"The Adventures of Ralph Rashleigh" is a valuable record of an exciting aspect of colonization. It also records the system of penal transportation which had been in operation at the time the protagonist was sent to Australia to work. This book records the life of a criminal who was convicted at the London Sessions for the crime of burglary. Ralph Rashleigh, had the advantage of a decent upbringing, but, out of weakness of character, adopted what seemed the easier life of crime at an early age. The book recounts his life, crimes, and imprisonment.