NEW SOUTH WALES. 103 



1792, a convict fainted while dragging in a 

 brick-cart, he was removed and laid under a 

 cart near the road side, that he might be in the 

 shade, and being weak fell asleep, but on wak- 

 ing felt something tight round his' neck, which 

 on putting his hand to, proved a large snake, 

 who on being disturbed bit his lip. Two men 

 passing took the snake away and killed it. The 

 poor fellow who was bit died the next morning. 

 At Paramatta, the bake-house was robbed by a 

 fellow getting down the chimney, and return- 

 ing by the same passage with his booty. To 

 prevent riotous meetings of the convicts, an 

 inclination for which now shewed itself, the 

 Governor issued a proclamation, declaring, that 

 if a riot took place in the night, that all absent 

 from their huts, would be considered guilty, 

 and be punished accordingly ; and if it hap- 

 pened in the day time, all absent from work 

 would be implicated. At the same time all 

 complaints were directed to be made to the 

 overseers, and any person not giving informa- 

 tion of any plan for a riot, was to be considered 

 as a principal. On the 14th of February, the 

 Pitt, Capt. Manning, from England, came into 

 the Cove, onboard of which was Francis Grose, 

 Esq. with the appointment of Lieutenant-Go- 

 vernor of the settlement, and Major-Command- 

 ant of the New South Wales corps, a part of 

 which came with him; there came likewise, 

 319 male and 49 female convicts, 5 children, 

 and 7 free women, with provisions for that 

 number for 10 months, and a sloop in frame of 



