52 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [January, 



the Englifh from moving beyond the fettle merit whenever occafion 

 required. 



Such were their enemies abroad : at home, within themfelves, they 

 had enemies to encounter of a different nature, but in their effe&s 

 more difficult to guard againft. The gardens and houfes of indivi- 

 duals, and the provifion ftore, were over-run with rats. The fafety 

 of the provifions was an object of general importance, and the Com- 

 miffary was for fome time employed in examining into the ftate of the 

 ftore. Going to it early one morning, he found the wards of a key 

 which had been broken in the padlock that fecured the principal door, 

 and which it was the duty of the patroles to vifit and infpecT: every 

 night. On entering, he perceived that an harnefs-cafk had been opened 

 and fome provifions taken out. It being fuppofed that the wards of 

 the key might lead to a difcovery of the perpetrator of this atrocious 

 deed, they were fent to a convict blackfmith, an ingenious workman, 

 through whofe hands moft of the work paffed that was done in his 

 line, who immediately knew them to belong to a foldier of the name 

 of Hunt, the perfon who in the courfe of the preceding month re=- 

 eeived feven hundred lames, and who had fome time back brought the 

 key to this blackfmith to be altered. On this information, Hunt was 

 taken up ; but, offering to give fome material information, he was ad- 

 mitted an evidence on the part of the crown, and made an ample con- 

 feffion before the Lieutenant-governor and the Judge-advocate; in 

 which he accufed fix other foldters of having been concerned with 

 him for a confiderable time paft, in the diabolical pradice of robbing 

 the ftore of liquor and provifions in large quantities. This crime, 

 great of itfelf, was ftill aggravated by the manner in which it was 

 committed. Having formed their party, feven in number, and 

 fworn each other to fecrecy and fidelity, they procured and altered 

 keys to fit the different locks on the three doors of the provi- 

 fion ftore ; and it was agreed, that whenever any one of the feven 

 fhould be pofted there as centinel during the night, two or more of 

 the gang, as they found it convenient, were to come at the hours 



when 



