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SHIP NEWS.
His Majesty’s Ship Calcutta proceeds for
Europe about the middle of the present week.
On Sunday the 4th Instant arrived the Ame-
rican ship Union, Captain Pendleton, from
Norfolk Island, after a favorable passage of
nine days, with 19 discharged Non‐commis-
sioned Officers and Privates on board.
On the 11th ult. the Ferret rrrived there,
with Acting Lieutenant‐Governor HOUSTOUN
and Captain PIPER,
We are concerned to state that a drought
had prevailed for the last eight months, high-
ly to the prejudice of the Cultivator, and ow-
ing to which gardening has for a length of
time been at a total stand ; other provisions
are nevertheless abundant, though from the
prodigious increase of the brood of wild or
native cats great quantities of poultry have
been destroyed in the night time, and every
effort to polish the manners and check the
voracity of the grimalkin race had hitherto
proved ineffectual.
The Investment of Tea, Sugar, &c. carried
by the Union was very acceptable, as it con-
sisted of articles of which the Colony was
much in need, and was therefore purchased
in a few hours after the landing.
John Morris, who went a Respite to Nor-
folk Island, remained for trial when the Union
sailed, for inhumanly attempting the Mur-
der of Edward Garth and Sarah Bird. He
had been confined in the Gaol owing to his
desperate character and conduct, and at 5
o’clock in the morning of Jan. 8, he had
some conversation with Garth, who acted as
Gaoler for the time being, but suddenly draw-
ing from his sleeve a knife 7 inches in the
blade, several times stabbed him in the belly ;
then rushing from the prison, burst violently

into the house of Sarah Bird, with whom he
had for many years co-habited, then in bed,
and with the same instrument made a horrible
and ghastly incision across her throat from
ear to ear. Endeavouring to ward off the
monstrous attempt she also received a wound

in the left arm, which extending downwards
in an oblique direction across the wrist, cut
the sinews through : the Surgeon was confi-
dently of opinion, that the resistance by which
the latter wound was occasioned had alone
saved her life. Her shrieks brought the con-
stables and neighbours to her assistance, who
obliged the assassin to take refuge in a morass,
where he for some minutes brandished his mis-
chievous weapon, and breathed vengeance on
the first that dared approach him ; but when

overpowered sunk into a timidity that always
succeeds an act of brutal violence. From the
diligent attention of the officiating Surgeon
the wounded persons were declared not like-
ly to die of their wounds, shortly before the
Union’s departure from the Island, soon af-
ter which the Offender was to be brought to

trial.

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