i 5 o ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [November, 



The month of O&ober had produced a fecond inftance of an un- 

 fortunate being, a convict, who had put an end to his exiftence, to 

 avoid that puniffiment which he wanted the refolution not to deferve. 



From Parramatta two convicts were miffing, fuppofed to have been 

 killed by the natives. 



On the firft day of November, information was received from Par- 

 ramatta, that a body of twenty male convicts and one female, of thofe 

 lately arrived in the Queen tranfport from Ireland, each taking a 

 week's provifions, and armed with tomahawks and knives, had ab- 

 fconded from that fettlement, with the chimerical idea of walking to> 

 China, or of finding fome country wherein they would be received 

 and entertained without labour. It was generally fuppofed, however, 

 that this improbable tale was only a cover to the real defign, which 

 might be to procure boats, and get on board the tranfports after they 

 had left the cove. An officer from Parramatta with a party was im- 

 mediately fent in purfuit of them, who traced them as far down the 

 harbour as Lane cove, whence he reached the fettlement of Sydney^ 

 without obtaining any further intelligence of them. A few days 

 afterward, the people in a boat belonging to the Albemarle tranfport, 

 which had been down the harbour to procure wood on the North 

 more, met with the wretched female who had accompanied the men. 

 She had been feparated from them for three days, and wandered by 

 herfelf, entirely ignorant of her fituation, until me came to the water- 

 iide, where, fortunately, fhe foon after met the boat. Boats were 

 fent down the next day, and the woman's hufband was found and 

 taken back to the fettlement. They both gave the fame abfurd ac- 

 count of their defign as before related, and appeared to have fufTered 

 very confiderably by fatigue, hunger, and heat. The man had loft his 

 companions eight-and-forty hours before he was himfelf difcovered ; 

 and no tidings of them were received for feveral days, although boats 

 were conftantly fent into the north-weft arm, and the lower part of. 

 the harbour. 



Three 



