Transcript

(Page 1) New South Wales 1804 10th March

Sir,

I hope you will not be offended at this intrusion, but from the state of things in this Colony I am induced to trouble you with this letter giving an account of the wretched state of my Country and a most alarming Disturbance which happened on Sunday Night the 4th of March 1804 when between one and two Hundred Convicts rushed out from government settlement at Castle Hill, which indeed had nothing to guard it but a few Convict Constables the most of whom found them having seized the Muskets there — the whole Body came Armed upon the poor Settlers plundered them of what guns and ammunition they had, threatened their Lives if they made the least resistance. I had three Muskets placed to my Breast and myself and Wife narrowly escaped being shot, overpowered thus by numbers we were obliged to submit to their Mercy, in this manner they continued to Storm and plunder the Settlers till having possessed themselves of a Hundred and Eighty guns, swords and Pistols, they determined to take Parramatta which was guarded by fifty Soldiers these they thought to overpower and get their Arms — four Hundred of them had by this time got together and they expected in a little time to be fifteen Hundred strong — but here either from want of courage and a Body of them not joining in time they delayed their attack on Parramatta and retreated to Toongabbie Hill, they were led by two Irish men who had been soldiers there and others of a like description were very Busy drilling them and putting them in a Military Posture, in the mean time a Company of Soldiers was marched up from Sydney even there they thought themselves strong enough to engage but when the Soldiers approached them they Retreated towards the Hawkesbury where they expected numbers to join them in their Retreat they were overtaken by a Party of Soldiers under the Command of Major Johnson

(Page 2) he Rode up to them and endeavoured to bring back to a sense of their duty but in vain their cry was Death or Liberty and a ship to take them home — however the Major by a successful manoeuvre cut off their two Leaders and the Soldiers began to fire upon them they made but little Resistance — seventeen were killed they began to fly in all directions till the Night which was exceeding dark put an end to the pursuit —

nothing can equal the Horror and consternation of the Country, the Women and Children running from Farm to Farm but could find no place of safety, for three days we continued in this most wretched state of suspense knowing we were surrounded by numbers of armed Ruffians — the fellows held at Port Surrender all the Papers &c to Parramatta — many of them are now in the Woods and being Armed the Settlers will be constantly exposed to them, plunder they must for subsistence. Dreadful indeed must be the State of a country when such Villains as those are let loose upon it — every insult, every injury and every Crime is to be expected from them that can be perpetrated by men so desperate, hardened and depraved — indeed so many are the Crimes that have been committed by them for the last twelve months that the bare recital is shocking to Human Nature, Rapes, Murders, Robberies, Settlers Wives have been Rushed in upon by seven or eight men knocked down, treated in the most cruel manner and Ravished in sight of their Family, no person in the Colony is secure either in Life or Property except the Officers Civil and Military — such is the State of things at present and has been for a twelvemonth past — about a twelvemonth since twelve men left the above Settlement threatening the whole Country. Not a Farm at a small distance from my Farm, at another Farm two of the scoundrels broke in to the House seized the Women and Ravished a young Woman in sight of her Mother — since that this worst of all Crimes to Society has several times been committed upon the defenceless and unprotected Settlers

(Page 3) indeed the very Name of Settler is a term of derision — a fault there must be somewhere or these things would not happen where it originates I shall not presume to say but surely it cannot be said that the country is in safety while the most abandoned it is well known have permission to range the Country at large and while so large a Body of them that were kept to labour at a government Settlement had no other guard over them but a few Convict Constables and Overseers and what Confidence is to be placed in them the event has shown, and it must be confessed that the Overseers are the people most caressed in the Colony they live in general much better than the Settlers fill nearly all the Places of trust in the Colony below Commissioned Officers to which they are always preferred before a Gentleman — when such is the State of this Country what prospect is there for a Settler and his Family, his Business he cannot properly attend for he never lays Down but in the fear of being Broken in upon before morning — should he by successful industry get forward his very property exposes him — surrounded by all these Evils no Prospect for my Wife and [family] but penury and Want — worth fivepence depressed and Broken — with these Ideas I have no resource Sir but in your goodness and to implore your advice what course to pursue — I have some times thought if I could have procured a Passage home I would have Returned to England with my Family but a step of this kind had it been in my Power I should not have taken till I had first made you Sir who have been somewhat my [patron] and acquainted with my Situation and asking your advice — I hope I shall not give you offence by this Intrusion and allow me to subscribe myself

Sir your most Humble Obedient Servant Geo. Suttor

P.S. By Capt Flinders I transmitted for favour of Colonel Paterson a letter and an account of the Plants &c in the Colony which I hope you have Received.

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The Right Honourable Sir Jos. Banks Bart