h a v e fuffe red v e r y c o n fid e ra b ly b y fa t ig u e , h u n g e r , and th e heat o f
th e w e a th e r . T h e man had lo ft his com p an ion s e ig h t -a n d - fo r ty hou r s
b e fo re h e w a s h im fe lf d ifc o v e r e d ; and n o tid in g s o f th em w e r e re c
e iv ed fo r feveral d a y s , a lth o u g h boats w e r e co n ftan tly fent in to th e
n o r th -w e ft a rm , and th e low e r p a r t o f th e harbour .
T h r e e o f the fe miferab le p eop le w e r e fom e tim e after met b y Tome
officers w h o w e r e o n an e x cu r fio n to th e la g o on b e tw e en th is h a rb ou r
and B r o k en B a y ; b u t , n o tw ith fta n d in g th e ir fitu a tion , th e y , did no t
re a d ily g iv e ih e n ife lv e s tip, an d , w h e n q u e ftio iied , faid th e y w an ted
n o th in g m ore than to liv e free from, labour. T h e fe p eop le w e r e fen t
u p to Parramatta, w h e n c e , regardlefs o f w h a t th e y had exp e r ien c ed ,
and m ig h t a g a in fu ffe r , th e y a fe con d tim e ab fcond ed in a few d ay s
a fte r th e y h ad be en returned . Parties w e r e im m ed ia te ly difp atched
from th a t fftt lem en t, and th ir te en o f th o fe w h o firft" abfconded w e r e
b ro u g h t in , in a ftate o f deplorable w r e tch ed n e ls , n ak ed , and n e a r ly
w o rn ou t w i th h u n g e r . S om e o f th em h ad fubfifted c h ie fly b y fu c k in
g th e f low e r in g ftirubs and w i ld berr ies o f th e w o o d s ; and th e w h o le
e x h ib ite d a picture- o f m ife r y , th a t feemed fu ffic ien t to d e te f others
from th e lik e ex tra v a g an t" fo lly . T h e p ra c tic e o f f ly in g from labou r
in to th e w o o d s -ftill, h ow e v e r , p re v a ilin g , th e g o v e rn o r caufed all th e
con v ifits w h o a r r iv ed th is y e a r to be affembled, and in fo rm ed th em o f
h is de te rmin a tion to p u t a flo p to th e ir ab fco n d in g from th e p lace
w h e re h e h ad ap p oin ted th em to la b ou r , b y fen d in g o u t parties w i th
o rd e rs to fire u p on th em w h e n e v e r th e y ffio u ld be m e t w i t h ; and h e
d eclared th a t i f a n y w e r e b ro u g h t in a liv e , h e w o u ld e ither land th em
o n a p a r t o f th e h a rb ou r w h en c e th e y could no t depart, o r cha in th em
to g e th e r w i th o n ly bread and w a te r fo r th e ir fu b fiften ce , d u r in g th e
rem a in d e r o f th e ir te rms o f tran fp ortation. H e lik ew ife told th em ,
th a t h e had heard th e y w e r e in ten d in g to arm th em fe lv e s and fe ize u p on
th e ftores ( fu ch a d e fign had fo r fom e d a y s b e en r e p o r te d ) ; b u t that
i f th e y made a n y attem p t o f th a t k in d , e v e r y man w h o m ig h t be ta k en
fh o u ld h e in fta n tly p u t to death. H a v in g th u s en d eavoured to imprefs
th em w i th ideas o f ce rtain p u n iffim en t i f th e y offend ed in fu tu re , h e
fo rg a v e fom e offences w h ic h h ad be en repor ted b y th e magiftra te , e x h
o r ted th em to g o ch e e r fu lly to th e ir la bou r , and ch a n g ed th e ir hours
o f w o r k , a g re e a b ly to a req u e ft w h ic h th e y had made.
F ou r
p o u r h u n d red and tw o o f the fe miferable p eop le had re c e iv e d med
ic in e s from th e ho fpital in th e m o rn in g o f the d a y w h e n the g o v e rn o r
h ad th us addreffed th em . T h e p re v a ilin g difeafe w a s a d y fe n te r y ,
w h ic h w a s ac com panied b y a g enera l d eb ility . »
T h e Q u e e n failed e a r ly in th e mon th w i th an o ffice r and a d e ta ch -
m en t o f the N ew S o u th Wa les- corps, fom e c o n v ic t s , ftores and p ro -
v ifio n s , fo r N o r fo lk Ifland. T h e S a lamand er failed at th e fame tim e
o n h e r fifh in g v o y a g e . „ , _ .
F rom h e r in ten d ed tr ial o f th e w h a le - fifh e r y on th e co a ft th e B r i ta
n n ia ar riv ed on th e 10 th , an d w a s fo llow e d th e n e x t d a y b y th e
M a r y A n n . M r . M e lv il l k ille d , in c om p a n y w i th th e W il liam and
A n n th e d a y after h e w e n t o u t, fe v en fp e rm a ce fi w h a le s , tw o o n ly
o f w h ic h th e y w e r e able to fe cure from th e b ad w e a th e r w h ic h im m e d
ia te ly fu c ce ed ed . F rom th e w h a le w h ic h fe ll to th e B r itan n ia ’ s
fhare alth ou gh b u t a fmall o n e , th ir te en barrel's o f o il w e r e p rocu red ;
and in th e o p in io n o f M r . M e lv i l l, th e o il, from its co n ta in in g a
g re a te r p ro p o r tio n o f that v a lu a b le p a r t o f the.fifti called b y th e w h a le rs
th e h ead -m atte r , w a s w o r th ten p oun d s m ore p e r to n than th a t o f th e
filh o f a n y o th e r p art o f the] w o r ld h e had be en in.^ H e th o u g h t th a t
a m oft ad v antageous v o y a g e m ig h t b e made u p on th is co a ft, as h e w a s
co n fid en t upw a rd s o f fifteen th o u fan d w h a le s w e r e feen in th e fir ft ten
d a y s th a t h e w a s ab fen t, th e g rea ter n um b e r o f w h ic h w e r e o b fe rv ed
o f f this h a rb o u r ; and h e w a s p re ven ted f r om fillin g h is ftiip b y bad
w e a th e r alon e , h a v in g m e t w i th o n ly o n e d a y fin ce h e fa iled in w h ic h
h e cou ld low e r d ow n a boat.
T h e fuccefs and rep o r t o f th e m afte r o f th e M a r y A n n w e r e v e r y
d iffe r e n t ; h e h ad b e en as fa r to the fo u thw a rd as th e la titud e o f 4 5°
w i th o u t fe e in g a w h a le ; and in a g a le o f w in d fh ip p ed a fea th a t fto v e
tw o o f h is boats, and w a fh ed d ow n th e veffe ls fo r b o ilin g th e o il, w h ic h
w e r e fix e d in b r ic k -w o r k , and to rep a ir w h ic h h e came in to th is
harb ou r . ' - . .
T h e M a tild a came in a few d a y s afte rw ard s from J e rv is B a y , (m latitu
d e -is” , 6 ' S. and lo n g itu d e 152 ° 0' E .) w h e r e fh e h ad anchored
, fo r fom e d ay s , b e in g -leaky. T h e m afte r o f th is fh ip , M r . M a t th ew
W e a th e rh e ad , faw m an y w h a le s , b u t w a s p re ven ted from k il lin g a n y
b y th e badnefs o f the w e a th e r .
B B 4 T h e