8 
fee cl. A..: Vl 41 , 199 . De. Z. Pitcha: 
55. Negro Lunatic. N. <?. M. 
50. Chinese. Male. Dr. T. F. Betton, 1833. 
57. Lunatic Irishman. S. G. M. 
58. German Lunatic, A. D. 1833. S. G.M. . 
59. Skuel of Peirce, a convict and Canni¬ 
bal, who was executed in New South Wales hU 8 . 
Alerter addressed to me by Wm. Cobb Hurry 
Esq of Calcutta, contains the following particulars 
of this man’s singular career. With regard to 
the Cannibal Pierce, all that is known of him is, 
that he was a native of Scotland or the north ot 
Ireland, and a seaman. He was a convict in \ an 
Diemen’s Land, and escaped with others into the 
woods. Hunger compelled them to prey upon 
each other, till only Pierce and another were left. 
A romantic tale might be made froin Pierce’s own 
narrative of the feelings with which these two 
men watched each other, till, overcome with 
fatigue, the last of the band fell a victim. Peirce 
was relieved by a party who fell in with him, and 
the cannibalism of which he had been guilty being 
attributed to necessity, was not punished. From 
that time his propensities acquired their full de¬ 
velopment, and he succeeded repeatedly in per¬ 
suading his fellow prisoners to escape with him, 
for the sole purpose of killing them and devouring 
their flesh. He used to return secretly to the 
depot, and persuade a fresh victim that he had 
been sent by others who were waiting in the woods. 
He was at last caught; and being asked if he 
knew where one of his companions was, deliber¬ 
ately pulled an arm out of his jacket and shewed 
it to the soldiers. Mr. Crockett, from whom I had 
this account, and who gave mo the skull, is the 
