nd cruelty of this man's
murder appeared to be equal to that of Luken. A third murder was
committed, nearly at the same time, by a woman named Salmon, on
the body of her own child. It appeared that she wished to conceal
her pregnancy; and, after delivering herself, had thrown the
infant down the privy, where it was smothered. Suspicions of her
situation having, however, been entertained by some persons, an
investigation took place, and the body of the child was
discovered. The woman was too ill to be brought to trial, and her
subsequent dissolution rendered that event unnecessary: before
her death, however, she made confession of her crime; and her
body was afterwards carried to a grave under the gallows, by men
belonging to the jail gang, with the greatest ignominy; nor was
it without the greatest exertions of the police, that the corpse
was permitted to be carried along the streets, so great was the
abhorrence expressed by the inhabitants at the idea of such an
unnatural, detestable, and abominable offence.

In the month of September, Joseph Samuels, who had been
convicted of a burglary, was three times suspended: the rope
first broke, in a very singular manner, in the middle, and the
suffering criminal fell prostrate on the ground; on the second
attempt, the cord unrove at the fastening, and he again came to
the ground; a third trial was attended with no better success,
for at the moment when he was launched off, the cord again
snapped in twain. Thomas Smyth, esq. the provost-marshal, taking
compassion on his protracted sufferings, stayed the further
progress of the execution, and rode immediately to the governor,
to whom he feelingly represented these extraordinary
circumstances, and his excellency was pleased to extend his
majesty's mercy. Samuels was afterwards transported to another
settlement, in consequence of his continuance in his dishonest
career, and has subsequently lost his life on the coast, in
making an attempt to escape from the colony.

In the month of October, Lieutenant-Governor Collins arrived
to form and command a settlement at Port Phillip: he was
accompanied by detachments of marines and convicts; but the
situation being found particularly ineligible, after
communicating with the governor in chief, he removed to the river
Derwent, where he arrived on the 19th of February, 1804, and a
very extensive settlement was speedily formed there; as, in
addition to the numbers of persons he took with