THE BRIG 'HARRINGTON' SEIZED BY CONVICTS

The Sydney Gazette 22 May 1808

On Monday morning last this vessel was missed from her anchorage in Farm cove, which was directly in view of captain Campbell's house there. Between 8 and 9 the captain reported the extraordinary circumstance to His Honor the Lieutenant Governor, who issued immediate orders for a search to be made to discover whether any of the Government gangs were absent; the result of which was, that one Robert Stewart, and several others had not joined their work that morning. Upon further enquiry it next appeared, that a vessel had been seen at day light from South Head, standing off, from which joint circumstances, no further doubt was to be entertained of her having been taken away by a body of desperadoes. A small vessel called the Halcyon, was manned about 9 o'clock and with 10 privates of the NSW Corps commanded by serjeant Windsor, was towed out to pursue the delinquents, accompanied by a fleet of boats fills with other parties of the military and a number of officers and inhabitants who volunteered on the occasion: But so dead was the calm that prevailed within the heads that it was dark before the Halcyon could make any kind of progress, and the small boats were obliged to put back; the Harrington being then out of sight for many hours. Between 3 and 4 in the afternoon Mr. Fisk, chief officer of the vessel, arrived with the hands in two boats who jointly report, that about 10 on Sunday night, while the vessel was riding at two anchors, the ships' company in bed within the steerage, Mr. Fisk was suddenly awakened in his cabin by two men at his bed side, one of whom held a pistol to his head, and commanded him to be silent, on pain of instant death; that others had proceeded in the same manner to the steerage; unshipped the ladder, and menaced also with immediate death the first that should offer to make any alarm; that the villains appeared to be very numerous, and frequently struck the deck with he butt ends of firelocks, that they had cut away both anchors, and towed the vessel out; and that about 7 in the morning, when upwards of 20 miles at sea, they had ordered Mr. Fisk and the crew to go on deck, one by one, in which order they were put into two boats and sent away from the vessel; and that after being 8 hours on the water they reached the shore. Stewart seemed to be the leader in the desperate affair, and the people suppose their number to exceed 30. Captain Campbell, who was owner as well as commander, intended to sail for the Fejees during the present week, and had provided all necessaries for the voyage.

Aberdeen Journal 4 October 1809

Calcutta March 24 1809

On Friday last, a young man of the name of Robert Bruce Keith Stuart, a convict from New South Wales, ws brought on shore from the Phaeton frigate, and lodged in gaol, by an order from Government - It appears that he had been convicted of an offence in England, for which he was transported to New South Wales; from whence, in concert with several other convicts, he carried off, in May last, the brig Harrington, and made the best of his way for Manilla. On the passage thither, when off the coast of Luconia, the Dedaigneuse frigate fell in with the brig Harrington, and sent a party of seamen on board to take possession; and transhipping the party above named to the frigate, brought him to Prince of Wales' Island, where he was transferred to the Phaeton, in which frigate he has been brought to this port. On being received on board the Dedaigneuse, her Commander, Capt. Dawson, affected by the gentlemanlike appearance of his prisoner, allowed him every reasonable indulgence, and forbore to place him under personal restraint; but having made an attempt to escape, in which he had nearly succeeded, Capt. Dawson judged it necessary to place him in close confinement. We understand that this unfortunate youth ws  once a Lieutenant in the navy, that he had the benefit of a liberal education, and is respectably connected The Harrington after being boarded by the seamen from the Dedaigneuse, ran aground and was lost on the coast of Luconia, when all the convicts on board effected their escape".