Reid's New South Wales. 63 ? 
lony; and appropriating to tlieir own 
benefit tlieir services, they found their 
work in the plantations during the 
term of their sentence an indemnifica¬ 
tion for the expenses incurred by their 
voyage, clothing, and subsequent main¬ 
tenance. 
It seems, however, that Government 
did not finally approve of contracts 
made in this manner by private indi¬ 
viduals, as the authority of such per¬ 
sons, or its management, was found too 
weak to enforce proper obedience, and 
secure from the evils of insubordination. 
Moreover, the management of the con¬ 
victs remaining exclusively in the 
hands of the contractors, the convicts 
might, at the expiration of their time, 
feeling themselves no longer restrained 
by their former task-masters, have 
emancipated themselves with regard to 
tlieir employers, and, if opposed vio¬ 
lently, have shaken off all submission 
to their jurisdiction. Hence anarchy 
might ensue, and the bad disposition of 
the convicts would then burst forth 
with increased violence, and the peace¬ 
able and industrious settlers around be 
annoyed and plundered. Such instances 
have occurred in Van Diemen’s Land, 
' where convicts, denominated Bush¬ 
rangers, who had broken away from 
the restraint placed over them, have 
for several years led a vagabond, ma¬ 
rauding life, harassing and plundering 
the peaceful colonists. 
In order to obviate this inconvenience, 
and to avoid the expenses which, under 
such circumstances, must be thrown 
away, Government itself has taken the 
contracts for transportation, and from 
the superior national resources, pro¬ 
vides a more comfortable supply of ne- 
eessai ies and accommodations than any 
which could have been obtained under 
the former arrangement. 
After the sentence of the law has been 
fulfilled in the colony, those who re¬ 
main are still amenable of course to 
the authority of the local government. 
During their servitude care is taken to 
promote their habits of industry, if 
they have acquired or shown any such ; 
and, particularly if they manifest an 
improvement in moral character, and 
conduct themselves with propriety, 
every facility is afforded them to be¬ 
come settlers, and useful members ot 
the colony; or, if they be desirous of 
returning to Europe, a passage home is 
readily permitted, but at their own 
expense, and a certificate granted des¬ 
criptive of character during the term of 
transportation,* 
Lately this benignant purpose has 
been carried further ; for, if the father 
of a family have had the misfortune to 
fall under the frowns of justice, and 
should his conduct subsequently in New 
South Wales merit the approbation of 
the Governor, he will obtain his Ex¬ 
cellency’s recommendation, and is sure 
of being favoured with an order from 
the Government at home for his wife 
and children to go out to him in that 
country, where, in a short time, they 
have been known to form comfortable 
and prosperous establishments. A very 
liberal provision is made for the free 
women and children during the voyage, 
for which no charge whatever is made 
against them, or their father, on the 
part of the Government. 
TREATMENT OF CONVICTS. 
The liberality with which convicts 
destined for transportation are clothed 
and victualled for the voyage, now 
usually of four months duration, is 
highly deserving of praise, many of the 
persons so circumstanced, or rather the 
majority of them, living more com¬ 
fortably, by many degrees, during that 
period, than they had been used to do 
for many years before. Although, ac¬ 
cording to the present regulations, they 
unfortunately have nothing in the way 
of employment to occupy their time on 
the way out; still, as the greatest care 
is taken of their health, at the same 
time that they are abundantly fed, 
they generally look well, and are in 
perfect health, by the period of their 
arrival, and fully capable of proceed¬ 
ing to any work without delay.f 
Every convict received on board the 
ship which is to convey the number 
determined by Government for trans¬ 
portation, is provided with one suit of 
clothes and a change of linen, besides a 
flock bed, pillow, and blanket ; and 
* “ At their own expense !’’ How could 
the author apply the term benignant to so 
cruel a system—-but he glosses every thing 
and discriminates nothing. Is it not mons¬ 
trous to see such a colouring given to an 
unfeeling system, which sends men and 
women to the Antipodes for fractional 
periods of seven years, and then be told ot 
the benignity of allowing them to return 
on the impossible conditions of paying ther 
expenses ? 
p This paragraph seems to be copied 
from some one of the early apologists of 
the Slave Trade.—-E d. 
the 
