strated
Prospect of a fine harvest
Wilson gives himself up
Is made use of
Two mares stolen
The clergyman's servant attempts to rob him
Information sent to India respecting the boats
An amphibious animal discovered
Description
Accident
Works
Police
Weather

October.] The month of October opened with a repetition of the vexatious
circumstances that marked the opening of the preceding month. In the
night of the 2nd, a boat was taken from Parramatta by some people who got
unobserved out of the harbour. The three men who were put on shore from
the _Cumberland_ at the time she was seized upon, from an
unwillingness to accompany them, being in this party, it was supposed
they were connected in some way with those who were in that boat, and
whom they might know where to find. An armed boat from the _Supply_
was immediately dispatched after them; but in three days returned, as
unsuccessful as Lieutenant Shortland had unfortunately been in his
search.

From this circumstance there was reason to suppose that they had stood
off from the land; in which case, as the weather since their departure
had been unusually bad, the wind blowing a gale from the southward, with
much rain, and their boat being a very bad one, it was probable they had
perished.

In these two boats 15 convicts had made their escape from the settlement;
six of whom had been transported for life; six others were from Ireland,
of whose term of transportation no account had been sent out; and of the
remainder, one had to serve until the 23rd of May 1799, another until the
2nd of April 1801, and the third until the 15th of April 1804.

Whatever might be the fate of these people, the evil was of great extent;
since all that could be known of them to their fellow prisoners was, that
they had successfully effected their escape. Had Bryan and his party, who
went off with one of the King's boats in the year 1791, instead of
meeting with the compassion and lenity which were expressed in England
for their sufferings, been sent back and tried in New South Wales, for
taking away the boat, and other thefts which they had committed, it was
probable that others might have been deterred from following their
example.

On this occasion an order was published, stating that, as, for the
private convenience of various individuals, permission had been granted
for the building of boats under certain dimensions, yet those boats had
been frequently found so improperly secure