e situation of the
settlement, he exhorted them to be honest, industrious, and
obedient. This being concluded, the whole gave three cheers; and
every person, beginning with the lieutenant-governor, passed
under the union flag, taking off their hats as they passed it, in
token of an oath to submit and be amenable to the martial law,
which had then been declared.

After this ceremony was concluded, the convicts and the
Sirius's crew were sent round to Cascade-Bay, where a proportion
of flour and pork was received from the Supply, and brought round
to the settlement.

In the afternoon, John Brannagin and William Dring (two
convicts) offered to go on board the wreck, in order to heave the
live stock over-board; and having obtained the permission of
Captain Hunter and the Lieutenant-Governor, they went to the
wreck, and sent a number of pigs and some poultry on shore, but
they remained on board; and at the dusk of the evening, a light
was perceived in the after part of the ship; on which, a volley
of small arms were fired, to make them quit the wreck, or put the
light out; which not being done, a three pounder shotted was
fired into the wreck, but with no effect: on this, John Arscot, a
convict carpenter, offered to go off; and although it was quite
dark, and the surf ran very high, yet he got on board, and
obliged the other two convicts to quit the wreck by the hawser.
Arscot hailed the shore, but we could not understand what he
said, except that he should stay on board the wreck. Brannagin
(one of the convicts) was drunk when he came on shore.

On the 23d, we had very strong gales of wind at west by north,
but the landing was good early in the morning, and the large
coble was sent on board the Supply, (which was in the road) with
some of my baggage, and the officers and men belonging to the
Sirius, who were going to Port Jackson. The master of the Sirius,
with eight men, went on board the wreck by the hawser, and a
triangle was erected on the reef, to keep the bight of the hawser
from the ground; which would greatly facilitate the landing any
article from the wreck. The master informed Captain Hunter, by a
note, that Brannagin and Dring (the two convicts) had set fire to
the wreck, which had burnt through the gun deck; but had been
happily extinguished by Arscot, who went on board to send them
out of the ship: on this, they were ordered into confinement
previous to their being tried for setting fire to the wreck.