Toward the latter end of the month some villains broke into the dispensary at the hospital, and stole two cases of portable soup, one case of camomile flowers, and one case containing sudorific powder.  These articles had been placed in the dispensary on the very evening it was broken into, to be sent to Parramatta the following morning.  The cases with the camomile and sudorific powder (which perhaps they had taken for sugar or flour) were found at the back of the hill behind the hospital; and, in order to discover the persons concerned in this theft, as well as those who maimed the sawyer, as before related, a proclamation was published, offering to any person or persons giving such information as should convict the principal offenders, a free pardon for every offence which he, she, or they might have committed since their arrival in this country; and that a full ration of provisions should be issued to such person or persons during the remainder of their respective terms of transportation.

Several people died at Parramatta, some of whom were at labour, apparently in health, and dead in twenty-four hours.  An extraordinary circumstance attended, though it was not the cause of the death of one poor creature:  while dragging with others at a brick cart he was seized with a fainting fit, and when he recovered was laid down under a cart which stood in the road, that he might be in the shade.  Being weak and ill, he fell asleep.  On waking, and feeling something tight about his neck, he put up his hand, when, to his amazement and horror, he grasped the folds of a large snake which had twined itself round his neck.  In endeavouring to disengage it, the animal bit him by the lip, which became instantly tumid.  Two men, passing by, took off the snake and threw it on the ground, when it erected itself and flew at one of them; but they soon killed it.  The man who had fainted at the cart died the next morning, not, however, from any effect of the bite of the snake, but from a general debility.

At Parramatta the public bakehouse was broken into, and robbed of a large quantity of flour and biscuit.  The robber had made his way down the chimney of the house, and, though a man and woman slept in the place, carried off his booty undiscovered.

The convicts having assembled there at the latter end of the last month in an improper and tumultuous manner, the governor now thought proper to issue a proclamation, directing that ’in case of any riot or disturbance among the convicts, every one who was seen out of his hut would (if such riot or disturbance should happen in the night, or during the hours of rest from labour, or if he were absent from his labour during the hours of work) be deemed to be aiding and assisting the rioters, and be punished accordingly.’

The convicts were strictly forbidden ever to assemble in numbers under any pretence of stating a complaint, or for any other cause whatever, all complaints being to be made through the medium of the superintendants or overseers.