- A few days pi ev ions to rjo'eiiior Hiiiitei's depurtui'v front this oolouy,
the peraon who iu-'tod as his clerk wits iliscdvered to have made several I b«r&sement« in the indents sent with the t^auvicts to this colony, wltich it I , has since ap^^^tearetl waa done for the teward of £12 for changing fi-om |
- life' to seven yeara^ and more in some cases. It appeared that at least
200 pHsoners htive had their ternis thn« rhaiiged, which has iiiti o<hiced snch confuBion into the in<leiits and Orders- hiUouiicil hv which these con- victs wore tratimwrted, that there is great difficulty in tiucing any , convict's term of transportation, but hy secret inquiries and secondary 1 means.
- lt has lately been diacovered that the (convict) clerks in ray office
have had similar transactions, and {cceived considerable property from oonvicts to change their timea> hut as the indents and Oniers-in -Council have been constantly in niy own possewaion they were soon detected, and a Rtop put to it, aa your Lordship will perceive by the enclosed notice. | I have felt it my duty to state this t-ircumatance to account for the jnimbers wlio may have been taken up m England as having escaped from this colony," Condign ijunishment was meted out to clerks on several oeeaBions. Transportation to Norfolk Island was a ready resource. To facilitate detection Lord Hobart (20th Aug. 1B02) transmitted duplicate lists of the convicts sent to the colony during; Hunter's *^ administration, specifying the [.eeveral periods of their respective sentences." The escape ^ of convicts concealed in departing vessels (even without the connivance of the caxitains) may he illustrated hy one example. S. Halcrow, of La F<trtutu, private ship of war, wrote thus, 3rd Feh. 1802, to King from Eio Janeiro : '* After leaving Port Jackson (Jtine IMOI), and your officerg attending to search the ship and to mnster the people permitted by your Excellency to come on board, near three days hm} elap«ed wlien it was observed thei*e were H number of strange faces upon deck. The hands were called out, and ft>nn<l, upon ninstcr, nineteen men who luid found means to eet on lioanl and stow themselves nway, which men were imn^ediatcly conhned in irons iind put on prisoners' allowance. I found they were sickly from coniine' nient, and was obligcil to rcleiise them for the benefit of theii- health/' At St* Maria Island, while the privateer was ** wooding and watering," the greater part of the prisoners escaped. At Rio the remainder got on shore ** hy the guard boat and by swimming. A leak had driven Halcrow into Rio. He had been unsuccessful, taking only oiie brig in ballast, and one loaded with sugar, &c. He sent the names of the runaways, and hoped their escape in his sbip would not be imputed to his neglect, as they have been, from the provisions consumed, a great loss to the cruise. I beg my best respects to Mrs. King, and remain, l^c."
