In the summer of 1795, when absconding had for some time been too common, the recaptured runaways and a few other offenders were put for disgrace and better surveillance into a special “vagabond gang.”  This comprised Billy Scott, who was usually a mason and sugar guard, Oxford who as head cooper had enjoyed a weekly quart of rum, Cesar a sawyer, and Moll the old pad-mender, along with three men and two women from the main gangs, and three half-grown boys.  The vagabond gang was so wretchedly assorted for industrial purposes that it was probably soon disbanded and its members distributed to their customary tasks.  For use in marking slaves a branding iron was inventoried, but in the way of arms there were merely two muskets, a fowling piece and twenty-four old guns without locks.  Evidently no turbulence was anticipated.  Worthy Park bought nearly all of its hardware, dry goods, drugs and sundries in London, and its herrings for the negroes and salt pork and beef for the white staff in Cork.  Corn was cultivated between the rows in some of the cane fields on the plantation, and some guinea-corn was bought from neighbors.  The negroes raised their own yams and other vegetables, and doubtless pigs and poultry as well; and plantains were likely to be plentiful.

Every October cloth was issued at the rate of seven yards of osnaburgs, three of checks, and three of baize for each adult and proportionately for children.  The first was to be made into coats, trousers and frocks, the second into shirts and waists, the third into bedclothes.  The cutting and sewing were done in the cabins.  A hat and a cap were also issued to each negro old enough to go into the field, and a clasp-knife to each one above the age of the third gang.  From the large purchases of Scotch rugs recorded it seems probable that these were issued on other occasions than those of childbirth.  As to shoes, however, the record is silent.

The Irish provisions cost annually about L300, and the English supplies about L1000, not including such extra outlays as that of L1355 in 1793 for new stills, worms, and coppers.  Local expenditures were probably reckoned in currency.  Converted into sterling, the salary list amounted to about L500, and the local outlay for medical services, wharfage, and petty supplies came to a like amount.  Taxes, manager’s commissions, and the depreciation of apparatus must have amounted collectively to L800.  The net death-loss of slaves, not including that from the breaking-in of new negroes, averaged about two and a quarter per cent.; that of the mules and oxen ten per cent.  When reckoned upon the numbers on hand in 1796 when the plantation with 470 slaves was operating with very little outside help, these losses, which must be replaced by new purchases if the scale of output was to be maintained, amounted to about L900.  Thus a total of L4000 sterling is reached as the average current expense in years when no mishaps occurred.