o
their labour; and although what would be called a day's work in
England is very seldom done by any convict in the settlement, yet
some of them declared that they would sooner perish in the woods
than be obliged to work; and forty were now absent.

In order to give those who might be still lurking near the
settlement an opportunity of returning, all the convicts were
assembled, and a pardon was promised to all who returned within
five days; at the same time they were assured that very severe
punishment would be inflicted on any who were taken after the
expiration of that time, or who should in future attempt to leave
the settlement.

Several appeared sensible of the lenity shown them when their
irons were taken off, but some of them appeared capable of the
most desperate attempts, and even talked of seizing on the
soldiers arms; they were, however, informed, that no mercy would
be shown to any who were even seen near those that might make an
attempt of the kind.

All the whalers who came into the harbour to refit, sailed
again by the 1st of December, and the Albemarle and the Active
transports sailed on the 2d for Bombay, where they were to load
with cotton for England.

A new store was now covered in at Sydney, which was the best
that had been built in the colony; and was intended for the
convicts cloathing and the implements of husbandry: it has a
second floor, and is eighty feet in length by twenty-four feet in
breadth. A building of fifty-six feet by twenty-four was likewise
covered in at Parramatta, and was intended for a place of
worship, until a church could be built.

The idea of finding a Chinese settlement at no great distance
to the northward, still prevailed amongst the Irish convicts; and
on the 4th of December, two of them stole the surgeon's boat, but
they only got a few miles to the northward of the harbour when
they were obliged to run her on shore. Some officers who were out
a shooting, saw this boat on the beach, and stove a plank in her,
that she might not be carried away; they also saw the two men,
who ran into the woods; however, a convict who had been six weeks
in the woods, and was scarcely able to walk, gave himself up to
the officers, and, with their assistance, was able to return to
Sydney.

Many of those convicts who left the settlement, as has already
been related, came back; some were still missing, and several
were said to be killed by the natives. The miserable situation of
t