54
Two men were tried for having killed a native youth, well
known in the fettlement * ; but it appearing to the court that he
had been accidentally fhot, they were acquitted. The natives certainly
behaved ill, and often provoked the death which they met
with ; but there was not any neceffity for wantonly deftroying
them, a circum fiance which it was feared had but too often occurred.
On the acquittal o f thefe prifoners, they were allured by
the governor, that he was determined to make an example o f the
firft perfon who fhould be convicted o f having wantonly taken the
life o f a native.
Another prifoner, John Morris, was tried for the murder of
Charles Martin, by violently kicking and beating him, fo that he
died the following day. He was found guilty o f manflaughter,
and fenteneed to be burned in the hand and imprifoned for 12
months.
One man was found guilty o f uttering a bill knowing it to ba
forged, and adjudged to fuffer death; and two others, for theft,
were ordered to be tranfported to Norfolk Ifland, one for the term-
o f his life, and another for feven years.
. It appearing on one o f thefe trials, that three o f the witnefles
had manifeftly and wilfully committed the crime o f perjury, they
were brought to trial; and, being found guilty, were fenteneed to-
ftand in the pillory; to which, as an additional punifhment, their
ears were to be nailed. Their fentence was put in execution before
the public provifion ftore, when the mob, either to difplay their
averfion to the crime, or, what might be more probable, to catch
at any thing that wore the form o f amufement, pelted them
with rotten eggs and dirt.
Thefe people were three o f the worft characters in the colony,
Luke Normington, John Colley,'and William Olborne. It amounted
* B y the name o f Tom Rowley (after one o f the officers o f the regiment). H e had Accompanied
Mr. Raven, in the Britannia, to Bengal, in the year 1795 .
I I nearly
nearly to a mockery and prophanation o f religion to adminifter
an oath to fuch hardened and unprincipled wretches ; yet their tef-
timony could not be refufed when called for by a prifoner who was
Handing under the weight o f a capital charge ; but o f the credibility
of fuch teftimony it was always in the breaft o f the court to
judge.
On this occafion the governor deemed it advifable to explain,
in public orders, the nature o f this dreadful offence, an offence fo
certainly ruinous both to their temporal and eternal welfare. He
pointed out to them, that, as every man who flood convidted of
this dangerous breach o f the law was thereby rendered infamous
ever after, no one who had a character to loie (alas ! how few
were there who would feel themfelves affeCted by this obfervation)
would affociate with fuch criminals, left he fhould endanger his
own reputation, and be confidered as a voluntary approver and partaker
in the infamy.
It may be fome relief to turn from the contemplation o f fuch
iniquity, though it fhould be only to the tranfaCtions o f favages, differing
from thefe wretches but in complexion.
On the 20th o f this month the fettlement were fpeCtators o f a
fevere conteft which took place between two parties of natives; one
o f which was defirous of revenging the death o f a friend, who had
been killed by fome native o f a part o f the country from which
a young man had juft then accidentally come amongft them. He wa3
therefore immediately devoted to their vengeance. Finding their
determination, he moft gallantly flood up, and, being attacked by
numbers, defended himfelf with the greateft bravery and addrefs,
until, being wounded in feveral places, he fell. As be lay upon
the ground, feveral o f his opponents treacheroufly rufhed in upon
him, and ftabbed him repeatedly with a pointed flick, which they
call a Doo-ul. In this fituation he endeavoured to cover himfelf
with his fhield, on which, having rifen from the. ground, and being
again attacked, he received their fpears for fome time with great!
dexterity,