C '794-
B r itan n ia w a s fafe w i th in th e harbour . T h is a r r iv al g a v e general
fa t is fa ft io n , as m a n y doubts ab ou t he r return had been created b y
Lome accounts w h ic h th e mafter o f the Ind ifpenfable had heard at the
C ap e o f G o o d H o p e , o f the B a y o f B en g a l b e in g fu ll o f F ren ch p r ivateers.
■ O n M r . R a v e n ’ s ar riv al at th e fettlem ent, w e learned that h e had
be en fo rced to g o to B a ta v ia inftead o f B en g a l, h a v in g been attacked
in th e Straits o f M a la c c a b y a fleet o f piratical Proas', w h ic h en gag ed
h im jfor f ix h o u r s , and ' from w h om h e m ig h t h a v e fo u n d fom e diffic
u lty to e fcap e, h ad h e no t fo r tu n a te ly k illed th e cap tain o f th e one
w h ic h w a s neareft to th e B r itan n ia w h en in the a£t o f m a k in g prepara
tions fo r b o a rd ing h im . -A t B a ta v ia h e w a s in fo rm ed that his pafi;
fag e to B en g a l w a s v e r y p reca rious, from th e n um b e r o f F ren ch p r ivatee
rs w h ic h in fe fted th e b a y , as w e ll as th e w e f t co a ft o f Suma tra ,
fe v e ra l v efiels h a v in g ar r iv ed at B a ta v ia w h ic h had been chafed b y
th em . - M r . R a v e n , th e re fo re , determined to load th e B r itan n ia at
B a ta v ia , an d , after fom e n e c e fia ry ar rangements w i th th e g o v e rn o r -
g en e ra l and co u n c il, p u rch a fed the fo llow in g c a rg o at the an n e x ed
p rice s fo r th e fettlements in N ew S o u th W a le s v iz .
Rix-dollars. Stivers,
2 50 C a lk s o f b e e f - 1 1 1 ,2 6 4 4 lbs. at 9 f t iv e r s * 20 ,8 62 2
2 50 C a lk s o f p o rk - 8 3,86 51. lbs. at d itto - 1 5 ,7 2 4 3 7
50 0 P e c o ls j' o f fu g a r , at 7 r ix -d o lla rs 2 7 ftive rs p e r
P e col. - - - - 3 7 8 1 12
3 5 G o y an g s J o f r ic e , at 5 5 r ix -d o lla rs p e r C o y a n g 19 2 5 o
T o the fe m u ll b e added fo r e x tra boat-hire. H ir e o f
tw e n ty b la ck p e o p la fo r tw e n ty d a y s , and com m iflio n
on th e p urcha fe at 2 f p e r cent. - - - 14 9 3 o
R ix -d o lla r s - 4 2 ,7 8 6 3
T h e bills d raw n on th e tr e a fu ry fo r th is ca rgo bea rin g a
p rem ium o f 16 p e r cent., there w a s d educted from
th e w h o le - \ . - - - 6040 o
W h ic h red uced th e total am o u n t to r ix -d o lla rs - 3 7 ,7 4 6 ' 3
* Forty-eight ftivers the rix-dollar.
f Pecol, one hundred and thirty-three pounds Engliih.
t Coyang, three thoufand three hundred and feventy-five pounds Dutch,
, , , .. >■ *■
O r in fte r lin g m o n e y o f G re a t B r ita in — 7349 4 3
T o w h ic h the h i r e * o f th e Ihip be ing ad ded, - 2 2 10 7 7
T h e w h o le o f the e x p en c e amounted to - £ . 9 7 5 9 1 1 10
C ap tain N ep ean , w h o left this place as a p a fien g e r in th e B r itan nia,
and to o k w i th him fome difpatches for- g o v e rnm en t, and th e p r iv a te
letters o f the officers, left B a ta v ia on th e ä 1 7 th o f F eb ru a ry la ft in
th e Pr inc e W illiam H e n r y , a fa l l fa ilin g fch o o n e r , b o u n d direift fo r
E n g lan d .
T h e B r itan nia a r r iv ed at B a ta v ia on th e n t h o f F e b ru a ry , and
failed fo r th is c o u n t r y on th e 10th o f A p r il fo llow in g . W h ile lh e la y
at B a ta v ia , th e feafon w a s e x tr em e ly u n h e a lth y , and fom e o f h e r
p e o p le fe ll v id tim s to th e w e l l-k n o w n in fa lu b r ity o f the climate.
A t B a ta v ia M r . R a v e n learned that the S h ah H o rm u z e a r failed from
th en c e fo r B om b a y th re e mon th s b e fo re h e ar r iv ed there ; and th e
rep o r t w e had heard o f th e d ifa fte r w h ic h b efel th e boat and p eop le
from th a t fh ip , in th e p aflä ge th ro u g h the Straits b e tw e en this c o u n t r y
and N ew G u in e a , w a s con firm ed at Ba ta via. A s , h ow e v e r , M r . B am p -
to n had n o t fin ce been heard o f, it w a s m ore than p rob ab le h e ■ had
fallen a p r ize to fome o f th e p r iv a te e r s w h ic h w e r e - to b e m e t w i th in
th o fe feals.
H is M a je fty ’ s b ir th -d a y d id 'n o tp a f s w ith o u t th a t diftihdtibn w h ic h
w e all, as E n g lilhm en d e voted to ou r fo v e re ign , had in fin ite pleafure
in fh ew in g it.
O n th e 8th th e S p e e d y , a fto re lhip command ed b y M r . Melville^
w h o w a s he re in 1 7 9 1 in th e B r itan n ia w h a le r , anchored in th e co v e
from E n g lan d , w i th a c a rg o o f ftores and p r o v if io n s - fo r th e co lo n y ;
and c lo th in g fo r th e N ew So u th W a le s corps. M n M e lv il le failed a
few hours b efore th e In d ifpen fab le , an d to u ched at R io de J an e iro ,
w h en c e he had a lo n g p a f la g e 'o f fe v e ra l-w e e k s . H e made th e fo u tft
cape o f this c o u n t ry th e 2d in fta n t ; an d . a r r iv ed h e r e - in a le a k y ahd
w e a k con d ition . * . * .• r
G o o d fo r tu n e b e fr iend ed us in th e p afla ge o f th i fh ip I fo r the ram
fa fe ly th ro u g h e v e r y p art w h e re th e re cou ld be d an g e r , w ith o u t a
* She was chartered air fourteen fliilltugs- and fixpence per ton per' month, anilto be
paid for two hundred and ninety-fix tons, her regiftered meafurement.