oted and commended.

September.] The month of September was ushered in with rain, and storms
of wind, thunder, and lightning. At Parramatta and Toongabbie too, as
well as at Sydney, much rain fell for several days. On the return of fine
weather, it was seen with general satisfaction that the wheat sown at
the latter settlement looked and promised well, and had not suffered from
the rain.

Early in the month the criminal court was assembled for the trial of
Benjamin Ingram, a man who had served the term for which he was ordered
to be transported. He had broken into a house belonging to a female
convict, in which he was detected packing up her property for removal.
Being found guilty, he received sentence of death; but, on the
recommendation of the court, the governor was induced to grant him a
pardon, upon condition of his residing for life on Norfolk Island. With
this extension of mercy the culprit was not made acquainted till that
moment had arrived which he thought was to separate him from this world
for ever. Upon the ladder, and expecting to be turned off, the condition
on which his life was spared was communicated to him; and with gratitude
both to God and the governor, he received the welcome tidings. He
afterwards confessed, that he had for some time past been in the habit of
committing burglaries and other depredations; for, having taken himself
off the stores to avoid working for the public, he was frequently
distressed for food, and was thus compelled to support himself at the
expense perhaps of the honest and industrious. He readily found a rascal
to receive what property he could procure for sale, and for a long time
escaped detection. This depraved man had two brothers in the colony; one
who came out with him in the first fleet, and who had been for some time
a sober, hard-working, industrious settler, having also served the term
of his transportation; the other brother came out in the last year, and
bore the character of a well-behaved man. There was also a fourth
brother; but he was executed in England. It was said, that these
unfortunate men had honest and industrious people for their parents; they
could not, however, have paid much attention to the morals of their
family; or, out of four, some might surely have laid claim to the
character of the parents.

The criminal court was again assembled on the 20th of this month, for the
trial of William Godfrey, who was taken up on a suspicion of having
seize