3o8 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [November, 



The 5th of November was doubly commemorated by the inhabi- 

 tants of Port Jackfon as a day of thankfulnefs, the Sovereign ftore- 

 fhip arriving from England loaded with provifions. In this fhip came 

 feveral paffengers as fettlers, or to fill employments in the different fet- 

 tlements. There likewife came as a prifoner Mr. Jofeph Gerald, 

 whofe fituation afforded another melancholy proof of how little profit 

 and honour were the endowments of nature and education to him who 

 perverted them. In this gentleman was feen, that not even elegant 

 manners, evidently caught from good company, great abilities, and 

 4 happy mode of placing them in the beft point of view, the gifts of 

 nature matured by education, could (becaufe he mifapplied them) fave 

 him from landing an exile, to call him by no worfe a name, on a bar- 

 barous fhore, where the few who were civilized muft pity, while they 

 both admired and condemned him. He arrived in a very weak and 

 impaired Hate of health. By this fhip they learned that two others 

 with convids might be expeded in the courfe of the fummer. 



On the 7th a criminal Court was affembled ; when two convids* 

 received fentence of death, and feveral were condemned to fmaller 

 punifhments. On the 16th the two prifoners for execution were 

 brought out. Smith, after warning the fpedators to guard againft 

 breaking the fabbath, which he faid had been the forerunner of his- 

 ruin, fuffered. Whitehoufe, being evidently the tool, and a much 

 younger man, was pardoned by the Governor. His Excellency,, 

 after the execution, expreffed in public orders, hia " hope that neither 

 the example which he had that day found himfelf compelled to make 

 of one offender, nor the lenity which he had fhewn to another, would 

 be without their effed : it would always be more grateful to him to 

 fpare than to punifti; but he felt it neceffary on that occafion to de- 

 clare, that if neither the juftice which had been done, nor the mercy 

 which had been fhewn, tended to decreafe the perpetration of offences,, 

 it was his determination in future to put in execution whatever fen- 

 tence fhould be pronounced by the Court on the feveral offenders. 



A finalE 



