at appeared of their being again considered and ranked in the class of
honest men and good members of society; estimations that depended wholly
upon themselves.

As a store-keeper was a person on whom much dependence must necessarily
be placed, it being his duty to be constantly present whenever the stores
were opened, and with a vigilant eye to observe the conduct of the
inferior servants, at the strong recommendation of the officers under
whom he had served, Sergeant Thomas Smyth was discharged from the marine
detachment, and placed upon the list of superintendants of convicts as a
storekeeper. This appointment gave general satisfaction; and the
commissary now felt himself, under all these arrangements, more at ease
respecting the safety of the stores and provisions under his charge.

On the night of the 10th a daring burglary was committed. Mr. Raven, the
master of the _Britannia_, occupied a hut on shore, which was broken open
and entered about midnight, and from the room in which he was lying
asleep, and close to his bedside, his watch and a pair of knee-buckles
were stolen; a box was forced open, in which was a valuable timepiece and
some money belonging to Mr. Raven, who, fortunately waking in the very
moment that the thief was taking it out at the door, prevented his
carrying it off. Assistance from the guard came immediately, but too
late--the man had got off unseen. In a day or two afterwards, however,
Charles Williams, a settler, gave information that a convict named
Richard Sutton, the morning after the burglary, had told him that he had
stolen and secured the property, which he estimated at sixty pounds, and
which he offered to put into his possession for the purpose of sale,
first binding him by a horrid ceremony* and oath not to betray him.
Williams, on receiving the watch, which proved a metal one, worth only
about ten pounds, and the disproportion of which to the value he had
expected, probably had induced him to make the discovery, immediately
caused him to be taken into custody, and delivered the property to a
magistrate, giving at the same time an account how he came by them. All
these circumstances were produced in evidence before a criminal court;
but the prisoner, proving an _alibi_ that was satisfactory to the court,
was acquitted. With the evidence that he produced in his defence it was
impossible to convict him; but the court and the auditors were in their
consciences persuaded that the prisone