506 



HISTORY OF 



dered their business very troublesome ; and, as 

 the inventive genius of the convicts, afforded 

 them nearly constant employ as justices of the 

 peace: an order was issued, making known, that 

 pleas of debt must be decided by the court of 

 civil jurisdiction. 



At the close of January, the criminal court 

 resumed its operations ; when one man was found 

 guilty of house-breaking, a second for forgery, 

 and a third for having shot a native at Botany 

 Bay. The man convicted of forgery was recom- 

 mended to mercv, and the murderer was to re- 

 ceive corporal punishment, at the execution of* 

 which, many of the natives attended, and be- 

 held it with perfect indifference. 



The man convicted of house-breaking, suffer- 

 ed on the 8th of February, and his exhortations, 

 previous to execution, had scarce ceased, when 

 the court was assembled for the trial of another 

 man for the same offence, of which he was con- 

 victed. This man, Samuel Wright, had before 

 been convicted but received a pardon. On the 

 morning, of the day now appointed for his ex- 

 ecution; he cut his throat, but in so slight a 

 way, as evidently shewed he wished only to de- 

 lay the fulfilment of his sentence, that he might 

 obtain an opportunity of making an escape. 



A few, belonging to a gang of thieves, which 

 had for some time infested the settlements, and 

 plundered to a very large amount, were brought 

 to trial before this court, but not being capital- 

 ly convicted, some were transported to Norfolk 

 Island, and others flogged. The executions of 



