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
There can scarcely be recorded a stronger instance of human depravity,
than what the following circumstance, which happened in this month,
exhibits. A convict, who had formerly been a school-companion with the
Rev. Mr. Johnson, had been taken by that gentleman into his service,
where he reposed in him the utmost confidence, and treated him with the
kindest indulgence. He had not been long in his house before Mr. Johnson
was informed that his servant, having taken an impression of the key of
his storeroom in clay, had procured one that would fit the lock. He
scarcely credited the information; but, being urged to furnish him with
an opportunity, he consented that a constable should be concealed in the
house, on a Sunday, when all the family, this servant excepted, would be
attending divine service. The arrangement succeeded but too well.
Concluding that all was safe, he applied his key, and, entering the room,
was proceeding without any remorse to plunder it of such articles as he
wanted; when the constable, seeing his prey within his toils, started
from his concealment, and seized him in the act of taking the property.
Thus was this wretched being without 'one compunctious visiting of
nature,' detected in the act of injuring the man, who, in the better day
of his prosperity, had been the companion of his youth, and who had
stretched out his hand to shelter him in the present hour of his
adversity!
The _Deptford_ brig sailing this month for the coast of Coromandel,
the governor took the opportunity of transmitting to Admiral Rainier, or
the commander in chief of his Majesty's ships in the East Indies, a list
of the deserted convicts, and a description of the two boats which had
lately been taken from the colony. As it was, probably, the intention of
those people to steer along the coast of New South Wales to the
northward, until they should reach some of the Dutch settlements among
the Molucca islands, there was a possibility of their being picked up by
some of the King's cruisers; in the event of which, the governor forcibly
urged their being forwarded, by any opportunity which might offer, to his
government, there to be made an example that should, if possible, deter
others from making the like attempts.
The widow of Ensign Brock's, who died in July last, availed herself of
this opportunity to get, with her family, partly on her way to England.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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