34 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [July, 



plain of the deftrudion of provifions and clothing. To prevent this, 

 an order was iflued, prohibiting the building of chimnies, in fix- 

 ture, in fuch huts as were thatched. 



Thefts ftill continued to be committed by and among the convids. 

 Wine was ftolen from the hofpital, and feveral perfons were tried 

 upon fufpicion, but for want of fufficient evidence were acquitted 

 There was fuch a tendernefs in thefe people to each other's guilt, 

 fuch an acquaintance with vice and the different degrees of it, that, 

 unlefs detected in the fact, it was next to impoffible to bring an of- 

 fence home to them. 



The natives, who had been accuftomed to aflift the nfhermen in 

 hauling the feine, and were content to wait for fuch reward as the 

 perfon who had the direction of the boat thought proper to give 

 them, either driven by hunger, or moved by fome other eaufe, cams 

 down to the cove where they were fifhing, and, perceiving that they 

 had been more fuccefsful than common, took by force about half of 

 what had been brought on more. They were all armed with fpears 

 and other weapons, and made their attack with fome mew of method, 

 having a party ftationed in the rear with their fpears poized, in readi- 

 nefs to throw if any refrftance had been made. To prevent this in 

 future, it was ordered that a petty officer mould go in the boats 

 whenever they were fent down the harbour. No precaution, how- 

 ever, that could be taken or orders that were given, to prevent acci- 

 dents happening by mifconduct on the part of the convicts, had any 

 weight. On the evening of the 27th one of them was brought in> 

 wounded by the natives. He had left the encampment, with another 

 convict, to gather vegetables, and, contrary to the pofitlve order which 

 had been repeatedly given, went nearly as far as Botany Bay, where 

 they fell in with a party of the natives, who made figns. to them to 

 go back ; which they did, but unfortunately different ways. This 

 being obferved by the natives, they threw their fpears at them. One 

 efcaped unhurt, but the other received two fpears in him, one enter- 

 ing a little above his left ear^ the other in his bread. He took to an 



arm 



