in cutting a water-way of sixty rods long,
by six feet deep.

I have hitherto forborn mentioning the numerous thefts that
had almost daily been committed; and, notwithstanding the utmost
vigilance, we had not been able to detect any person. Gardens had
been constantly plundered; the harness cask, containing the
provisions that were daily issued out, had been robbed; and one
night an attempt was made to get into the upper part of my house,
where the slops were deposited. Great rewards had been offered to
tempt one or other to discover their accomplices, but without
effect: however, at eleven o'clock in the night of the 23d,
Thomas Watson, a convict, was detected in another convict's
house, stealing a bag of flour.

From the number of daring thefts which had been committed,
without my being able to fix on the thief, it became necessary to
inflict a very severe punishment on this offender; and as I had
no authority to give him any very severe corporal chastisement;
after examining witnesses upon oath, and fully proving the theft,
I ordered him into confinement, with an intention of sending him
to Port Jackson to take his trial. In order to prevent these
depredations as much as possible in future, I gave orders for the
convicts to be mustered in their huts three times every night,
and the hour of muster to be constantly changed: this had a good
effect, but did not entirely prevent robberies from being
committed.

James Davis, a convict, was punished with twenty-four lashes,
on the 25th, for using seditious expressions, and throwing away
some fish which had been issued, in a contemptuous manner.

On inspecting the seed-wheat, I found the weevil had begun its
depredations, on which, I set some of the labourers to winnow and
clear it. On the 30th, some atrocious villain stabbed one of the
hogs belonging to the crown, which occasioned its death: this,
amongst many other actions which happened, of a similar nature,
served to show that there are wretches equal to any act of
inhumanity and barbarity.

The sugar-cane, which I planted soon after my arrival on the
island, being in a very exposed situation, I removed it on the
31st, and planted out 106 very good joints, which were produced
from only four canes. The Indian corn, that had been damaged by
the hurricane, was reaped this afternoon.

The different employments of the convicts were as follows:

At task-work, clearing away ground for cultivation, 30
Sawyers, sa