en seen exercised in the
settlement. Could it be imagined, that at this day there was existing in
a polished civilised kingdom a race of beings (for they do not deserve
the appellation of men) so extremely ignorant, and so little humanised as
these were, compared with whom the naked savages of the mountains were an
enlightened people?

Occasional desertions of one or two people at a time had occurred since
the establishment of the settlement; but the first convicts who arrived
from Ireland in the _Queen_ in the year 1791 went off in numerous
bodies, few of whom ever returned. They too were prepossessed with the
possibility of penetrating through the woods to China, and imparted the
same idea to all of their countrymen who came after them, engaging them
in the same act of folly and madness. It was not then to be wondered at,
that Wilson, who lately came in from the woods, should, among other
articles of information, mention his finding more than fifty skeletons,
which the natives assured him had been white men, who had lost their way
and perished. This account was corroborated by different European
articles which were scattered about, such as knives, old shoes, and other
things which were known not to belong to the natives.

On the 20th the _Francis_ returned with Captain Hamilton from the
southward. Previous to his departure for the wreck of his ship, he had
informed the governor that she had on board nearly 7000 gallons of
spirits, and solicited permission to bring back a part with him in the
schooner. The governor, ever averse to the introduction of spirituous
liquors, would certainly have resisted the application; but, it being
generally known in the colony that a considerable quantity of this
article had been saved from the wreck, and that the island abounded with
kangaroos and birds, he conceived these circumstances not only to have
conduced to those desertions and captures of boats which had been
effected, but as likely to prove farther temptations to similar
practices. He therefore determined to purchase the rum of Captain
Hamilton; and, as there was none in store for the public service, to take
it on account of government. An agreement was accordingly entered into by
the commissary, and 3500 gallons were brought round in the _Francis_.

Captain Hamilton stated, that of all the other articles which had been
taken on shore from the wreck, a small quantity of coarse cloth alone had
been saved, the remainder havin