e be found guilty of theft, should be supplied with
any other clothing than a canvas frock and trousers. It was at the same
time ordered, that such convicts as should in future fail to perform a
day's labour, should receive only two thirds of the ration that was
issued to those who could and did work.

Unimportant as these circumstances may appear when detailed at a distance
from the time when they were necessary, they yet serve to show the nature
of the people by whom this colony (whatever may be its fate) was first
founded; as well as the attention that was paid by those in authority,
and the steps taken by them, for establishing good order and propriety
among them, and for eradicating villany and idleness.

December.] James Daley, the convict who in August pretended to have
discovered an inexhaustible source of wealth, and was punished for his
imposition, was observed from that time to neglect his labour, and to
loiter about from hut to hut, while others were at work. He was at last
taken up and tried for breaking into a house, and stealing all the
property he could find in it; of this offence he was convicted, and
suffered death; the governor not thinking him an object of mercy. Before
he was turned off, he confessed that he had committed several thefts, to
which he had been induced by bad connections, and pointed out two women
who had received part of the property for the acquisition of which he was
then about to pay so dear a price. These women were immediately
apprehended, and one of them made a public example of, to deter others
from offending in the like manner. The convicts being all assembled for
muster, she was directed to stand forward, and, her head having been
previously deprived of its natural covering, she was clothed with a
canvas frock, on which was painted, in large characters, R. S. G.
(receiver of stolen goods) and threatened with punishment if ever she was
seen without it. This was done in the hope that shame might operate, at
least with the female part of the prisoners, to the prevention of crimes;
but a great number of both sexes had too long been acquainted with each
other in scenes of disgrace, for this kind of punishment to work much
reformation among them. This, however, must be understood to be spoken
only of the lowest class of these people, among whom the commission of
offences was chiefly found to exist; for there were convicts of both
sexes who were never known to associate with the com