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The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803-1842) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article625597
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SYDNEY.
On Monday last a Criminal Court assem- bled for the trial of Thomas Jamison, Esq. on
the complaint of Mr. James Mileham, for an assault and battery on the evening of the 3d of May, 1803.
At half-past Ten the business commenced, and several witnesses called by the prosecution were examined. - Mr. Jamison declining
to set up any other plea than that of "self-defence," the Court cleared to deliberate, and were of opinion, from the Evidence, that Mr. Mileham struck Mr. Jamison first, and consequently what followed was self defence on the part of Mr Jamison : " They
do therefore Acquit him of the Assault and Battery laid to his charge, but think it ne- sessary to bind him over to keep the Peace towards all His Majesty's liege subjects, and
particularly towards Mr. James Mileham himself in 250l. and two Sureties in 125l
each, for a term of three years from this
day.
On Sunday last the sloop John, belonging to J. Palmer, Esq. on her passage from Hawkesbury with a cargo of 160 bushels of wheat, 60 of maize, 2 tons of potatoes, and a number of very fine pumpkins, was totally
lost off Broken-Bay, but the crew consisting of
Three persons fortunately saved themseIves.
The weather being excessively boisterous, and the sea very high, she was brought up under a lee shore called the Flint and Steel ; where after riding some time, her hawser snapped, and rendered it necessary to stand out. The
mainsail being half up, the man at the helm
ordered the peak haulyards to be let go, but the rope jammed in the sheave, and a sudden
gust coming on at the insant, overturned her. The people were now forced to get
astride upon her keel, in which situation they continued a considerable length of time. She afterwards drifted to the opposite shore,
where, by a tremendous surf, she was dashed
to pieces on the rocks. Her hands got safely on shore, were picked up by another boat the day following, and brought to Sydney.
A number of Boats overtaken by the tempest in their passage from Hawkesbury, took shelter in small bays, and thereby escaped the threatening danger.
No rain (except a few passing showers of no use) has fallen since last July. This long drought has deprived many of the settlers of their late crop of Maize, but nowise injured the Wheat reaped in November last, or the
first crops of Maize, owing to the heavy and fertilizing dews that have generally fallen in the nights.
Although gardening has been much retarded, yet the rain that fell from Friday to Monday last, came very opportunely for the Wheat now sowing throughout the Colony, a quantity of which is out of the ground.
From the long continuance of the heavy fall of rain, it was reasonable to apprehend that Hawkesbury would be laid under water ; and it is the opinion of the inhabitants that had it not providentially ceased when it did, a flood must have been the consequence, as during the last day of the rain a heavy fresh made its appearance, and the water raised
many feet above the usual height.
On Wednesday last a cask of Porter was
seized at the Wharf, the landing permit not
being countersigned by the Naval Officer.
On Sunday last, the new Vessel was launched, after an indefatigable exertion of two days. On Saturday morning the props were knocked away from under her, and she was got down to the water's edge, against the evening tide, when she began to stir, but the pall of the windlass, at which many persons were at work suddenly giving way, had nearly been productive of the most serious consequences : One of the bars, which flew with incredible force, struck the pilot Mr. W. Bowen, across the thighs, which from the violence of the blow, be at the moment conjectured to have broken. Mr Kable's son, by the sudden recoil, was thrown over- board, and one of the working hands received a severe wound in the neck : the project of geting her off was now necessarily abandoned until the tide should again serve. The whole
of Sunday was occupied in forming a deep bason round the vessel and an open channel
extending as far as the low-water mark. --- This task was executed under an incessant and heavy fall of rain, though not without carrying the Dutchman's theory into practice, That if the outside be wet, the inside should be so likewise. At night she was got
afloat without further accident ; and every
exertion is now making to fit her out for the Straits, whither it is supposed, she will be ready to sail in less than a month.
An inhabitant, who has for some time past remarked that pieces of salted provisions had been taken out of a small harness cask in a
room contiguous to that in which he slept, formed, as is frequent in such cases, a suspicion of some person about him. On Monday night last, just after be had retired to bed, having the house-door a jarr for a la- bouring man who occasionallv waited on him, and lived in the house with him, he heard the door pushed open, and supposing the man
had come home, cried out, "That's you
John, is it," but John made no reply. A few
moments after, his own door was gently opened, and he expected John, was about to enter with a mission ; in place of which, a white dog, somewhat above the common size slipped in, and made up to the cask, where, with an alertness which in a bi-ped might have been termed ingenuity, removed the cover ; then seizing upon the largest piece in the cask, perhaps because it lay most convenient to the pecculater, was about to take his leave, when the enraged owner leaping into the middle of the floor, obliged the unprincipled adept to retire without his booty.
It is rather to be wondered at, that in this Colony, where immense quantities of excellent straw may be procured, a course green grass is preferred for the purposes of thatch- ing. A straw roof is considered in England to last seven years without repair : it may be used in thinner lays than any other, and be consequently far lighter, and much better adapted to the slight-built cottage. Besides, as the grass is used before it has had time to dry, it becomes heated, and moulders to an ash, from which, when damp, an unwholesome vapour is exhaled by the heat of the
fire, which must be attended with pernicious consequences to the cottage family ; but well dried straw will ever remain pure and wholesome, and maintain its firm contexture for a considerable length of time. The practice of thatching with grass originated in necessity, but surely might, after a lapse of 15 years, admit of innovation and improvement.