any kind
o f difpute between the mafter and ferva-nt, when they fliould have
occafion to hire a man for any length o f time, they would find it
mod convenient to engage him for a quarter, half year, or year,
and to make their agreement in writing:; on which fliould any difpute
arife, an appeal to the magiftrates would fettle it.
A perfon, who abfconding from his work had been ordered to
labour a certain time in irons, having wrought upon the feelings o f
one of the Magiftrates to permit bis working without them, and
having given ftrong aflurance o f future diligence, was no fooner
freed from his incumbrances than he took to the woods again.
The frequent and unreftrained paffing and repairing of idle and
diforderly people from One part of the colony to another, and the
mifchievous correfpondence which was kept up by fuch means,
was productive o f great evil. To check this as much as polEble,
all perfons, the officers excepted, who were travelling from one
diftridt of the fettlement to another, were required to furnifli them-
felves with a paffport, which, on a proper application, they would
obtain without any difficulty. This was to be fhewn to and in-
fpedted by the conftables in each di ftridtand i f found without it
they were to be imprifoned during a month for the firft offence,
and otherwife punifhed if it was repeated. But the beft local arrangements
were fet at defiance by thofe hardened vagabonds, who,
feemed daily to increafe in number and in. infamy.
While the governor was endeavouring to guard againft the injuries
that might be done by thefe people, the fettlers found thein-
felves obliged to affemble for the purpofe o f repelling the-attacks
made
made upon them by the natives. The people at the northern
farms had been repeatedly plundered of their provifions and «loathing
by a large body o f favages, who had alfo recently killed a man
and a woman. Exafperated at fuch cruel and wanton conduit,
they armed themfelves, and, after purfuing them a whole night,
at fun-rife in the morning came up with a party o f more than a
hundred, who fled immediately on difcovering that their pnrfuers
were armed, leaving behind them a quantity o f Indian corn, fome
mufquet balls, and other things of which the foldiers had been
plundered. They continued to follow, and traced them as far as
the outfkirts o f Parramatta. Being fatigued with their march, they
entered the town, and in about an hour after were followed
by a large body o f natives, headed by Pe-mul-wy, a riotous and
troublefome favage. Thefe were known by the fettlers to be the
fame who had fo frequently annoyed them ; and they intended, if
poflible, to feize upon Pe-mul-wy; who, in a great rage, threatened
to fpear the firft man that dared to approach him, and actually
did throw a fpear at one o f the foldiers. The conflict was now
begun ; a mufquet was immediately levelled at the principal, which
feverely wounded him. Many fpears were then thrown, and one
man was hit in the arm; upon which the fuperior effedh of our
fire-arms was immediately fhewn them, and five were inftantly
killed.
However unpleafant it was to the governor, that the lives o f fo
many o f thefe people fhould have been taken, no other courfe
could polfibly be purfued ; for it was their cuftom, when they
found themfelves more numerous and better armed than the white
people, to demand with infolence whatever they wanted ; and, if
refufed, to have recourfe to murder. This check, it was hoped,
would have a good effect; and Pe-mul-wy, who had received fe-
ven buck fhot in his head and different parts of his body, was taken
extremely ill to the hofpital. This man was firft known in the
E 3 fettle