Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/361

 OF SYDIiEY COVE. 251 oeeded, the object of our hopes soon appeared : a large ship, with 1793 Eogliah oolouTs flying, working in between the heads which form the entrance of the harbour. The tumultuous state of our minds represented her in danger, and we were in agony. Soon after the Governor, having ascertained what she was, left us, and stept into a fishing>boat to return to Sydney. The weather was wet and tempestuous ; but the body is delicate only when the soul is at Boaniing ease. We pushed through wind and rain, the anxiety of our JSiinaf sensations every moment redoubling. At last we read the word "Landm" on her stem. ''Pull away, lads! She is from old England ! A lew strokes more and we shall be aboard I Hurrah, for news from our friends " One of the most strikiiig passages in TencVs work de- scribe the effect produced upon the minds of the natives by the flogging of a prisoner. Although the man was punished Astonishinsr for having stolen some fishing tackle belonging to one of themselves^ the only effect of the exhibition was to create feelings of sympathy with the offender and disgust at the exhibition itself r^ — The Governor ordered that he should be severely flogged in the presence of as many natives as could be- assembled, to whom the caose of punishment ^ould be explained. Many of them, of both aexes, aooordingly attended. There was not one of them that did Unexpected not testify strong abhorrence of the punishment and equal sympathy with the suflferer, Phillip was anxious to show the natives that the law was no respecter of persons ; it did not occur to him that he was exhibiting the law in a shape not at all calculated to create respect for it, even in the minds of savages. The contrast between the civilised and uncivilised codes on this point is carious. Among the natives^ a man who wronged another Native uw. belongings to the same tribe was compelled to stand and defend himself with his shield^ while his fellows hurled their spears at him. The idea of flogging a man seemed to them a savage refinement of cruelty.* shown in another instance. Collins records that, in November, 1796, " the Coart having ordered that Francis Morgan (convicted of murder) should Digitized by Google
 * The effect prodnced by exhibiftions of this kind upon the natives, is