a complete account of the settlement-第34章

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ich　the　child；　in　accompanying　its　father　to　the　chase　or　a　fishing；　may　chance　to　kill。

Not　only　their　combinations；　but　some　of　their　simple　sounds；　were　difficult　of　pronunciation　to　mouths　purely　English。　　Diphthongs　often　occur。　　One　of　the　most　common　is　that　of　'ae'；　or　perhaps；　'ai'；　pronounced　not　unlike　those　letters　in　the　French　verb　'hair'；　to　hate。　The　letter　'y'　frequently　follows　'd'　in　the　same　syllable。　　Thus　the　word　which　signifies　a　woman　is　'dyin'；　although　the　structure　of　our　language　requires　us　to　spell　it　'deein'。

But　if　they　sometimes　put　us　to　difficulty；　many　of　our　words　were　to　them　unutterable。　　The　letters　's'　and　'v'　they　never　could　pronounce。　　The　latter　became　invariably　'w'；　and　the　former　mocked　all　their　efforts；　which　in　the　instance　of　Baneelon　has　been　noticed；　and　a　more　unfortunate　defect　in　learning　our　language　could　not　easily　be　pointed　out。

They　use　the　ellipsis　in　speaking　very　freely；　always　omitting　as　many　words　as　they　possibly　can；　consistent　with　being　understood。　　They　inflect　both　their　nouns　and　verbs　regularly；　and　denote　the　cases　of　the　former　and　the　tenses　of　the　latter；　not　like　the　English　by　auxiliary　words；　but　like　the　Latins　by　change　of　termination。　　Their　nouns；　whether　substantive　or　adjective；　seem　to　admit　of　no　plural。　　I　have　heard　Mr。　Dawes　hint　his　belief　of　their　using　a　dual　number；　similar　to　the　Greeks；　but　I　confess　that　I　never　could　remark　aught　to　confirm　it。　The　method　by　which　they　answer　a　question　that　they　cannot　resolve　is　similar　to　what　we　sometimes　use。　　Let　for　example　the　following　question　be　put：　'Waw　Colbee　yagoono？'Where　is　Colbee　to…day？　　'Waw；　baw！'Where；　indeed！　would　be　the　reply。　　They　use　a　direct　and　positive　negative；　but　express　the　affirmative　by　a　nod　of　the　head　or　an　inclination　of　the　body。

Opinions　have　greatly　differed；　whether　or　not　their　language　be　copious。　In　one　particular　it　is　notoriously　defective。　　They　cannot　count　with　precision　more　than　four。　　However　as　far　as　ten；　by　holding　up　the　fingers；　they　can　both　comprehend　others　and　explain　themselves。　　Beyond　four　every　number　is　called　great；　and　should　it　happen　to　be　very　large；　great　great；　which　is　an　Italian　idiom　also。　　This　occasions　their　computations　of　time　and　space　to　be　very　confused　and　incorrect。　　Of　the　former　they　have　no　measure　but　the　visible　diurnal　motion　of　the　sun　or　the　monthly　revolution　of　the　moon。

To　conclude　the　history　of　a　people　for　whom　I　cannot　but　feel　some　share　of　affection。　　Let　those　who　have　been　born　in　more　favoured　lands　and　who　have　profited　by　more　enlightened　systems；　compassionate；　but　not　despise　their　destitute　and　obscure　situation。　　Children　of　the　same　omniscient　paternal　care；　let　them　recollect　that　by　the　fortuitous　advantage　of　birth　alone　they　possess　superiority：　　that　untaught；　unaccommodated　man　is　the　same　in　Pall　Mall　as　in　the　wilderness　of　New　South　Wales。　And　ultimately　let　them　hope　and　trust　that　the　progress　of　reason　and　the　splendor　of　revelation　will　in　their　proper　and　allotted　season　be　permitted　to　illumine　and　transfuse　into　these　desert　regions；　knowledge；　virtue　and　happiness。




CHAPTER　XVIII。



Observations　on　the　Convicts。


A　short　account　of　that　class　of　men　for　whose　disposal　and　advantage　the　colony　was　principally；　if　not　totally；　founded；　seems　necessary。

If　it　be　recollected　how　large　a　body　of　these　people　are　now　congregated　in　the　settlement　of　Port　Jackson　and　at　Norfolk　Island；　it　will；　I　think；　not　only　excite　surprise　but　afford　satisfaction；　to　learn；　that　in　a　period　of　four　years　few　crimes　of　a　deep　dye　or　of　a　hardened　nature　have　been　perpetrated。　　Murder　and　unnatural　sins　rank　not　hitherto　in　the　catalogue　of　their　enormities；　and　one　suicide　only　has　been　committed。

To　the　honour　of　the　female　part　of　our　community　let　it　be　recorded　that　only　one　woman　has　suffered　capital　punishment。　　On　her　condemnation　she　pleaded　pregnancy；　and　a　jury　of　venerable　matrons　was　impanneled　on　the　spot；　to　examine　and　pronounce　her　state；　which　the　forewoman；　a　grave　personage　between　sixty　and　seventy　years　old；　did；　by　this　short　address　to　the　court；　'Gentlemen！　she　is　as　much　with　child　as　I　am。'　Sentence　was　accordingly　passed；　and　she　was　executed。

Besides　the　instance　of　Irving；　two　other　male　convicts；　William　Bloodsworth；　of　Kingston　upon　Thames；　and　John　Arscott；　of　Truro；　in　Cornwall；　were　both　emancipated　for　their　good　conduct；　in　the　years　1790　and　1791。　　Several　men　whose　terms　of　transportation　had　expired；　and　against　whom　no　legal　impediment　existed　to　prevent　their　departure；　have　been　permitted　to　enter　in　merchant　ships　wanting　hands：　　and　as　my　Rose　Hill　journals　testify；　many　others　have　had　grants　of　land　assigned　to　them；　and　are　become　settlers　in　the　country。

In　so　numerous　a　community　many　persons　of　perverted　genius　and　of　mechanical　ingenuity　could　not　but　be　assembled。　　Let　me　produce　the　following　example。　　Frazer　was　an　iron　manufacturer；　bred　at　Sheffield；　of　whose　abilities　as　a　workman　we　had　witnessed　many　proofs。　　The　governor　had　written　to　England　for　a　set　of　locks　to　be　sent　out　for　the　security　of　the　public　stores；　which　were　to　be　so　constructed　as　to　be　incapable　of　being　picked。　　On　their　arrival　his　excellency　sent　for　Frazer　and　bade　him　examine　them　telling　him　at　the　same　time　that　they　could　not　be　picked。　　Frazer　laughed　and　asked　for　a　crooked　nail　only；　to　open　them　all。　　A　nail　was　brought；　and　in　an　instant　he　verified　his　assertion。　　Astonished　at　his　dexterity；　a　gentleman　present　determined　to　put　it　to　farther　proof。　　He　was　sent　for　in　a　hurry；　some　days　after；　to　the　hospital；　where　a　lock　of　still　superior　intricacy　and　expense　to　the　others　had　been　provided。　　He　was　told　that　the　key　was　lost　and　that　the　lock　must　be　immediately　picked。　　He　examined　it　attentively；　remarked　that　it　was　the　production　of　a　workman；　and　demanded　ten　minutes　to　make　an　instrument　'to　speak　with　it。'　　Without　carrying　the　lock　with　him；　he　went　directly　to　his　shop；　and　at　the　expiration　of　his　term　returned；　applied　his　instrument；　and　open　flew　the　lock。　　But　it　was　not　only　in　this　part　of　his　business　that　he　excelled：　　he　executed　every　branch　of　it　in　superior　style。　　Had　not　his　villainy　been　still　more　notorious　than　his　skill；　he　would　have　proved　an　invaluable　possession　to　a　new　country。　　He　had　passed　through　innumerable　scenes　in　life；　and　had　played　many　parts。　　When　too　lazy　to　work　at　his　trade　he　had　turned　thief　in　fifty　different　shapes；　was　a　receiver　of　stolen　goods；　a　soldier　and　a　travelling　conjurer。　　He　once　confessed　to　me　that　he　had　made　a　set　of　tools；　for　a　gang　of　coiners；　every　man　of　whom　was　hanged。

Were　the　nature　of　the　subject　worthy　of　farther　illustration；　many　similar　proofs　of　misapplied　talents　might　be　adduced。

Their　love　of　the　marvellous　has　been　recorded　in　an　early　part　of　this　work。　　The　imposture　of　the　gold　finder；　however　prominent　and　glaring；　nevertheless　contributed　to　awaken　attention　and　to　create　merriment。　He　enjoyed　the　reputation　of　a　discoverer；　until　experiment　detected　the　imposition。　　But　others　were　less　successful　to　acquire　even　momentary　admiration。　　The　execution　of　forgery　seems　to　demand　at　least　neatness　of　imitation　and　dexterity　of　address。　　On　arrival　of　the　first　fleet　of　ships　from　England；　several　convicts　brought　out　recommendatory　letters　from　different　friends。　　Of　these　some　were　genuine；　and　many　owed　their　birth　to　the　ingenuity　of　the　bearers。　　But　these　last　were　all　such　bungling　performances　as　to　produce　only　instant　detection　and　succeeding　contempt。　　One　of　them　addressed　to　the　governor；　with　the　name　of　Baron　Hotham　affixed　to　it；　began　'Honored　Sir！'

A　leading　distinction；　which　marked　the　convicts　on　their　outset　in　the　colony；　was　an　use　of　what　is　called　the　'flash'；　or　'kiddy'　language。　In　some　of　our　early　courts　of　justice　an　interpreter　was　frequently　necessary　to　translate　the　deposition　of　the　witness　and　the　defence　of　the　prisoner。　　This　language　has　many　dialects。　　The　sly　dexterity　of　the　pickpocket；　the　brutal　ferocity　of　the　footpad；　the　more　elevated　career　of　the　highwayman　and　the　deadly　purpose　of　the　midnight　ruffian　is　each　strictly　appropriate　in　the　terms　which　distinguish　and　characterize　it。　I　have　ever　been　of　opinion　that　an　abolition　of　this　unnatural　jargon　would　open　the　path　to　reformation。　　And　my　observations　on　these　people　have　constantly　instructed　me　that　indulgence　in　this　infatuating　cant　is　more　deeply　associated　with　depravity　and　continuance　in　vice　than　is　generally　supposed。　　I　recollect　hardly　one　instance　of　a　return　to　honest　pursuits；　and　habits　of　industry；　where　this　miserable　perversion　of　our　noblest　and　peculiar　faculty　was　not　previously　conquered。

Those　persons　to　whom　the　inspection　and　management　of　our　numerous　and　extensive　prisons　in　England　are　committed　will　perform　a　service　to　society　by　attending　to　the　foregoing　observation。　　Let　us　always　keep　in　view；　that　punishment；　when　not　directed　to　promote　reformation；　is　arbitrary；　and　unauthorised。




CHAPTER　XIX。



Facts　relating　to　the　probability　of　establishing　a　whale　fishery　on　the　coast　of　New　South　Wales；　with　Thoughts　on　the　same。


In　every　former　part　of　this　publication　I　have　studiously　avoided　mentioning　a　whale　fishery；　as　the　information　relating　to　it　will；　I　conceive；　be　more　acceptably　received　in　this　form；　by　those　to　whom　it　is　addressed；　than　if　mingled　with　other　matter。

Previous　to　entering　on　this　detail；　it　must　be　observed　that　several　of　the　last　fleet　of　ships　which　had　arrived　from　England　with　convicts；　were　fitted　out　with　implements　for　whale　fishing；　and　were　intended　to　sail　for　the　coast　of　Brazil　to　pursue　the　fishery；　immediately　on　having　landed　the　convicts。

On　the　14th　of　October；　1791；　the　'Britannia'；　Captain　Melville；　one　of　these　ships；　arrived　at　Sydney。　　In　her　passage　between　Van　Diemen's　Land　and　Port　Jackson；　the　master　reported　that　he　had　seen　a　large　shoal　of　spermaceti　whales。　　His　words　were；　'I　saw　more　whales　at　one　time　around　my　ship　than　in　the　whole　of　six　years　which　I　have　fished　on　the　coast　of　Brazil。'

This　intelligence　was　no　sooner　communicated　than　all　the　whalers　were　eager　to　push　to　sea。　　Melville　himself　was　among　the　most　early；　and　on　the　10th　of　November；　returned　to　Port　Jackson；　more　confident　of　success　than　before。　　He　assured　me　that　in　the　fourteen　days　which　he　had　been　out；　he　had　seen　more　spermaced　whales　than　in　all　his　former　life。　They　amounted；　he　said　to　many　thousands；　most　of　them　of　enormous　magnitude；　and　had　he　not　met　with　bad　weather　he　could　have　killed　as　many　as　he　pleased。　　Seven　he　did　kill；　but　owing　to　the　stormy　agitated　state　of　the　water；　he　could　not　get　any　of　them　aboard。　　In　one　however；　which　in　a　momentary　interval　of　calm；　was　killed　and　secured　by　a　ship　in　company；　he　shared。　　The　oil　and　head　matter　of　this　fish；　he　extolled　as　of　an　extraordinary　fine　quality。　　He　was　of　opinion　the　former　would　fetch　ten　pounds　per　ton　more　in　London　than　that　procured　on　the　Brazil　coast。　　He　had　not　gone　farther　south　than　37　degrees；　and　described　the　lati