3<}3 HISTORY OP 



did not appear on the books ; of course, if they 

 had once been on them, their owners must now 

 have used others. The number of persons that 

 appeared at Calcutta was not more than fifteen ; 

 small however as that number was, the fear 

 that such worthless characters should find their 

 way into that government was strongly ex- 

 pressed. Indeed there was no community, but 

 would view with horror the possibility of such 

 persons mixing with them. 



At the same time information transpired that 

 some proposition had been made, and a corres- 

 pondence entered into between the secretary of 

 the Bengal government and the gentlemen em- 

 ployed as the private agent of the officers' 

 respecting, sending Indian convicts to New 

 South Wales. This was a measure, though open 

 to no objection, it must of course be submitted 

 to government before adopted, so the corres- 

 pondence which had passed on this occasion 

 was sent home. The proposition made by the 

 government of Bengal was to victual and main- 

 tain their convicts for one year after landing; 

 when they were to be supported by the settle-? 

 ment. As a description of people like these 

 might be moft usefully employed, and would 

 be probably more manageable than those con- 

 victs from England and Ireland, it was hoped 

 the plan might meet with approbation. 



As many favourable ideas of the settlement 

 had reached India; by the same conveyance 

 three persons of respectability wrote to the Go- 

 vernor, stating their desire of embarking their 



