cts to conceal official wrong;
while ignorance of the details of a crime, might destroy the moral
weight of exemplary punishment.

With these men was executed Alexander Pearce, whose confessions to the
priest were, by his consent, published at his death. He formed one of
the second party who absconded from Macquarie Harbour (1822). They had
planned their escape with considerable skill: one was a sailor, and able
to direct their course: they possessed themselves of a boat, and
proposed to capture the vessel of the pilot, then laden for town. It was
the custom, when a prisoner was missing, to kindle signal fires along
the coast, thus giving notice to the sentinels: to prevent such
information, the absconders poured water on the embers kept in
readiness. This was not effectually done: and thus, when they had
proceeded half-a-mile, they saw the smoke rising, and their passage cut
off; they therefore landed, destroyed the boat, and entered the bush.
They now commenced a course of fatigue and horror: they began to murmur,
and then to discuss the terrible alternative of general starvation:
two, who overheard the proposition, returned to the settlement, but died
almost immediately, from exhaustion. The rest travelled on, lessened at
various stages in their course by their fatal necessity, till two only
survived; these were, Pearce and Greenhill--the last, the victim. They
spent two days and nights watching each other! Greenhill, who laid his
axe under his head, to guard against surprise, first slept! Pearce was
now alone, and destitute; but at length he came to a fire of the
natives, and obtained some fragments of the opossum: at last he reached
a flock of sheep, and seized on a lamb, which he proceeded to devour
undressed. He was discovered by a stock-keeper, and when he surrendered
was received with great kindness and sympathy. His host introduced him
to the bushrangers then abroad; but being afterwards captured, he was
again forwarded to Macquarie Harbour.

Such suffering might have been expected to overcome all future desire to
abscond; yet, in company with Cox, Pearce again left the settlement:
they remained several days in the neighbourhood, and then attempted to
reach the northern part of the island. Pearce slew his unsuspecting
comrade. Horror took possession of his mind; or, despairing to effect
his escape, he returned and made signals to the _Waterloo_, then passing
the coast. He confessed his crime, and professed a