t 1793-
d ou b t ju f t ly , to th e ir no t b e in g p ro p e r ly prepared fo r fu ch a v o y a g e ,
and p r e v io u fly fe d ib r - fom e w e e k s on d r y food.
In h e r pafla ge from the C ap e o f G o o d H o p e to this p o r t, th e B r itannia
m e t w i th m u ch bad w e a th e r , ru n n in g fo r fourte en day s u n d e r
h e r bare poles. T h e p re v a ilin g w in d s w e r e from S . W . to N . W . S h e
came ro u n d V a n D iem an ’ s L a n d in a g a le o f w in d w i th o u t fe e in g it.
T o th e fo u thw a rd o f N ew Z e a lan d M r . R a v en fe ll in w i th th e rocks
fe en b y C ap tain V a n c o u v e r , and named b y h im the Snares. In th e
latitud e o f th em M r . R a v e n differed from C a p ta in V a n c o u v e r o n ly
fo u r m iles; th e ir lo n g itu d e h e made e x a & ly th e fam e . S u ch fim ila r ity
in th e o b fe rv ation s w a s rare and remarkable. H e palfed fom e Blands
,o f ice at th re e and fiv e lea gues d if t a n c e ,in latitudes 5 1 ° and 5 2 ° S . and
lon g itu d e s 232° and 240° Ea ft.
A t th e C ap e M r . R a v e n fo u n d th e P it t, C ap ta in M a n n in g , from
C a lc u t ta ,'to w h om h e d e liv e red h is d ifp a tch e s ; and h e re c e iv ed in fo
rm a tion from th e captains o f th e T r i to n and W a r le y E a ft Ind iameu
o f th e a g ita ted fia te o f E u r o p e ; o f the n a v a l and m ilita ry p repa rations
w h ic h w e r e m ak in g in o u r o w n c o u n t r y ; and o f th e fp ir it o f lo y a lty
and affedtion fo r o u r ju f t ly - r e v e r e d fo v e re ign w h ic h breathed th ro u g h o
u t th e n a tion , a c companied w i th firm and g en e ra l determinations to
m ain tain in v io la te ou r h a p p y con ftitu tion . T h e fe a c cou n ts , w h ile th e y
fe rv ed to e x c ite an ard ent w i fh fo r th e fp e e d y a r r iv al o f a fh ip from
E n g la n d , fe em ed to th r ow th e p ro b a b ility o f o n e at a grea te r diftance,
p a r t icu la r ly as M r . R a v e n cou ld n o t lea rn w i th a n y c e r ta in ty o f a fhip
b e in g p rep a r in g fo r N ew So u th W a le s .
A m o n g o th e r circumftances w h ic h h e m entioned w a s one w h ic h defe
r r e d notice. T h e R o y a l A dm ira l E a ft Ind iaman, C ap tain B o n d , was
ly in g on the 19th o f laft D e c em b e r in th e T ig r is . S h e failed h en ce on
th e 1 3 th o f N o v em b e r , an d , adm ittin g that fh e h ad o n ly ar riv ed on the
d a y o n w h ic h fhe was ftated to a c e r ta in ty to be at an ch o r in th e r iv e r ,
fh e m u ft h a v e p e r formed th e v o y a g e in th ir ty - fe v en day s from this port.
T h i s fh ip , it m a y be rememb ered , made th e pafla ge from th e C ap e o f
G o o d H o p e to this place in fiv e w e e k s and three d a y s ; a ru n that had
n e v e r be fo re been made b y a n y other fh ip com in g to this co u n try .
F rom th e len g th o f tim e w h ic h the B r itan nia had be en abfent, ou r
o b fe rv a tion w a s fo r c ib ly d raw n to th e d iftance w h e re a t w e w e re placed
from
Ju ne.] IN N E W S O U T H W A L E S . * 95
from a n y qua rter w h ic h cou ld fu rn ifh us w i th fu p p lie s ; and a ca lcu lation
o f the len g th o f time w h ic h had been tak en b y o th e r fhips to p ro cure
them confirm ed the n e ce ffity that e x ifte d o f u f in g e v e r y e x e r tio n
th a t m ig h t place the co lo n y in a ftate o f in d ep end ence.
W h e n the Sir ius w en t to th e Cape o f G o o d H o p e 'in 1 7 8 8 , fh e was
abfent feven months and f ix days.
T h e S u p p ly , w h ic h w a s len t fo r p ro v ifio n s in 1 7 8 9 , retu rn ed h e r -
fe l f in f ix months and tw o . d a y s ; b u t th e fup plies w h ic h h ad b e en
p urcha fed fo r th e c o lo n y w e r e tw o mon th s lo n g e r in re a ch in g it.
T h e A tla n tic failed h en ce fo r Ca lcu tta o n th e 2 6 th o f O d tob e r 1 7 9 1 ,
to u ch in g at N o r fo lk Iftand, from w h ic h p lace fhe to o k h e r departure o n
th e 1 3 th o f N o v em b e r ; an d , ca lcu la tin g he r pafla ge from th a t tim e , fhe
w i ll be fo u n d to h a v e be en fe v en m on th s and on e w e e k in p ro cu r in g
th e fupplies fo r w h ic h fhe w a s fen t out.
T h e B r itan nia to o w a s e ig h t months abfent. F rom all this it w a s to
b e in fe r red , that there fh o u ld n o t o n ly b e a lw a y s p ro v ifio n s in the ftores
fo r tw e lv e mon th s b e fo r e h a n d ; bu t th a t, to g u a rd ag ain ft ac cid ents,
w h en e v e r the p rov ifio n s in the c o lo n y w e re reduced to th a t q u a n tity
and no more, th en w o u ld be th e time to difpatch a fh ip fo r fup plies.
T h e d ifficu lty o f in trod u c in g cattle in to the c o lo n y had been rendered
e v id en t b y the m ifca rria ge o f th e d ifferent attempts made b y th is and
other fhips. In this p a r ticular w e h ad ind eed b e en A n g u la r ly u n fo r tu nate
; fo r w e h ad no t o n ly lo ft th e grea teft p art o f w h a t had been p u r chafed
and embarked fo r the c o lo n y , as w i l l appear b y the fo llow in g
fta tem e n t; b u t w.e had at th e b e g in n in g , as, w i ll be rememb ered , lo ft
th e few that did fu rv iv e th e p aflage. O f the fe I t n e v e r w a s k n ow n
w i th a n y c e r ta in ty w h a t h ad been th e fate. S om e o f th e natives w h o
refided am o n g us d id , in o b fe rv in g fom e th a t h ad b e en lan d ed , d eclare
that th e y h ad feen th em d e ftroy ed b y th e ir ow n p eop le ; and e v en
offered to lead a n y one to th e place w h e r e fom e o f th e ir bones m ig h t
be fo u n d ; b u t, from th e d iftance o f the fu p p o fed fp o t, and o u r more
im po rtan t concerns, this h ad n e v e r been fo u g h t after. I t was v e r y p ro bable
that th e y h ad be en fo d e f t r o y e d ; i f n o t, and th a t th e y had met
w i th no o th e r ac cid ent, th e ir increafe at th is tim e m u ll h a v e been v e r y
confiderable.
A c c o u n t