1791-] OF NEW SOUTH WALES. gg. 



Three of thefe miferable people were fome time after met by fome 

 officers who were on an excurfion to the lagoon between the harbour 

 and Broken Bay ; but, notwithstanding their fituation, they did not 

 readily give themfelves up ; and, when queftioncd, faid that they 

 wanted nothing more than to live free from labour. Thefe people 

 were fent up to Parramatta, whence, regardlefs of what they had 

 experienced, and might again fuffer, they a fecond time abfccnded 

 in a few days after they had returned. Parties were immediately dif~ 

 patched, and thirteen of thofe who firft abfconded were brought in, 

 in a ftate of deplorable wretchednefs, naked, and nearly worn out 

 with hunger. Some of them had fubfifted chiefly by fucking the 

 flowering ftirubs and wild berries of the woods ; and the whole ex- 

 hibited a picture of mifery that feemed fufficient to deter others from 

 the like extravagant folly. The pra&ice of flying from labour into 

 the woods ftill prevailing, the Governor caufed all the convicts who 

 had arrived that year to be afTembled ; when he informed them of his 

 determination to put a flop to their abfconding by fending out parties 

 with orders to fire upon them whenever they fhould be met with ; 

 and he declared, that if any were brought in alive, he would either 

 land them on a part of the harbour where they could not depart, or 

 chain them together with only bread and water for their fubfiftence, 

 during the remainder of their terms of tranfportation. He likewife 

 told them of information which he had received that they intended to 

 arm themfelves and feize upon the ftores ; but if they did make an 

 attempt of that kind, every man who might be taken fhould be 

 inftantly put to death. Having thus endeavoured to imprefs them 

 with ideas of certain puniftvment if they offended in future, he for- 

 gave fome for fmall offences, exhorted them to go cheerfully to their 

 labour, and changed their hours of work, agreeable to a requeft which 

 they had made. 



Four hundred and fifty of thefe miferable people had received me- 

 dicines from the hofpital in the morning of the day when the Go- 

 vernor 



