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ON TUESDAY, the 15th ultimo, Fifteen Labouring Men fled from the Agricultural Settlement at Castle Hill, after having committed many acts of violence and atrocity. They at first forcibly entered the dwelling-house of M. Declamb, which they ransacked, and stripped of many articles of plate, wearing apparel, some fire and sidearms, provisions, spirituous and vinous liquors, a quality of which they drank or wasted in the house. They next proceeded to the farm houses of Bradley and Bean, at Balkham Hills. Mrs Bradley's servant man they wantonly and inhumanly discharged a pistol at, the contents of which have so shattered his face as to render him a ghastly spectacle, in all probability, during the remainder of his life, In Mrs Bean's house they gave aloose to sensuality, equally brutal and unmanly. Resistance was of no avail, for their rapacity was unbridled. Numerous ravages, however, could not long escape the certain tread of Justice.
Two of the depredators were taken into custody upon the second day after their flight near the Hawkesbury road, by Mr Jamieson, junior, assisted by A. Thomson. Chief Constable at Hawkesbury, and a party of the Military, who had been dispatched in pursuit of them. Upon these men were found several articles of property that had been taken from the dwelling-house of Mr Declamb; as were also two musquets. On the day following they underwent an Examination before a Magistrate, by whom they were fully committed, and sent to Sydney under an escort.
On the 23rd ultimo, Eleven more of the desperadoes were secured, by a party of the Military and Constables, between Hawkesbury and the Mountains. Information had been given of their haunt by a body of natives, shortly after they had broke into the house of a settler, where they had stopped to grind a quantity of wheat at a steel mill, having previously secured the family, and afterwards stripped the house of all such provisions as they could conveniently carry off, together with two stands of arms. They were also taken before a Magistrate, fully committed, and brought to Sydney under a sufficient guard.  
Justice to the Prisoners at large in the Colony requires that we should here observe, that this banditti is entirely composed of Irish prisoners, brought by the Hercules and Atlas.