•would be re fe rv o ir s fo r th e w a te r la rg e en o u gh to fu p p ly th e fettlement
fo r fem e time .
D e c em b e r .] O n th e 3d o f th is m on th th e Ihips A lb em a r le and*
A £ t iv e failed fo r In d ia . A f t e r th e ir - departure feve.ral p eop le w e r e
m iffin g from th e fe t t lem e n t ; fome w h o fe fentences o f tranfportation
h ad e x p ire d , and others w h o w e r e y e t con v id ts . P re v io u s to th e ir
fa ilin g (it h a v in g been repor ted th a t th e feam en in ten d ed to conceal
fu ch as h ad made in te re ft am o n g th em to g e t o f f ] th e g o v e rn o r in -
ftru fte d th e matter to d e liv e r a n y perfons w h om h e m ig h t difqoyer to
b e o n board w i th o u t p e rmiffion to q u it th e c o lo n y , as prifoners to th e
com m an d in g officer o f th e firft B r itiffi fe ttlem en t th e y Ihould to u c h at
in In d ia . A b o u t th is tim e a b oat b e lo n g in g to M r . W h ite w a s tak en
from its -m o o r in g ; -and it w a s fo r a tim e fup po fed th a t Ihe had been
ta k en o f f b y fom e ru n aw a y s to .get.on board one .o f th e Ihips then about
to fa il, and afterwards Let a d r i f t ; b u t Ihe w a s fo u n d b y fom e gen tle m
en o f t h e G o r g o n th e d a y after -their d epa r tu re , be tw e en th is h a rb ou r
an d B r o k en B a y , w i th tw o m e n in h e r , w h o on th e ap p e a ra n c e .o f th e
p a r t y w h ic h fo u n d h e r ran in to th e w o o d s . T h e g en tlem en Left h e r
w i th a p la n k k n o ck e d o u t, an oar and th e rud d e r b ro k en , and o th e r -
w i fe rend ered ufelefs to th e p eop le w h o ran aw a y w i th he r . T h e y
a lfo fe ll in w i th a c o n v ic t , an I r ilhm an , w h o h ad be en abfent fiv e
w e e k s from P a r ram a tta , and w h o h ad fe t o f f w i th fom e others to p ro ce
ed a lon g th e co a ft in fearch o f an o th e r fettlement. T h e bo a t w a s
b ro u g h t u p a few d a y s a fte rw a rd s .
T w o o f th e w h a le r s , th e M a t ild a and M a r y A n n , came in - from fea
th e d a y o n w h ic h th e o th e r Ihips failed. T h e fo rm e r land ed a boat in
a b a y o n th e co a ft ab out f ix miles to th e fo u thw a rd o f P o r t Stephens ,
w h e r e th e fe in e w a s h auled and a la rge q u a n tity o f filh t a k e n ; b u t o f
th e f ilh w h ic h th e y w e n t to procure (wh a le s ) th e y faw n one .
T h e M a r y A n n w a s rather m ore fo rtun a te . B y g o in g to th e fo u th w
a rd , Ih e 'k ille d n in e f i lh ; o f fiv e o f th em Ihe fecured en o u g h to p ro cu
r e ab ou t th ir ty barrels o f o i l ; b u t w a s p re ven ted b y bad w e a th e r
from g e t t in g more. T h e fe ih ip s failed ag a in im m ed ia te ly , and b o th
ran d ow n th e coaft as fa r to th e fo u thw a rd as 36° 30 ', and re turn ed
o n th e 16 th -w ith ou t k il lin g a filh . T h e matters attributed th e ir bad
fu c ce fs to c u r r e n t s ; a n d , g iv in g up. all ho pe s o f a fiih e ry h e re , th e y determ
in ed ,
m in ed , after refitting) to q u it th e coa ft. T h e Salamander and B r ita n n ia
w h a le rs came in at-the fame tim e , and w i th lik e ill fo r tu n e . _ M e lv i l l
th e m afte r o f th e B r itan n ia , w h o had been fo rm e r ly fo fan g u in e in h is
h o p e s o f a f iih e r y , feemed n ow to h a v e adopted a different o p in io n , and
h in ted to fom e in th e c o lo n y , th a t he did n o t th in k h e Ihould t r y th e
co a ft a n y lon g e r . I t m u tt be remarked h ow e v e r , th a t th e w h a le rs
w e r e not o u t o f p o r t at a n y one tim e lo n g en o u g h to enable th em to
fp e ak w i th a n y grea t d egree o f p re c ifion e ith e r fo r o r a g am ft th e
p ro b a b ility o f fuccefs. T h e y feemed m ore de firous o f o b ta in in g a
k n ow le d g e o f th e h a rb ou r s on th e c o a f t : th e W il liam and A n n h ad
b e en fe e n in B r o k en B a y ; others h ad v ifited B o ta n y B a y and Je rv is
B a y ; th e S a lamand er h ad rem ained lo n g en o u g h in P o r t Stephens (an
h a rb ou r to th e n o r thw a rd , un til th en n o t v ifite d b y a n y one) to ta k e
a n e y e - Ik e tch o f th e harb ou r and o f fom e o f its branches o r a rm s ; and
P o r t J a ck fon w a s 'fo u n d to h a v e its con v en ien ce s . A f te r a w e ll-m an n ed
an d w e ll- fo u n d w h a le r Ihould h a v e k ep t th e fea fo r an entire fea fon , th e
fu c ce fs m ig h t.b e d etermined.
T h e Q u e en tran fp or t h a v in g re turn ed from N o r fo lk I llan d , w i th th e
lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r and th e officers and foldiers o f the m arin e co rp s ,
w h o w e re to ta k e th e ir paffage to E n g lan d in th e G o r g o n , th e g rea te ft
p art o f th e marine' d eta chment embarked on board o f th a t Ihip o n th e
13 th . T h o fe w h o did n o t em b ark w e r e le ft fo r th e d u ty Of the p lace
u n til th e rem ain d e r ó f the N ew S o u th W a le s corps Ihould ar rive.
B y the Q u e e n fe v e ra l c o n v iö s w h o fe fentences ó f tranfp ortation h ad
e x p ired w e re a llow ed to re turn to this fettlem ent, p u r fu an t to a p ro -
m ife made th em on th e ir g o in g th ith e r ; and w e w e r e in fo rm ed , th a t
th e A tla n tic fa i le d from 1 "Norfolk I lla n d fo r Calcutta" on th e 1 3 th o f th e
la ft month. B o th Ihips landed fa fe ly e v e r y ar ticle th e y had on b oard fo r
th e c o lo n y , 'b e in g fa v o u re d b y v e r y fine w e a th e r w h ile fo em p lo y e d .
L ieu ten an t-g o v e rn o r K in g , on ta k in g u p on h im th e g o v e rnm en t o f th e
illan d , pard oned all offenders w h om h e fo u n d in 'c u fto d y .
G o v e rn o r P h illip h a v in g n o ’ fu r th e r o c c a fio n fo r th e fe rv ice s o f th e
G o r g o n , that Ihip failed fo r E n g lan d on S u n d a y th e 18 th. T w o con -
v i f t s h ad th e fo lly to attemp t m ak in g th e ir efcape from th e c o lo n y in
th is Ih ip , b u t th e y w e r e d ê tè fte d and b ro u g h t ba ck. A w om a n w a s
alfo fup po fed to h a v e e f fe a e d h e r efcape ; b u t Ihe w a s fo u n d d ifgu ifed