■ who w e r e to o id le to la b ou r , and w h o muft be co n ftan tly w h ifp e r in g
th e ir ow n difcontents am o n g th e o th e r c o n v id s .
O n th e 24th o f this m on th w e had th e fatisfac tion o f fe e in g the
In d ifpen fab le , a fto re lhip , an ch o r in the co v e from E n g lan d , w i th a
ca rgo c o n fid in g p r in c ip a lly o f p ro v ifio n s fo r the c o lo n y . W e u n d e r -
fto od th a t file w a s th e firft o f f ix o r fe v en {hips w h ic h w e r e all to b ring
o u t {tores and p ro v ifio n s , and w h ic h , i f n o ac cid ent h ap pen ed in the
p a ffa g e , m ig h t be e x p e c ted to ar r iv e in th e cou rfe o f tw o months.
T h e fu p p ly o f c lo th in g and p ro v ifio n s in ten d ed to be co n v e y e d b y
th em , to g e th e r w i th w h a t h ad be en re c e ived b y th e W il liam , w a s
ca lcu la ted fo r th e co n fum p tio n o f a tw e lv em o n th . T h e q u a n tity
w h ic h n o w ar r iv ed in th e In d ifpen fable fo rm ed a fu p p ly o f flou r fo r
tw e lv e w e e k s , b e e f fo r fo u r d itto , p o rk fo r fo u r d itto , and o f peafe
fo r fou r te en ditto. S h e failed from Sp ith ead the 26 th o f laft D e cem b e r ,
to u ch e d at T en e r iffe and at th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e , from w h ic h
p la c e {he failed on the 30 th o f M a r ch la ft, and made th e S o u th C ap e
o f this c o u n t r y th e 1 7 th o f this m on th . B e tw e en th e C ap e o f G o o d
H o p e and th is p o r t , th e mafter ftated th a t h e fo u n d th e w e a th e r in
g en e ra l v e r y ro u g h , and th e p re v a ilin g w in d s to h a v e b low n from
W . N . W . to S . W .
A t th e C ape o f G o o d H o p e M r . W ilk in fo n met w i th th e C h e fte r -
fie ld , w h ic h failed h en ce in A p r il 1 7 9 3 w i th th e S h ah H o rm u z e a r ; and
on e o f h e r p eo p le , w h o h ad be en fo rm e r ly a c o n v id in this c o u n t r y ,
w i lh in g to return to it , w e n o w c o l le d e d from h im fom e in fo rm a tion
r e fp e d in g M r . B am p ton ’ s v o y a g e . H e to ld u s , th a t th e tw o {hips
w e r e f ix mon th s in th e ir paffage h en ce to T im o r , o w in g to th e difficu
lty w h ic h th e y m e t w i th in th e n av ig a tio n o f th e ftraits b e tw e en
N e w H o lla n d and N ew G u in e a . O n o n e o f th e ifland s in the fe ftraits
th e y lo ft a bo at, w h ic h h ad been fen t on ffiore to trade w i th the n a -
tjjtes. Id th is boat w e n t , n e v e r to re tu rn , (a c co rd in g to this p e r fon ’s
ac co u n t,) C ap tain H i l l ; M r . C a r te r , a fr ien d o f M r . B am p ton ’ s ;
------- S h aw , th e firft mate o f th e C h e fte r fie ld ; ---------A fc o t t , w h o had
h e e n a c o n v id h e re , and w h o h ad d iftin gu iffied h im fe lf at th e tim e
th e S ir iu s w a s lo f t ; an d tw o o r thre e bla ck p eo p le b e lo n g in g to th e
S h a h H o r tn u z e a r . I t w a s co n je c tu red th a t th e y w e r e , im m e d ia te ly
after
a fte r la n d in g , m urd e red b y th e n atives, as th e p eop le o f a bo a t th a t
w a s fen t fom e h o u rs after to lo o k fo r th em fo u n d o n ly th e clo th e s
w h ic h th e y had on w h en th e y le ft the Ihip, and a lantern and tind er -
b o x w h ic h th e y had taken w i th th em ; th e clo th e s w e re to rn in to
rags. A t a fire th e y fo u n d three h a n d s ; b u t th e y w e r e fo bla ck and
disfigured b y b e in g b u rn t, that the p eo p le cou ld no t afcertain w h e th e r
th e y had b e lon g ed to b lack o r w h ite men. I f th e ac co u n t o f th is man
m ig h t be cred ited , th e end o f the fe un fo r tu n a te gen tlem en and th e ir
com pan ion s m u ft h a v e b e en t r u ly h o r r id and deplorable ; it w a s h o w e
v e r ce rtain th a t th e {hips failed from th e ifland w ith o u t th em , and
th e ir fate w a s le ft in u n c e r ta in ty , th o u g h e v e r y pcrffible effo rt to d if-
co v e r th em w a s made b y M r . B am p ton .
A t T im o r M r . B am p to n to o k in a v e r y v alu a ble fr e ig h t o f fandal
w o o d , w i th w h ic h h e p roceed ed to B a t a v ia ; and w h e n th e C h e fte r field
parted c om p a n y , h e h o p ed fo on to re turn to this co u n try .
In con fequ en ce o f th e fup plies re c e ived b y th e In d ifp en fa b le , th e
fu ll ra tion o f f lo u r w a s d irec ted to be iffued, and th e co n rm iffa ry w a s
ordered no t to re c e iv e fo r th e p refent a n y m ore In d ian co rn th a t m ig h t
b e b ro u g h t to th e p u b lic ftores fo r fale. T h e fo llow in g w e e k ly ra tion
w a s eftabliflied un til fu r th e r orders, and com m enc ed o n th e 2 7 th :
F lo u r e ig h t p o u n d s ; b e e f fe v en p ou n d s , o r p o r k fo u r p o u n d s ;
In d ian co rn three p ints, in lieu o f peafe.
T h e w h o le q u a n tity o f In d ian co rn p u rch a fed b y th e com m ifla ry on
a c co u n t o f G o v e rnm e n t from fettlers and others am o u n ted to f ix
th o u fan d one hun d red and f ix ty - th r e e buffiels and a q u a rte r, w h ic h ,
ta k en at fiv e {hillings p e r buftiel, came to th e fum o f 1 5 4 0 1 . 16 s. 3 d.
T o w a r d th e la tte r end o f th is m o n th , W ilk in fo n , th e m illw r ig h t ,
w a s d row n e d in a p on d in th e n e ig h b o u rh o od o f th e H aw k e f tm r y
R iv e r . H e h ad been the re on a S u n d a y w i th fom e o f th e fettlers to
{hoot d u ck s , and g e t tin g en tan gled w i th th e w e ed s in th e p on d w a s
d row n ed , th o u g h a g o o d fw im m e r ; th u s u n t im e ly p e r ifliin g b e fo re
h e could reap a n y rew ard from h is in d u ftr y an d abilities.
S e v e ra l p eop le ftill con tin u ed to com p la in o f fo re e y e s , b u t the d if-
ord e r w a s difapp earing faft.
J u n e .] T h e fign a l fo r a fail w a s mad e in th e m o rn in g o f th e firft o f
J u n e , and w a s c o n je d u r e d to b e fo r o n e o f th e {hips e x p e d e d to
a r r iv e from E n g la n d ; b u t in a few h ours w o rd w a s b ro u g h t th a t th e
3 B 2 B r itan nia