76 Voyage of the Novara. 



out New South Wales at that period ; the power of the 

 Government was set entirely at nought, license and violence 

 usurped the place of law and order ; the convicts found they 

 were not under any effective control or supervision ; whole 

 bands of them infested the country as "bush-rangers," till 

 they grew so bold as to enter the dwellings of peaceful settlers 

 in broad day, where they perpetrated the most cruel excesses. 



In 1807 Mr. McArthur and Captain Abbot of the 102nd 

 introduced the first distilling apparatus into the country for 

 cheapening the production of ardent spirits. The Governor 

 forthwith confiscated the apparatus, and forbade distillation 

 in any part of the colony. This prohibition gave rise among 

 those interested to dissensions, which gradually rose to such a 

 height, that about a year thereafter it led to Bligh being placed 

 in confinement by some of his own officers. The English Go- 

 vernment however now began to perceive that such a state of 

 carelessness could no longer be endured, and not only rein- 

 stated Bligh, but promoted him to the rank of Admiral. 



On their arrival in the colony the prisoners were sent to 

 barracks in Sydney, where the Government selected from 

 their number such handicraftsmen as they required for the 

 public works, while the remainder were distributed as land 

 cultivators, labourers, artisans, &c., among such private indi- 

 viduals as had made themselves agreeable to the Government. 

 As free labour was rare and expensive in the colony at that 

 period, the requests for such allocations of forced labour were 

 greatly in excess of the number of workmen so available. 



