Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Thursday 3 April 1823, page 2


MAGISTRATE FOR THE WEEK, E. WOLLSTONECRAFT, Esq.

Assize of Bread, the Loaf of Two Pounds, 4½d.

Average prices of articles at the last market:—

Wheat, 6s. 9¼d. per bushel ; maize, 4s. 6d. per ditto ; barley, 3s. 6d. per ditto ; potatoes, 5s 6d. per cwt ; fowls, 3s 9d. per couple ; butter, 2s. 6d. per lb ; eggs, 2s. 6d. per dozen ; cheese, 1s. 3d per lb.

SHIP NEWS.—On Friday last put in, to refit, the ship Zenobia, Captain Lihou. This vessel was re-ported before to have passed the Heads on her way from China to the Coast of Peru, having sugar and quick-silver on board. In Torres' Straits she lost her anchors and cables, and thus the Commander was compelled to

make for Port Jackson.

Same day returned from New Zealand, the Govern-ment colonial cutter Snapper, Capt. Edwardson, after

an absence of nearly five months.

On Sunday last sailed for Port Dalrymple, the brig Haweis, Capt. Jameson. Passengers, Mrs. Thompson, wife of Lieutenant Thompson, of Van Diemen's Land ; Mr. George Reibey ; and Dr. Espie.

On Tuesday last sailed for Macquarie Island, the brig Wellington, Capt. Day.

His Excellency the GOVERNOR and COMMANDER in CHIEF visited the capital on Tuesday morning, and

returned to Parramatta in the afternoon.

Friday last being GOOD FRIDAY, the same was ob-served as a Holiday ; and Divine Service was performed in the various Churches and Chapels throughout the

Colony.

The Governor's Court will sit to morrow. Much business is expected to be determined.

Captain Edwardson, of the Snapper, brings from New Zealand two chiefs, one of whom is accompa-nied by his wife. One of them is a youth of about 16; and the other is 30 years old. The name of the latter is James Caddel, an Englishman by birth, and whose history is briefly as follows:—In 1807, or thereabouts, the ship Sydney Cove, a sealer out of this port, was cruizing off the Bay of Islands, and had either stationed or dispatched a boats'-crew, consisting of 5 hands and a boy ( James Caddel, the present chief) To one of the islands, in quest of seals. The boat was taken by the savages in the vicinity of the Southern Cape, and the hapless men, with the ex-ception of Caddel, were killed and eaten. Fortunately, in his fright, the boy flew to an old chief for mercy, and happened to touch his kak-ka-how (the outward mat of the chief), and thus his life became preserved, as his person was then held sacred. Being in too distant a part of New Zealand to indulge the hope of hastily escaping from a wretched captivity, Caddel became re-signed to his apparent destiny, and insensibly adopted

the manners and customs of the natives. About nine

years since he was allied to a chief's, daughter, who also is sister to a chief; and, by this two-fold tie, he became a prince of no small influence among such subjects is those barbarous despots are destined, in the present constitution of things, to have the controul of. The horrible darkness pervading this people is truly affecting; and it may, with sympathy, be enquired, when the bright and humanizing beams of Gospel-day will shine, with "healing in its wings," over those "dark habitations of cruelty ?" Were it not that genuine Christians are eminently and vigorously engaged in this ponderous work, a glorious fulfilment of which is ensured in God's Book, the temporal comfort and everlasting happiness of those savages, as well as the almost neglected Australian heathen, would be pro-nounced hopeless indeed !—The advantages which are held out in the Gospel to mankind en-masse, can never be expected to become widely diffused till the pro-fessors of Christianity, of all denominations, with

one heart and one mind, benignantly lend a hand in advancing the merciful scheme of Providence towards saving, unnumbered myriads from ruin interminable. These remarks may be esteemed rather out of place, but, having fallen in our way, we are loth to deprive the pious and virtuous Reader from participating in the gratification that necessarily presents itself in the evangelization of the world; it was for this consum-mation of prophetical record that JESUS CHRIST ROSE AGAIN !—To return to Caddel: He was in pursuit, with some other chiefs, of any boats or gangs that might unfortunately become subject to their capture, when Captain Edwardson succeeded in taking him. Just before a boat, belonging to the General Gates (American), which vessel Capt. E. parted from on the 26th of December last. had been taken, but the crew fortunately escaped. Caddel lost his own language as

well as European customs, and soon became trans-formed, from the English sailor-boy, into the dauntless and terrifying New Zealand chief. It required some argumentation to induce him to visit New South

Wales, and he would not have come without his part-ner, to whom he appears to be tenderly attached. For

some days he paraded our streets, with his prin-cess, in the New Zealand costume; but now, we believe, he seems to be inclined to return to civilized life, of which none can estimate the comforts but those that enjoy them. It is said that those people will return to their own country by the first oppor-

tunity.

The Snapper has brought about a ton of prepared flax from New Zealand, which is supposed to surpass any in the known world, for its amazing strength. Captain Edwardson has been particularly assiduous in informing himself as to the manners, customs, and religion of the many tribes he has visited ; and also has laden the vessel with curiosities of almost every kind that the hitherto unfrequented parts of New Zea-land produce. We are led to anticipate, at no very distant day, something of an ample account of the interesting voyage the Snapper has just returned from.

William Bales, a seaman on board the Snapper, has not come back with the vessel. The poor man is sup-posed to have fallen a victim to savage barbarity.

A young Gentleman, on his way to Bathurst lately, had the misfortune to get his horse knocked up at Emu Plains. He was reduced to the alternative of either

returning, or going the residue of the journey on

foot. We have much pleasure in saying, that this

courageous pedestrian undertook the task, and re-turned from Bathurst to Emu in three days ; the dis-tance is computed at about 150 miles.

It was Mr. M'Brian that saw the late curious animal in the Fish River, and not Mr O'Brien as we were

informed.

ORNITHOLOGY.—About four years ago a blue mountain parrot was taken from this country to Eng-land, by the way of Java and Holland. After an ab-sence of nearly 3 years from its native place the charm-ing little whistler laid two eggs ; and the following year, a lately received letter says, this bird produced ten more eggs !

CRIMINAL COURT, HOBART TOWN, FEB. 22.— Thomas Anglim and Charles Antonio, indicted on a charge of stealing, on the 1st February, 1824, at Pitt Water, 270 sheep, the property of Charles Jeffreys, Esq. and on another charge for receiving the same knowing them to be stolen, were acquitted on both charges; there being but little evidence against them except that of an approver, who gave in a very clear and connected account of the various extensive sheep rob-beries he had committed on his master, the prosecutor, while his shepherd; and, as he stated, at the instance and under the influence of the prisoners, who shared the plunder. He had, it seemed, absconded from his master, and, as he declared, was received by and secreted for a month at Anglim's house—occasionally going by night to his master's flock to steal sheep for Anglim; and in fact, was apprehended at last picking out the best sheep from 200 he had stolen but the day before. A government servant of Anglim's confirmed the approver, as to his having brought 6 sheep on each of two several days to Anglim's house—which were killed; but who denied that the approver, as he swore, had been secreted in the same room, where he himself slept; as also, that he knew at all, whence the sheep

was brought. This strong contradiction seemed much to affect the judgment of the Court which, as we have said, was generally on the proof, pronounced not guilty.

WEDNESDAY.—Peter Keefe was charged with forging a letter, signed " John York," with intent to defraud Mr. J. E. Cox, of Hobart Town, of the sum of £10.—The facts of the case were very clear against the prisoner, who was found guilty, and sen-tenced to be transported for 2 years to Macquarie

Harbour.

Benjamin Smith and Walter Archibald were then arraigned, charged with stealing goods in the dwelling house of Patrick Wood, Esq. a Magistrate of the Colony, residing on the River Clyde, and putting him, and others with him in the house, in bodily fear, &c.

Both the prisoners pleaded Guilty ; upon which the Judge Advocate admonished them, and as to having liberty to retire the plea, which they had given in, but the prisoners still persisting in their first plea, it was recorded ; when His Honor thought it fit, for the infor-mation of the Court, that the prosecutor should generally state the circumstances of the robbery, by which it appeared, that in the month of May last, the prisoners, in company with three or four others, en-tered his hut, in which there were, at the time, six of his men, who were bound down ; that the bush-rangers staid 3 or 4 hours drinking, and rifling every part of the house, taking also away property to the amount of seve-ral hundred pounds ; no further personal violence

however was done at the time.

[ It will be proper here to remark, that three of the offenders had been convicted, on the general testimony brought forward then, as also of an approver, before a Special Criminal Court at Sydney, in July last; and afterwards underwent, at this Settlement, the awful sen-tence of the law.]

John Maclin, convicted of stealing at New Norfolk an adze, was sentenced to one month's hard labour in the Penitentiary.

Thomas Livermore, on a charge of stealing sheep, the goods of Richard Kirkham, from his farm, near

Launceston, was acquitted. The evidence adduced proved, that Mr. Kirkham had found in a brush, 3-quarters of a mile from the prisoner's house, adjoin-ing his farm, 9 sheep killed, and 21 tied ready for the purpose; about 10 the next morning, after the night during which the sheep had been stolen from Mr. Kirkham's yard, two men made their escape at the mo-ment, suspected to be Harvey and Brown, servants of the prisoner, who have since altogether disappeared and have not yet been apprehended. The pri-soner himself on that morning went into Launceston, where he was seen about 8 o'clock, having desired Har-

vey to kill a sheep, which was found by Mr. Kirkham

in the house, as also the skin, but the head cut off where Mr. Kirkham's brand was used to be put.—The proof, on the part of the prisoner, did not seem to be satisfactory to the Court, although, in the end, as we have stated, the judgment pronounced was—Not Guilty, The servant of the prisoner, a native (Joseph Launders), was ordered into custody, to abide the determination

of the Judge Advocate, as to a prosecution for perjury

in his evidence.