An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2: An Account Of The English Colony In New South Wales, From Its First Settlement In 1788, To August 1801: With Remarks On The Dispositions, Customs, Manners, Etc. Of The Native Inhabitants Of That Country. To Which Are Added, Some Particulars Of New Zealand; Compiled, By Permission, From The Mss. Of Lieutenant-Governor King; And An Account Of The Voyage Performed By Captain Flinders And Mr. Bass.Collins, David
History
An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2: An Account Of The English Colony In New South Wales, From Its First Settlement In 1788, To August 1801: With Remarks On The Dispositions, Customs, Manners, Etc. Of The Native Inhabitants Of That Country. To Which Are Added, Some Particulars Of New Zealand; Compiled, By Permission, From The Mss. Of Lieutenant-Governor King; And An Account Of The Voyage Performed By Captain Flinders And Mr. Bass.
Collins, David
New South Wales -- Description and travel
The criminal court of judicature was assembled at the close of the month;
when one man, a sergeant of the New South Wales corps, was condemned for
forgery, but recommended to the governor's mercy by the court; another
was condemned for a burglary, and a third sentenced to receive a severe
corporal punishment, for having shot a native (man) at Botany Bay. Could
the evidence of some of these people have been taken, it was supposed
that he would have been capitally convicted, in which case he would
certainly have suffered, the governor being determined to put that
article of his Majesty's instructions in force, which, in placing these
people under the protection of the British Government, enjoined the
punishing any injury done to their persons or property, according to the
degree and nature of the offence.
When this man was brought out to be punished, several of the natives were
assembled for the purpose; and he received in their presence as much of
his sentence as he could bear, they witnessing his sufferings with the
most perfect indifference.
The weather was exceedingly hot during the whole of January.
February.] Deplorable was the catalogue of events that presented itself
in this month: executions, robberies, and accidents.
On the 8th a prisoner, who had been condemned to die by the last court,
suffered the sentence of the law. The recollection of his untimely end,
and his admonitions from the fatal tree, could not have departed from the
minds of those who saw and heard him, when another court sent another
offender to the same tree and for the same crime. Samuel Wright had been
once before respited at the gallows. On the morning of his execution, the
wretched man attempted to cut his throat; but as he only very slightly
wounded himself, it may be supposed that he merely hoped, by delaying the
execution, to gain time to effect an escape.
Before this court, was brought part of a nest of thieves, who had lately
stolen property to the amount of several hundred pounds; but none of them
were capitally convicted, being sentenced either to be transported to
Norfolk Island, or corporally punished.
It might be supposed, that these executions and punishments would have
operated as a check to the commission of offences; but they appeared to
be wholly disregarded, and enormity had not yet attained its full height.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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