In the course of the night of the 28th, Bryant, whose term of transportation, according to his own account, expired some day in this month, eluded the watch that was kept upon him, and made his escape, together with his wife and two children (one an infant at the breast) and seven other convicts, in the fishing-boat, which, since the accident at the latter end of the last month, he had taken care to keep in excellent order.  Their flight was not discovered until they had been some hours without the Heads.

They were traced from Bryant’s hut to the Point, and in the path were found a hand-saw, a scale, and four or five pounds of rice, scattered about in different places, which, it was evident, they had dropped in their haste.  At the Point, where some of the party must have been taken in, a seine belonging to government was found, which, being too large for Bryant’s purpose, he had exchanged for a smaller that he had made for an officer, and which he had from time to time excused himself from completing and sending home.

The names of these desperate adventurers were,

Came in the first fleet,
William Bryant, His sentence was expired. 
Mary Braud his wife, and two children, She had 2 years to serve. 
James Martin, He had 1 year to serve. 
James Cox, He was transported for life. 
Samuel Bird, He had 1 year and 4 months to serve. 
Came in the second fleet,
William Allen, He was transported for life. 
Samuel Broom, He had 4 years and 4 months to serve. 
Nathaniel Lilly, He was transported for life. 
William Morton, He had 5 years and 1 month to serve.

So soon as it was known in the settlement that Bryant had got out of reach, we learned that Detmer Smith, the master of the Waaksamheyd, had sold him a compass and a quadrant, and had furnished him with a chart, together with such information as would assist him in his passage to the northward.  On searching Bryant’s hut, cavities under the boards were found, where he had secured the compass and such other articles as required concealment:  and he had contrived his escape with such address, that although he was well known to be about making an attempt, yet how far he was prepared, as well as the time when he meant to go, remained a secret.  Most of his companions were connected with women; but if these knew any thing, they were too faithful to those they lived with to reveal it.  Had the women been bound to them by any ties of affection, fear for their safety, or the dislike to part, might have induced some of them to have defeated the enterprise; but not having any interest either in their flight, or in their remaining here, they were silent on the subject.  For one young woman, Sarah Young, a letter was found the next