a convict, who had always behaved very well: they were to
interrogate him respecting the plan laid by the convicts, and to
assure him of a pardon, if he would discover all he knew. I also
sent to the house of William Thompson, in the Vale, to search for
any written agreement that might have been drawn up, but none was
found; however, the persons employed in this search found a
quantity of Indian corn in a chest in Thompson's house, which,
from its not being quite hard, must have been stolen from the
King's grounds in Arthur's Vale, as there was no other on the
island.

The next step I took was to order William Francis, John
Thompson, Samuel Picket, and Joshua Peck to be taken into
custody, on their return from cabbaging.

Messrs. Dunavan and Jamieson met John Bryant, and persuaded
him to discover all he knew about the plot; presently afterwards,
they brought him before me, when he was sworn on the cross, being
a catholic, and I took his deposition; the substance of which was
as follows:

"That on the passage from Port Jackson to Norfolk-Island it
was talked among the convicts to take the Golden-Grove transport
from the officers and crew and run away with her, and on its
being proposed to Bryant he said they could be only fools to
think of such a thing. That in going out to work on the 14th of
this month with all the "convicts, Samuel Picket remarked how
easy it would be to take the island, by making the commandant
prisoner, when going to, or returning from the farm in Arthur's
Vale; after which, coming in and seizing the arms, and making
prisoners of the marines and other free people. It was soon
after agreed that the rest of the convicts were to be consulted,
and if they were willing, a meeting was to be held at John
Thompson's house in the Vale; Samuel Picket and Joshua Peck
being inmates of his."

The remainder of Bryant's deposition, respecting how the
island was to be taken, agreed in every particular with the
testimony of Elizabeth Anderson and Robert Webb.

I next sent for Joshua Peck, and examined him on oath, and
after much prevarication, he gave nearly the same account how the
business was to be conducted as the others had done, except as to
the manner how the officers were to be made prisoners, which was,
"that after "they had secured me, they were to go to Mr.
Dunavan's house at "the entrance of the vale, and take him and
conduct him to the farm, "where we were to be tied back to back;
after whic