An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales Volume II Part 23

The settlers of several of the districts declining to come forward to a.s.sist with the small a.s.sessment of sixpence per bushel on their wheat, which had been proposed toward the completion of the public gaol, it became necessary to adopt some other expedient; and, as an article of luxury was considered a fitter subject than any other for taxation, an order was published, directing that on a permit being applied for to land spirits, wine, beer, or other strong drink, from s.h.i.+ps having those articles for sale, the person desiring it was to make his first application to the gentlemen of the committee appointed to carry on the above building; to whom security was to be given for the payment of one s.h.i.+lling per gallon on the purchase of spirits, sixpence per gallon on the purchase of wine, and threepence per gallon on the purchase of porter or strong beer; these sums, if the permits were granted, which depended on the character of the person applying, were to be paid into the hands of the committee, and appropriated to the above purpose.

It having been for some time observed, indeed more particularly since the late arrivals from Ireland, that a number of idle and suspicious persons were frequently strolling about the town of Sydney at improper hours of the night, and several boats having been taken away, and much property stolen out of houses; in order to put a stop to such practices, the sentinels on duty were directed not to suffer any person, the civil and military officers of the settlement excepted, to pa.s.s their posts after ten o'clock at night, without they could give the countersign; in which case the sentinel was to detain them until the relief came round; when, if the corporal should not be satisfied with the account which they might give, they were to be taken to the guardhouse, and there detained, until released by proper authority. The patrol of constables were also directed to be very strict in their rounds, and apprehend such improper or suspicious persons as they might meet in the town during the night.

Shortly after the publication of this order, several of the Irish prisoners having a.s.sembled at a private house, and making more noise than was proper during the night, were taken up, and lodged in the gaol until the morning; when they were liberated with a.s.surances of being punished if brought there a second time.

Among other public and necessary works which were in hand at this time, must be noticed the construction of a new powder magazine. The former building had been placed at too great a distance from the princ.i.p.al battery, in a dangerous and insecure situation. The foundation of the new one was now dug in a more eligible spot, and where it could be much better secured; which had been rendered necessary from the turbulent disposition of the people lately arrived from Ireland.

March.] His Majesty's s.h.i.+p the _Reliance_ being completely worn out, and no longer capable of rendering any service to the settlement, it became necessary to give her such repairs as would enable her to reach England. In order, therefore, to ease the crown of such useless expense, she was fitted for sea, and sailed on the 3rd of this month on her homeward-bound voyage.*

[* The _Reliance_ touched at the Cape of Good Hope and the Island of St. Helena, whence she brought some Indiamen safe home under her convoy. She arrived at Plymouth on the 26th of August, 1800.

Nothing remarkable occurred during the voyage, except the discovery of an island, which, from its approach to the Antipodes of London, Captain Waterhouse named Penantipode island. He determined its lat.i.tude by one double alt.i.tude, and chronometer, to be 49 degrees 49 minutes 30 seconds S and its longitude, 179 degrees 20 minutes E. It was seen in the middle of the night; and as the nearest of the double alt.i.tudes by which its lat.i.tude was determined was nearly an hour past noon, hence, and from the change of place in the interval of four hours, the lat.i.tude ought not to be depended on nearer than from 5 minutes to 10 minutes. The error of the chronometer being uncertain at the time, no correction was applied to the longitude, which may very probably be within half a degree, or much nearer. When this island was seen, it was blowing a gale of wind. There were seals on it, and it did not appear quite so large as Norfolk Island.]

Captain Waterhouse, in an excursion which he made to the north arm of Broken Bay, wounded and secured a bird, of a species never seen before in New South Wales, at least by any of the colonists. It was a large eagle, which gave a proof of his strength, by driving his talons through a man's foot, while lying in the bottom of the boat, with his legs tied together.

it stood about three feet in height, and during the ten days that it lived was remarkable for refusing to be fed by any but one particular person. Among the natives it was an object of wonder and fear, as they could never be prevailed upon to go near it. They a.s.serted, that it would carry off a middling-sized kangaroo. Captain Waterhouse hoped to have brought it to England; but it was one morning found to have divided the strands of a rope with which it was fastened, and escaped. A drawing had been made of it while in our hands, of which the annexed engraving is a copy.

The _Martha_ schooner, having some time back sailed again to the southward, returned on the 6th with a cargo of oil and seal skins. The _Nautilus_ having left some of her people upon Cape Barren Island, it appeared by their accounts, that the most productive time for the seals among those islands was from November to May. They stated, that they had much fine weather during the winter months, and met with very little frost or severe cold. Cape Barren is in 40 degrees 26 minutes 20 seconds S lat.i.tude.

About this time many of the Irish prisoners lately arrived were afflicted with dysenteric complaints, of which several died.

Much has been said of the little indulgence to which some of the settlers were, from their own misconduct, ent.i.tled. An instance of misbehaviour occurred in a description of these people from whom it could scarcely have been expected. The settlers who were fixed on the banks of George's river had formerly served in the marine detachment, and afterwards in the New South Wales corps. By their entreaties having prevailed upon the governor to supply them with some live stock, they were furnished each with a ewe sheep, of which they were no sooner possessed than they sold them. This coming to the governor's knowledge, he directed them to be seized, and instantly returned into the flock belonging to government.

Such conduct on their part certainly precluded them from ever soliciting similar a.s.sistance again.

Accounts of a most alarming nature were received toward the latter end of the month from George's river and the Hawkesbury. The weather had, unfortunately for the maize now ripe, been uncommonly bad for three weeks, the wind blowing a heavy gale, accompanied with torrents of rain that very soon swelled the river Hawkesbury, and the creeks in George's river, beyond their banks; laying all the adjacent flat country, with the corn on it, under water. Much damage, of course, followed the desolation which this ill-timed flood spread over the cultivated grounds; and, although fewer than could have been expected, some lives were lost.

The prospect of an abundant maize harvest was wholly destroyed, and every other work was suspended for a while, to prepare the ground a second time this season for wheat. The settlement was yet too young to be able to withstand such a succession of ill-fortune without its being felt, in some degree, an inconvenience and expense to the mother country. Had the settlers themselves in general been of a more industrious turn, they would have been better prepared for such accidents; and it was much to be lamented, that, in establis.h.i.+ng them on the banks of the Hawkesbury, they had not with more attention considered the manifest signs of the floods to which the river appeared to the first discoverers to be liable, and erected their dwellings upon the higher grounds; or that the inundations which had lately happened had not occurred at an earlier period, when there were but few settlers. These indeed had been such as formerly no one had any conception of, and exceeded in horror and destruction any thing that could have been imagined.

That the ground might with all possible expedition be prepared for wheat, all descriptions of persons were called upon to give their a.s.sistance; and there being at this, as at every other time, a number of idle persons wandering about the colony, who refused to labour unless they were paid exorbitant wages, these were again directed to be taken up, and, if found to prefer living by extortion or robbery, to working at a reasonable hire, to be treated as vagrants, and made to labour for the public.

During this month, the _Walker_ went to sea upon the fishery; and the _Martha _snow went to Norfolk Island, with some articles for sale, the property of her owners.

April.] On the first day of this month, the court of criminal judicature was convened for the trial of several offenders. Robberies had of late been very frequent, both on household property and live stock.

At this court, two men were found guilty of robbery, and one women, Mary Graham, of forgery. Several were sentenced to receive corporal punishment, and some were ordered to be transported to Norfolk Island.

The governor extended his Majesty's pardon to the woman and one of the men, leaving the other to his fate, and the day was appointed for his execution; but, the military officers soliciting in a body that the life of this man should be spared, the governor consented. He however directed that both the prisoners, being yet unacquainted with the pardon that was to be granted them, should be taken to the place of execution with their coffins, where the warrant for that execution should be read, and every appearance observed that could give solemnity to the moment, and impress the minds of the spectators with awe. These directions were followed. The ropes being put about their necks, the provost marshal produced the pardon and read it. One of the men appeared much affected; but the other declared that he was never in his life so well prepared for death, and scarcely seemed to desire a prolongation of existence.

On the 14th the _Hunter_ bark sailed for Norfolk Island, whence she was supposed to be bound for Amboyna and Bengal; and on the 16th the _Speedy_ whaler arrived from England, with fifty female convicts; and, what were much more welcome and profitable, eight hundred and thirty-two casks of salt provisions, which enabled the governor once more to issue a full ration.

In this s.h.i.+p arrived Captain Phillip Gidley King, the lieutenant-governor of Norfolk Island; and those marks of respect which were due to his rank and situation as a lieutenant-governor were directed to be paid to him by all guards, sentinels, etc.

On the evening of the same day, his Majesty's s.h.i.+p the _Buffalo_ returned from the Cape of Good Hope, having on board 85 cows and 20 breeding mares for the settlement. This voyage was performed in seven months, the _Buffalo_ having sailed from Port Jackson on the 15th of last September. She made her pa.s.sage thither in three months, having arrived in Table Bay on the 16th of December. This, therefore, will be found to be the proper season for going to the Cape by the way of Cape Horn.

The quant.i.ty of spirits at this time in the colony occasioned much intoxication and consequent irregularity. The settlers at the river were so lost to their own interest as to neglect the sowing of their grounds: a circ.u.mstance which, but for the timely interference of the governor, would have ended in their ruin. Immediately on hearing their situation, he forbade the sending any more spirits to that profligate corner of the colony, as well as the retailing what had been already sent thither, under pain of the offenders being prosecuted for such disobedience of his orders.

CHAPTER XXIV

Reports of seditious meetings among the Irish convicts The _Friends.h.i.+p_ sails for Bengal Letter from Lord Mornington respecting persons resident at Bengal, formerly in this colony Correspondence relative to Indian convicts, and persons at Calcutta wis.h.i.+ng to become settlers in New South Wales Orders Criminal court held June Two men hanged for sheep-stealing The _Hunter_ sails with Major Foveaux for Norfolk Island The _Buffalo_ ordered for sea Public gaol July Three men executed General muster Cattle purchased The _Martha_ driven on sh.o.r.e August Survey of public stores Spirits landed and seized Death of Wilson September Rumours of Insurrection Volunteer corps Coal found The _John Jay_ arrives The governor quits the settlement Live stock, etc October The _Buffalo_ sails for England Touches at Norfolk Island

May.] The governor having received information from several of the officers, that they had good grounds for suspecting that some of the convicts lately arrived from Ireland had not left behind them the principles which occasioned their being sent from that kingdom, but were carrying on seditious correspondences, and holding unlawful meetings; in order to discover whether there was any foundation for this conjecture, he called in the a.s.sistance of Lieutenant-Governor King, Colonel Paterson, Major Foveaux, and the several magistrates of the district; when it was determined to make a sudden and general search among the persons suspected in all parts of the colony at one and the same hour, and to secure their papers and seal them up.

This was put in execution upon the 15th; but nothing was found in their several dwellings which could furnish the smallest suspicion of the conduct imputed to them.

On the following day, a convict, who had endeavoured with some earnestness to propagate a report that many pikes had been fabricated, and, to prevent discovery, had been sunk in a particular part of the harbour, was examined before some of the magistrates; when he confessed that he knew nothing of what he had a.s.serted; saying, that he was intoxicated at the time. He was severely punished for his design, which perhaps he chose rather to endure, than impeach his confederates.

From the secrecy with which this business might be conducted, the magistrates succeeded no better in an examination which was taken before them, on an information that Harold, the Roman Catholic priest, had been concerned in some seditious conversations; nothing appearing whereby he could be criminated. The governor, however, judged it necessary, in consequence of these conjectures, to extract the heads of the late acts against seditious correspondence or unlawful a.s.semblies of the people, altering them to meet the situation of the settlement, and published them in the form of a proclamation, that none might plead ignorance of the existence of such laws. This proclamation, beside being made public in the usual manner, was read on Sunday the 24th, in church, after the performance of divine service.

The _Friends.h.i.+p_ having sailed early in the month for Bengal, that opportunity was taken of sending dispatches to England, and to the Governor-General of India; who, by the _Hunter_, had sent a letter to the governor, inclosing a list of persons from New South Wales who were then resident in Calcutta, and desiring to be informed whether any of them had left the territory without having previously obtained permission for that purpose, or served the regular term of their transportation; in which latter case, it was the intention of that government to return them to the colony by the first opportunity. On comparing the list with the colonial books, there were not any found of this description, and all were accounted for, except two or three names which did not appear in the books; and of course, as they had once been on them, their owners must have adopted others, with the new character that they were going to a.s.sume in that country. The whole number of persons that appeared to have established themselves at Calcutta was not more than fifteen; nevertheless, small as that number was, the fear that worthless characters should find their way into that government was strongly expressed in their public letter. Indeed, what community, where honesty and morality were cultivated, would not deprecate even the possibility of such characters mixing with them, with as much earnestness as a people in health would dread the importation of a plague or a yellow fever!

It appeared, that at the same time some propositions had been made, and a correspondence entered into between the secretary of the Bengal government and the gentleman who had been employed as the private agent of the officers of the settlement, respecting the transportation of Indian convicts to New South Wales. As this was a measure, though open to no objection whatever, which must be submitted to administration before it could be adopted, the correspondence which had pa.s.sed on this occasion was sent home. It was proposed by the government of Bengal to victual and maintain their convicts for one year after their landing; after which they were to be supported by the settlement. As such a description of people might be very usefully employed there, and would be far more manageable than the convicts from England or Ireland, it was hoped that the plan might meet the approbation of his Majesty's ministers.

It should seem that some favourable ideas of the settlement had obtained in India; for by the same conveyance three gentlemen of respectability addressed the governor, stating to him their desire of embarking their families and property, and becoming settlers; but as they required a s.h.i.+p to be sent for them, to be furnished with a certain number of convicts for a limited time, and a quant.i.ty of live stock, all of which must be attended with a considerable expense to the crown, the governor, though well aware of the advantages which the colony would derive from having such persons resident among them, found himself compelled to lay their proposals before the secretary of state.

To put a stop, if possible, to the encouragement which was given by settlers and others to the vagrants who infested the different districts; it was ordered, that when any one wished to travel from one place to another, he was to apply to a magistrate for a pa.s.s, in which the business he was going on was to be inserted; and all persons found without this written permission were to be taken before a magistrate to answer for their wilful disobedience of the regulations of the settlement.'

Application having been made to the commissary to receive fresh pork into the public stores, he was directed to comply therewith; but there was reason to believe that such compliance would be attended with the indiscriminate destruction of breeding and young sows. It was therefore ordered, that if any person should be known to offer any meat of that description to the store, it was not to be received; and the owner was to be informed against, as being no longer deserving of encouragement or any indulgence whatever.

The criminal court of judicature was a.s.sembled on the 26th of the month, and continued sitting by adjournment for three days; whereat six prisoners were capitally convicted, two of whom were condemned for sheep-stealing. As it was absolutely necessary to make some examples, these men were ordered for execution; the others were pardoned, upon condition of being transported for life to Norfolk island.

In the course of this month died Mr. John Livingstone, the master carpenter at Parramatta. This person came out from England in the _Sirius_ with Governor Phillip, and had rendered much essential service to the colony in the line of his profession. He had long been of a consumptive habit.

The princ.i.p.al labour of the month consisted in preparing for wheat the ground that the inundation had devastated.

June.] The month opened with the execution of one of the prisoners condemned for sheep-stealing. He suffered on the 2nd, and on the 8th his companion in iniquity and wretchedness underwent the same punishment. At the moment of his execution he gave information of a daring gang of villains with whom he had been connected.

His Majesty's birthday was observed by a discharge of all the artillery in the settlement, and three vollies from the regiment upon their parade.

On the 8th, the owners of the _Hunter_ bark having altered her destination, she returned from Norfolk Island, and was immediately chartered to take thither an officer and a few soldiers, together with some convicts and stores.

The _Belle Sauvage_, an American s.h.i.+p from Rhode Island, which had anch.o.r.ed for a few days in Neutral Bay, to refit, and refresh her crew, sailed again on the 15th, without taking any person from the settlement.

As this Port was conveniently situated for these s.h.i.+ps to stop at and refresh after the long voyages which they were in the habit of making in their route to China, or the north-west coast of America, it certainly was to the interest of the masters and their respective owners not to infringe upon any of the local regulations of the colony.

The number of robbers and sheep-stealers still increasing notwithstanding the late executions, it was deemed necessary to pursue some other steps to get the better of this evil; and a proclamation was read in church on Sunday the 15th, preparatory to issuing a process of outlawry against these public depredators, whom all persons were commanded to aid and a.s.sist in securing.

In consequence of this proclamation, three men were taken up, and, being tried and found guilty of sheep-stealing, received sentence of death.

On the 29th, the _Hunter_ sailed for Norfolk Island, having on board Major Foveaux of the New South Wales corps, who was proceeding thither to take the command of that settlement. At the same time were sent those prisoners who had been sentenced thither for transportation, and some soldiers to augment the detachment of the regiment on duty there.

The governor having, by the arrival of the _Speedy_ in April last received a letter from the secretary of state, he gave directions for preparing his Majesty's s.h.i.+p _Buffalo_ for sea; 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 superintending the erection of the public gaol at Sydney, that several persons had resisted the payment of the necessary a.s.sessments which had been ordered to defray the expenses of the building; it was ordered, that those a.s.sessments should be immediately paid into the hands of the persons directed to collect them, or, in case of a further refusal to a measure which had been entered upon at a general meeting of the landholders, etc., in the colony, such steps as should be adjudged necessary would be instantly pursued. Such being the conduct of these people, even in a measure where their own personal interests were so essentially concerned, can it be wondered at, that so much profligacy prevailed in every part of the settlement?

July.] The prisoners who were left for execution at the end of the last month suffered death, two of them at Sydney on the 3rd and the third at Parramatta on the 5th of this month. If examples of this kind could strike terror into the minds of the spectators, they certainly had not lately been without these salutary though dreadful lessons.

A general muster was taken, during the month, of the inhabitants of the several districts, attended by Lieutenant-Governor King, and other officers of the settlement; and the _Buffalo_ dropped down the harbour, that she might with more ease prepare for her voyage; as it was impossible, without having recourse to punishment, to keep the people to their duty on board while lying in the midst of temptation in Sydney Cove.