m o ft d angerous e v e r p e r formed b y a n y n a v ig a to r , ab ou n d in g in e v e r y
d ire c tion w ith iflands, breakers, and flioa ls, th ro u gh w h ic h th e y p u r -
fu ed th e ir cou rfe w ith the utmo'ft d ifficu lty . In one d a y , on an chorin
g to a v o id danger , the P ro v id en ce b roke tw o o f h e r anchors.; and as
th e eaftern m on fo on w a s b low in g , (the month o f Sep tember 1 7 9 2 ,)
and the paffage w h ic h th e y w e r e e x p lo r in g w a s e x tr em e ly n a r row , it
b ecame impoffible to beat back. F rom fome o f th e iflan d s ,! e ig h t canoes
fo rm ed the d a r in g attem p t o f atta ck in g th e armed te n d e r ,'a n d
w i th th e ir ar row s k ille d on e and w o u n d ed tw o o f th e feamen. Some
o f the fe canoes w e re f ix t y o r fe v e n ty feet' lo n g , and in one o f them
tw e n ty - tw o perfons w e r e counted.
T h is ac count e x c ited m a n y ap p rehenfions fo r M r . B am p ton ’ s fa fe ty .
O n ta k in g his lea ve o f L ie u ten an t -g o v e rn o r K in g , he affured h im th a t
h e ho p ed to fee N o r fo lk Ifland ag ain in N o v em b e r , e x p e c t in g to be
he re e a r ly in the mon th o f O c to b e r . I t w a s k n ow n that he had on
board fom e articles o f m e rchandize w h ic h d ie meant to d ifpofe o f at
B a ta v ia ; but b y accounts re c e iv ed at Ca lcu tta from that place a v e r y
Ihort time be fo re th e A r th u r failed , h e had n o t to u ched at that port.
I t w a s th e re fo re m ore than p rob able , that b o th the Sh ah H o rm u z e a r
and C h e fte r fie ld had been w re ck e d on fom e o f the fhoals w i th w h ic h
th e ftrait ab ound ed , and th a t th e ir officers and p e o p le , ta k in g to th e ir
lo n g -b o a ts , h ad fa llen facrifices to th e nativ es w h o h ad attack ed th e
A ffifta n c e , b y w h o fe g u n s m an y h ad been w o u n d ed in th e ir attem p t
to c a r r y that veffel.'
To_ th e d ifapp ointm ent w h ic h th e c o lo n y fuftained f r am th e failure
o f th e c o n t r a il alre ad y mentioned fo r cattle and p ro v ifio n s w h ic h w e r e
to h a v e been b ro u g h t h ith e r b y M r . B am p ton , w a s added the re g re t
w h ic h e v e r y th in k in g b e in g am o n g us fe lt on co n tem p la tin g th e c a l a mitous
moments that h ad , in all p ro b a b ility , b ro u gh t deftrudtion on fo
m an y o f ou r fe llow -cre a ture s .
M r . B a rb e r alfo in fo rm ed us, that C ap ta in P a tr ick fo n , w h o w a s h e re
in th e P hilad e lp hia b r ig in O c to b e r 1 7 9 2 , h ad purcha fed o r h ired a
la rg e ffiip , on board o f w h ic h h e had a c tu a lly p u t a q u an tity o f p ro v
ifio n s and other articles, w ith w h ic h h e d e fign ed to re tu rn to th is
c o u n t r y ; bu t u n d e r fom e ap p reh enfion th a t his ca rgo m ig h t p o ffib ly
no t
n o t be p u rch a fed, h e g a v e u p th e in ten tion , and w h e n th e A r th u r
failed w a s le ft p ro c e ed in g to E u rop e under Imp eria l colours.
T h e G o v e rnm e n t o f B en g a l to o had ad v e rtifed fo r terms to fre ig h t
a v e fle l fo j y h i s c o u n t r y w i th cattle and p r o v if io n s ; b u t w e r e d iv e rted
from th e d efign b y the equipment o f th e armaments w h ic h it w a s n e-
c e ffa ry to enter into at that time.
T h u s had the in fant c o lo n y o f N ew S o u th W a le s ftill been do om ed
to be th e fp ort o f co n tin g en c y , the ja r r in g interefts o f men co -o p e ra ting
w i th the dangers o f th e fea to th r ow obftacles in the w a y o f th a t lo n g -
defired ind ep end ence w h ic h w o u ld fre e th e m o th e r c o u n t r y from a
h e a v y e x p e lle e , and w o u ld d e liv e r th e coionifts from the conftant app
reh en fion u n d e r w h ic h th e y lab oured , o f b e in g one d a y le ft to fe ek
th e ir fubfiften ce am o n g th e w o o d s o f th e c o u n t r y , o r a lon g the ffiores
o f its coa ft * .
T h e rep o r t o f th e probable lofs o f the A dm ira l B a r r in g to n tranfp ort,
w h ic h w a s re c e iv ed he re in F e b ru a ry 1 7 9 3 , w a s n o w confirmed. It
ap p eared , that after fa ilin g from B a ta v ia flie rea ched fo near h e r p or t
as to be in fig h t o f th e ffiip p in g at B om b a y , b u t w a s d riv en o f f th e
co a ft b y a ga le o f w in d , in w h ic h ffie w a s fo rced on fhore on o n e o f
th e M a lo u in e Iflands, w h e re fhe w a s w r e ck e d , and h e r c r ew (the
m afte r, c h ie f mate, and fu rg e o n ex cep ted ) w e r e murd ered b y th e
n atives. T h e fe p eop le fa v ed th em fe lv e s b y fw im m in g to an E a ft-In d ia
c o u n t r y Ihip w h ic h w a s r id in g at an ch o r near the ifland.
T h e fig h t o f tw o veffe ls at an ch or in th e co v e laden w i th p ro v ifio n s
g a v e at this time g rea ter fatisfadtion than had been k n ow n o n a n y
o th e r a r r iv a l ; fo r n e v e r be fo re had the c o lo n y v e rg ed fo n ear to th e
p o in t o f b e in g w ith o u t a p ou n d o f fait p rov ifion s . O n M o n d a y the
I o th , (the iffu in g -d a y to th e c iv il and m ilita ry ,) w h en all w e r e ferv ed
th e ir p ro v ifio n s , there remained o n ly e igh te en h und red and thre e
p oun d s o f fait meat in f to r e ; and e v en this q u a n tity h ad been fav ed b y
* It had been propofed, on the account reaching Bengal of the lofs of his Mnjelty’s
Ihip Guardian, to raife by fubfcription a fum fufficient to purchafe and freight a (hip
with provifions to this country; but, from fome accident or other, this benevolent pur-
pofe was never put in execution.
iffu in g