"Now I'll tell you what we have done with the Convicts, how they are disposed of, employed, &c. &c. — The Governor had on the Passage made himself acquainted with the Trade and Occupations of each: Accordingly, when they were landed, the Men that could be spared from the principal Business of clearing the Ground were set at their respective Employments, as occasion required such as the Carpenters, Sawyers, Shingle makers, Stone Cutters, Masons, Brick Makers Black-Smiths, &c. these were divided into Parties, and one of the most promising among the Party, was made an Overseer to the Rest. — The Provost Martial, Constable, and Patroll, (Offices appointed by the Governor) were instructed to keep them within certain Limits; Notwithstanding these Precautions to keep them at their Tasks, they found means to evade this Vigilance, and straggle into the Woods, they even had the Impudence to go over to Botany Bay, (wh. is only 8 or 10 Miles by Land from this Port) and offer their Services as Seamen On Board the French Ships, (by the by, It strikes Me that I have never mentioned the Circumstances of these Ships arriving at Botany Bay, I will look back and if I have omitted it in this Narrative, I will tag it to the Journal which I mean to annex to this) The Officers would have nothing at all to say to them, and drove them away. — Ten or 14 of Them would take their Provisions (which is served them once a Week) and instead of going to Work skulk about the Woods, and return by the Time of serving Provisions again. These with many other Misdemeanours committed on their Voyage and since their arrival here, convinced the Governor that if he tried them any longer with a lenient Government, He would be making the Just suffer for the Unjust. Therefore the Day, on which His Commission, and the Laws by which the Colony was to be governed were read: He told them, that he was sorry to find, He could no longer govern them by Lenity. For this Reason, he was determined for the future, every Trespass however trivial, every Violation of the Laws or Orders should be severely punished. Thefts, He assured them, would never more be pardoned, but if detected, they should have every justice done them in in their Trial, and if found Guilty, the Laws should take their Course: To the Industrious He promised every Encouragement, [P.[16]] but those that would not Work and were found Idling in the Woods, their Provisions should be stopped, and they should have corporal Punishment. — It is to be feared, that among such a Number of Delinquents, there are some innately bad and incorrigible, who are deterred from pursuing their vicious Inclinations only from the Fear of Punishment; and who will still be villanous, when they can be so secretly For, notwithstanding all that the Governor said to them, there are daily complaints of petty Larcenies, and other Offences: — Two desperate Villains have been detected in stealing, tried in the Criminal Court, found guilty, condemned, and in order to strike a terror into the Rest, led a few hours after from the Court House to the Place of Execution and hung up, nevertheless, they still are hardened and persist in their Crimes, some, by way of Punishment, have been put on a Rocky Island & kept there a Week or Two on short Commons, and there is no End to Flogging Them — The greater part of The Women Convicts are a shocking abandoned set. The Governor took every Precaution to prevent an indiscriminate Intercourse with Them & the Men, and as he thought Marriage among them might effect the good Purpose he meant, They had his Permission to Marry, and 20 or 30 of Them are already married, but the Misfortune is, one half of them have asked the Governor if the Chaplain cannot Unmarry, in short, they are a vile pack of Baggages continually violating all Laws, and disobedient to all Orders. The Disease, that Scourge of Mankind has made its appearance among them. [P.[17]]"
excerpt from Journal of A First Fleet Surgeon
Journal of A First Fleet Surgeon: Sirius, Sydney Cove, Port Jackson — June 12th 1788
"Now I'll tell you what we have done with the Convicts, how they are disposed of, employed, &c. &c. — The Governor had on the Passage made himself acquainted with the Trade and Occupations of each: Accordingly, when they were landed, the Men that could be spared from the principal Business of clearing the Ground were set at their respective Employments, as occasion required such as the Carpenters, Sawyers, Shingle makers, Stone Cutters, Masons, Brick Makers Black-Smiths, &c. these were divided into Parties, and one of the most promising among the Party, was made an Overseer to the Rest. — The Provost Martial, Constable, and Patroll, (Offices appointed by the Governor) were instructed to keep them within certain Limits; Notwithstanding these Precautions to keep them at their Tasks, they found means to evade this Vigilance, and straggle into the Woods, they even had the Impudence to go over to Botany Bay, (wh. is only 8 or 10 Miles by Land from this Port) and offer their Services as Seamen On Board the French Ships, (by the by, It strikes Me that I have never mentioned the Circumstances of these Ships arriving at Botany Bay, I will look back and if I have omitted it in this Narrative, I will tag it to the Journal which I mean to annex to this) The Officers would have nothing at all to say to them, and drove them away. — Ten or 14 of Them would take their Provisions (which is served them once a Week) and instead of going to Work skulk about the Woods, and return by the Time of serving Provisions again. These with many other Misdemeanours committed on their Voyage and since their arrival here, convinced the Governor that if he tried them any longer with a lenient Government, He would be making the Just suffer for the Unjust. Therefore the Day, on which His Commission, and the Laws by which the Colony was to be governed were read: He told them, that he was sorry to find, He could no longer govern them by Lenity. For this Reason, he was determined for the future, every Trespass however trivial, every Violation of the Laws or Orders should be severely punished. Thefts, He assured them, would never more be pardoned, but if detected, they should have every justice done them in in their Trial, and if found Guilty, the Laws should take their Course: To the Industrious He promised every Encouragement, [P.[16]] but those that would not Work and were found Idling in the Woods, their Provisions should be stopped, and they should have corporal Punishment. — It is to be feared, that among such a Number of Delinquents, there are some innately bad and incorrigible, who are deterred from pursuing their vicious Inclinations only from the Fear of Punishment; and who will still be villanous, when they can be so secretly For, notwithstanding all that the Governor said to them, there are daily complaints of petty Larcenies, and other Offences: — Two desperate Villains have been detected in stealing, tried in the Criminal Court, found guilty, condemned, and in order to strike a terror into the Rest, led a few hours after from the Court House to the Place of Execution and hung up, nevertheless, they still are hardened and persist in their Crimes, some, by way of Punishment, have been put on a Rocky Island & kept there a Week or Two on short Commons, and there is no End to Flogging Them — The greater part of The Women Convicts are a shocking abandoned set. The Governor took every Precaution to prevent an indiscriminate Intercourse with Them & the Men, and as he thought Marriage among them might effect the good Purpose he meant, They had his Permission to Marry, and 20 or 30 of Them are already married, but the Misfortune is, one half of them have asked the Governor if the Chaplain cannot Unmarry, in short, they are a vile pack of Baggages continually violating all Laws, and disobedient to all Orders. The Disease, that Scourge of Mankind has made its appearance among them. [P.[17]]"