Account of 
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frequently, will not surprise our readers. Murder occurred 
often, and in many cases without the slightest provocation ; 
which appears almost incredible, and can only be attributed 
to a species of despair. The only reason given by many of 
these miscreants was, that they were tired of their lives, and 
wanted to get hanged. One would suppose that men in 
such cases, determined as it were upon self destruction, 
would, where there were so many opportunities of doing so, 
plunge into the first deep water, rather than increase their 
load of sins by a fresh and atrocious act; but experience 
proves the contrary, as will have appeared in the case of 
Trennam, mentioned in a former number. Trennam’s object 
however was not obtained, for his intended victim recovering 
from the wound, he was tried summarily by the commandant, 
and flogged. That be was fully bent on murder, appeared 
from some of his already stated answers to the chaplain ; for 
he said, that if any of the officers, or even his reverence him¬ 
self had given him a chance, he would have stabbed them 
with as little compunction (perhaps with greater gusto) as he 
did the poor fellow who felt the keen point of the contillo. 
The prisoners, although many pains were taken to con¬ 
vince them that escape was next to impossible, were con¬ 
stantly in the habit of attempting it. We have already 
alluded to some cases. They seldom made resistance when 
apprehended, although they had sometimes the means. For 
example, on the 27th December, 1826, John Taylor and 
George Waters absconded from the farm. A few days after¬ 
wards, they surprised successively two parties of soldiers who 
had been sent in pursuit of them, and got possession of their 
fire-arms, ammunition, provisions, &c. As soon as this in¬ 
telligence reached the settlement, Mr. Lucas, the indefatiga¬ 
ble and worthy pilot, a party of soldiers, and B. Risby, a 
prisoner, were dispatched to apprehend them ; they travelled 
very rapidly to the Pieman’s River, without seeing any thing 
of their chase, although, as it afterwards appeared, they had 
