ion was
received on the subject. This transaction was planned in a very
secret manner, so that all the convicts boarded her about twelve
o'clock at night; and, although the vessel lay in sight of some
part of the town, and within the fire of two batteries, yet
nothing was discovered of the circumstance until the following
morning. Upon the representation being made to Colonel Johnston,
that officer ordered several boats to be manned immediately, and
a party of the New South Wales corps, with a number of
inhabitants who had volunteered their services, to use every
means to re-take the vessel, put out to sea; but, after rowing
and sailing for several hours, they were at length obliged to
return, without ever coming in sight of the Harrington. Other
means were subsequently tried for the recovery of the vessel, but
all to no effect; the convicts had managed their matters with
such secrecy, promptitude, and skill, as totally prevented every
endeavour to counteract their intention.

The natives and our countrymen are now somewhat sociable, and
there are not many outrages committed by either party. I believe
that some of the white men would frequently be more severe with
the Aborigines, when caught in the very act of committing
depredations, but the circumstance of several settlers being
capitally convicted of the murder of a native boy, in January,
1800, acts as a check on their violent dispositions, and prevents
the recurrence of such sanguinary proceedings. Some years
previous to this period, the Europeans at the Hawkesbury suffered
considerably from the marauding inclinations of the natives,
several of their huts being burned, and themselves severely
wounded; their corn-fields were also frequently despoiled, and
their future promise blasted. On these as well as subsequent
occasions, the settlers, in defence of their persons and
property, were compelled to have recourse to arms, the natural
and necessary consequence of which was the destruction of some of
the plundering tribes; but, in these instances, the circumstances
justified the deed, and the governor sent assistance to them,
rather than the contrary. In fact, so many atrocious deeds were
committed by one of their leaders at Hawkesbury, who had long
been a determined enemy to the Europeans, that Governor King
found it necessary to issue an order, offering a reward to any
person who should kill him and bring in his head. This was soon
accomplished by artifice, the m