MUT TEDEU T ee ee 
Mu i4 i soe nnda deris ur ipei E 
LATE ALLAN CUNNING AM, ESQ. 119 
had under cover of the extreme darkness of the morning, 
found means to escape with one of the boats, leaving the 
settlement, however, in the undisturbed possession of the 
commandant. This view of their proceedings was confirmed 
on the arrival of the large launch from the settlement, about 
seven o'clock, which had been despatched with a party of 
soldiers, under the orders of Lieutenant Borough, in pursuit 
of them. To that very active officer I communicated every 
particular of what had taken place, when conceiving it pro- 
bable that previous to their putting to sea, these convicts 
would fill up their fresh water at Cascade Bay, he immedi- 
ately pushed off, and with the utmost despatch made for 
that side of Norfolk Island. Not meeting with them there, 
he returned towards Phillip Island, and after cruising about 
to the southward and eastward during the whole of the day 
without seeing the least trace of them, he returned to me at 
usk. After encountering much bad weather, and landing his 
party, we passed the night on the island together, and next 
morning (20th) about sunrise, we crossed over, and safely 
landed at the settlement, where I learnt it was the full in- 
tention of the runaways to have obliged me to have joined 
them to assist in navigating their boat to the land, to which 
they were destined. This design, however, they abandoned 
on finding I had neither a compass or any other instrument 
useful in navigation; a circumstance that repeatedly called 
forth from them during the short period they were on shore 
with me, the strongest expressions of disappointment. 
Driven to desperation, ahd apprehensive that they would be 
immediately pursued by an armed boat from the settlement, 
it appeared evident that on leaving me they made an offing, 
and then stood away at once before the wind in a south- 
-. easterly direction, with the hope of making the North Cape 
9f New Zealand, distant 460 geographic miles. The fact, 
however, of eight of their number being landsmen, altoge- 
ther unaccustomed to the oar, and the inability of the three 
who could steer to pursue a steady course to the point to 
which they were destined, (admitting they knew its bearingand 
