y to fire upon them; and, after
killing several of the misguided rebels, and making prisoners of
the principals who survived, the remainder made a rapid retreat.
Ten of the leaders of this insurrection, who had been observed as
particularly conspicuous and zealous in their endeavours to
seduce the rest, were tried on the 8th of March, and capitally
convicted. Three were executed on the same evening at Parramatta,
since it was justly concluded, that measures of prompt severity
would have a greater effect upon the minds of those who had
forsaken their allegiance. On the following day, two other rebels
were executed at Sydney, and three at Castle Hill: the two
remaining criminals were respited, as they were the least
corrupted, and had discovered symptoms of sincere remorse for the
part which they had taken in the late operations. On the 9th,
martial law was repealed; and from that moment no disturbance has
again broken in upon the peace of the settlement of a serious
nature, although it would be too much to suppose that the seeds
of insubordination and disorder were entirely eradicated by the
frustrated event of the first endeavour. Men of such desperate
characters as are to be found in this colony, are not to be
intimidated by punishment, nor discouraged by failure from the
pursuit of that career of depravity, which is become dear to them
from habit; nothing short of death can destroy, in those minds,
the affection for vice, and the determination to gratify their
ruling passion, in spite of obstacles, however alarming, or
opposition, however strenuous and vigilant. Mr. Dixon, a Roman
Catholic priest, who had been sent under an order of
transportation from Ireland, for his principles, accompanted
Colonel Johnston on this service, and proved to be of some
utility in bringing back the insurgents to a proper sense of
their duty. It cannot be too much to say, that the conduct of Mr.
Dixon, before and after this business, was strictly
exemplary.

In May, the blessings of vaccination were introduced into the
settlement, and all the young children were inoculated with
success; but unfortunately, by some means as yet unaccounted for,
the virtue has been lost, and the colony has been once more left
without a protection from that most dreadful of all disorders,
the small-pox; of the fatal consequences of which the natives
have more than once afforded the most dreadful evidence, their
loathsome carcases having been found, while