There were not any arrivals during the month, except that of the Colonial
schooner from the Hawkesbury, with a cargo of Indian corn, and some wheat
that had been damaged by the weevil, an enemy which had been imported
among the rice from India.
March.] It appeared by the books in which were entered the certificates
granted to the convicts who had again become free people, that there were
at this time not less than 600 men off the store and working for
themselves in the colony; forming a vast deduction of labouring people
from the public strength, and adding a great many chances against the
safety of private and public property, as well as personal security.
An extraordinary theft was committed about the middle of the month, which
very forcibly marked the inherent depravity of some of these miscreants.
While the miller was absent for a short time, part of the sails belonging
to the mill were stolen. Now this machine was at work for the benefit of
those very incorrigible vagabonds who had thus, for a time, prevented its
being of use to any one, and who, being too lazy to grind for themselves,
had formerly been obliged to pay one third of their whole allowance of
wheat, to have the remainder ground for them by hand mills, an expense
that was saved to them by bringing their corn to the public mill.
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