he had the world to begin again, with a load o f debt which this
untoward accident would much increafe. The man himfelf knew
not to what caufe to attribute i t ; and he was as ignorant who were
his enemies; for two o f them had blackened their faces, and to the
third he was a ftranger.
On its being reprefented to the governor, he gave information of
the mifchief in the public orders ; and at the fame time ealled upon
every man who. valued the fafety of his perfon, and the fecurity o f
his property, to ufe the utmoft vigilance in difcovering and bringing
to juftiee thefe daring offenders, that the law might have an
opportunity o f (hewing its ability to defend the property o f every
inhabitant o f the colony, by the. punilhment o f thofe who
dargd to attack it. He alfo obferved, as a further inducement, that
the inhabitants could not fail to fee the danger of fuffering evils o f
this kind to pafs unnoticed ; as the mod ignorant muft know, that
every reduction in the quantity o f wheat muft he attended with a
reduction in the weekly ration; a circumftance by which every
man, whether on or off the public ftore, was affcrited. The Order
concluded with an offer o f conditional freedom, and permiflion to
become afettler, to any perfon, who, being a convirit, would come
forward and give fuch information as might ferve to convict the
offenders before a court o f criminal judicature.
Dogs had increafed to fuch an extent as to occafion their becoming
the' object o f a public order, reftriifting the number kept by
each perfon to no more than were abfolutely neceffary for the
protection o f his houfe and premifes. Much mifchief had been
done by them among the hogs, fheep, goats, and fowls o f individuals.
There were at this time in the town o f Sydney three fcbools for
the education o f children,; and this being the period o f their breaking
up for the Ghriftmas holidays, the governor was gratified
with the fight of 102 clean and decently-dreffed children, who came
with their feveral matters and miftreffes, and in form paid their
refpedts
fefpefits .to his excellency, who examined the prOgrefs o f the elder
fcholars in writing, fpecimen's o f which he kept for the purpofe of
comparing with- thofe which they fhould prefent to him on the following
Chriftmas.
One moment’s reflection on the vices that prevailed in the colony
will be firfficient to excite a wifh, that fome inftitution could
have been devifed for feparating the greater part of thefe (at prefent,
innocent) members of the community from their vicious parents,
where they could have been educated at the public expence,
their propenfities tb evil cor retted, and that turn-given to their attainments
which fhould fecure them a flock o f ufeful knowledge.
An arrangement óf this nature was' every day becoming more ne-
eeflary ; for there were not-Ms than- 300 young people at this time
in the town o f Sydney-,- none" Of whom, with the exception of a very
few, had been born in England.
On the eve o f Chriftmas-day two young men, fettlers on fome
land midway between Sydney and Parramatta, having beë-n beading
o f their refpeftive abilities in drinking, regatdlefs o f the fo-
lemnity o f the time, challenged each other to a trial of their fkill v
on which they were fo deliberately bent, that, to prevent their being
interrupted, they retired to1 the fkirts o f a' neighbouring wood,
with a- quantity of raw fpirits which they had provided for thé
purpofe. Their abilities, however, were- not equal' to their boaft-
ittg ; for one of them' died'upon- the fpot, and the life of the other
Was faft ebbing when lie was taken up. Had another hour elapfed,
he too'muft'have perifhed, like hisf wretched companion. They
had not been able to finifti all the pernicious fpirit which they
had prepared, fome o f it remaining by them in a' cafe bottle
when they were found.
On the morning of Chriftmas-day,i the governor Was informed
that two featnen belonging to the Reliance had -difc'overed the body
of a foldier (who Had been for two days miffing from the look-out
poft on the South Head, where he Was on duty), lying, in a mangled
ftate,