128 



Punishments. 

 Departure from Sydney. 



NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Departure from Sydney. 



is comparatively innocent may suffer much more 

 than he deserves. 



The punishment of transportation must continue 

 very unequal until a classification be resorted to. 

 Many convicts, by bad treatment, are confirmed in 

 their vices. 



For any misbehaviour, they are, as has been 

 seen, subject to severe castigation upon their mas- 

 ter's making oath before a magistrate. This not 

 unfrequently drives the culprit or convict to fur- 

 ther crime, and in revenge for these wrongs, he 

 either neglects his master's interest, or has been 

 known to set fire to his harvest when gathered. 



The present system appears fitted to entail evil 

 and misery on the colony, and there are few dis- 

 interested men who do not view it as calculated to 

 prevent any moral improvement. Murders, rob- 

 beries, and frauds are brought about by it, for 

 which extreme punishments are of such frequent 

 occurrence that it is a matter of astonishment that 

 a stranger should remark that an execution had 

 taken place. The day before our arrival five cri- 

 minals had been hung, and more were to suffer in 

 a few days. 



These executions take place without causing any 

 unusual excitement. There is little doubt that the 

 convict population contains among its members 

 many of the most abandoned wretches, and I am 

 also aware that the governor and council are 

 making every exertion to put a stop to the immo- 

 rality and vice which so generally prevail ; yet I 

 am satisfied that the convicts who are assigned are, 

 in some cases, goaded on to crime by the treatment 

 they receive from their masters, who hold them as 

 slaves, and degrade them to the level of the beast 

 with whom they are forced to labour. 



The season of our visit to Sydney was that of 

 their summer (December), and it was somewhat 

 difficult for us to realize the luxuriance of vegeta- 

 tion about us. We could hardly become familiar 

 with windows and doors entirely open at Christmas 

 time. Although it was properly the out-of-town 

 season, we found much gaiety existing, and we 

 have great pleasure in acknowledging the atten- 

 tions and civilities extended to us during the whole 

 of our stay. 



The facilities for outfits here are such as are not 

 to be found elsewhere in the Pacific. The mecha- 

 nics are good, but as artisans are scarce their wages 

 are exorbitant, and the employer is, for the most 

 part, compelled to put up with their demands. 

 From our experience, we inferred they are not to 

 be depended on, and require to be well watched to 

 obtain the requisite quantity of labour from them. 

 Their rations of grog were always a stipulation 

 made by them, and had to be complied with. 



During our stay here, our men behaved well. 

 They all received leave in their turn to visit the 

 shore, and I felt gratified in not having a single 

 case reported to me of bad behaviour on shore. 



As our departure drew near, one and all of us 

 felt and expressed regret at leaving such kind 

 friends. In very many places and families, we had 

 found ourselves at home, and were always received 



with that kindness that showed us we were wel- 

 come. The seasons, with many other things, may 

 be reversed, yet the hospitality of old England is 

 found here as warm and fresh as ever it was in 

 the parent land. It would be impossible to mention 

 all those to whom we feel indebted for various 

 kindnesses and attentions, or even to cite those 

 from whom the expedition received many acces- 

 sions to its collections. Notwithstanding I have 

 mentioned many things that have struck us as re- 

 quiring great reform, yet the whole impression left 

 on my mind is, that it is a glorious colony, which 

 the mother country, and the whole Anglo-Saxon 

 race, may well be proud of, and that it ought to 

 claim much more attention than it apparently does 

 from the home government. 



After writing our farewell letters, we took our 

 Christmas dinner with many of our friends, and on 

 the morning of the 26th December, 1839, at six 

 o'clock, we weighed our anchors and stood down 

 the bay. The day was fine, the breeze light and 

 contrary, and we did not get to sea till the after- 

 noon. When we were about passing the heads, 

 our worthy consul and some others of our coun- 

 trymen took their leave, and by way of dispelling 

 the gloom that was naturally felt at parting, and 

 to show the good wishes entertained for their wel- 

 fare, we gave them at parting several hearty cheers, 

 and then bore away on our course. 



It falling calm, the Vincennes and tender were 

 obliged to anchor between the heads. The Peacock 

 and Porpoise succeeded in getting outside, and 

 when the tide made, we weighed and stood after 

 them. On getting to sea, although every search 

 had been previously made by the master-at-arms, 

 I learned that there were two strangers on board, 

 who had contrived to evade his watchfulness, and 

 on beating to quarters, and mustering the crew, 

 they were among the forthcoming. Their appear- 

 ance was any thing but convict-like ; but I felt 

 after all the attentions heaped upon us, it was 

 seemingly but an ungrateful return, to appear to 

 have committed an infraction of their laws, and 

 this after I had received intimation that an attempt 

 would be made, through us, to effect desertion 

 among the troops. From their appearance and 

 carriage I thought they showed the drill of sol- 

 diers, and at once told them and the assembled 

 crew, that they were mistaken if they expected to 

 be harboured as such, and that on my return from 

 the south, I should send them back to Sydney to 

 be delivered over. I then entered them on the 

 rolls for provisions only, until I ascertained whether 

 they were entitled to receive compensation ; and 

 after telling the men they must look forward to a 

 hard and dangerous cruise, and saying a few words 

 relative to what was expected of them by the coun- 

 try and myself, I enjoined upon them the necessity 

 of economy in their food and clothing, in aiding 

 me in my endeavours to promote their health and 

 comfort. We then piped down, and set about 

 preparing the ship for the antarctic cruise, the 

 events of which will be detailed in the following 

 chapters. 



