better calculated than o th e r cattle to end ure th e w e a th e r u fu a lly met
w i th b e tw e en th e C a p e and th is c o u n t r y *.
W e had th e g ra tification o f h e a r in g that o u r fleet u n d e r E a r l
H o w e h ad been v ic to r io u s in a g a llan t and fev ere ac tion w i th th e
en em y .
O n the 1 5 th , w h e n a n x io u f ly e x p e c t in g an a r r iv al from E n g lan d ,
w e faw M r . D e ll com e to an ch o r in the co v e from N o r fo lk Ifland.
T h o u g h this a r r iv al p rov ed a d ifap p ointm ent to m o lt o f us, y e t the
in fo rm a tion w e re c e ived b y it w a s rather in te re ftin g. W e n o w learned,
th a t M r . D e ll had be en at N ew Z e a lan d , w h e re h e pafied th re e months
in th e r iv e r named b y C ap tain C o o k the T h am e s , em p lo y ed iri cu ttin g
fpars, fo r th e p u rp o fe (as w a s co n je c tu red he re at th e tim e o f his
departure) o f f r e ig h t in g fu ch Ihip as m ig h t ar r iv e from In d ia 'on
M r . B am p ton ’ s ac count. In th e courfe o f th a t time th e y cu t d ow n
u pw a rd s o f tw o hun d red v e r y fine trees, from f ix t y to one hun d red
and fo r ty fe e t in len g th , fit fo r a n y ufe that the E a ft-In d ia C om p a n y ’ s
Ihips m ig h t require. T h e lo n g e ft o f the fe trees meafured three fe e t
and a h a l f in th e b u tt, and differed from the N o r fo lk Ifland p ines in
h a v in g th e tu rp en tin e in th e centre o f th e tree inftead o f b e tw e en _the
b a rk and th e w o o d . F rom th e natives th e y re c e iv ed v e r y little interru
p tio n , b e in g o n ly u p o n on e o cc afion o b lig ed to fire on them . L ik e
o th e r u n c iv ilife d p eop le , the fe iflanders faw n o cr im e in th e ft , and fto le
fom e a x e s from th e p eop le em p lo y ed on Ihore, g r a t ify in g th e reb y th e ir
p red ile c tio n fo r iro n , w h ic h , ftran ge as it m a y fo u n d to us, th e y w o u ld
h a v e preferred to g o ld . U n fo r tu n a te ly , iro n w a s too p recious e v en here
to p art w i th , unlefs fo r an e q u iv a le n t ; and it became n e ce fiary to con v
in c e th em o f it. T w o men and o n e w om an w e r e k illed , th e feamen
w h o fired on th em d e clar ing (in th e ir u fua l en la rged fty le o f relation)
that th e y had d r iv en o f f and p urfued upw a rd s o f th re e thoufand o f
thefe cannibals. T h e y re a d ily parted w i th a n y q u a n tity o f th e ir fla x ,
b a r te r ing it fo r iron. A s th e v alu a ble qualities o f this f la x w e r e w e ll
k n ow n , it w a s no t u n in te r e ftin g to us to le a rn , th a t fo finall a v e lfe l
as th e F an c y had la in at. an an ch o r fo r three mon th s in th e m id ft o f
n um e rou s and w a r lik e tribes o f fav a ge s , w i th o u t a n y attempt on th e ir
* It may be remembered, that in a former voyage to the Cape on a fimilar errand,
fhe loft twenty-nine cows.
5 p art
p art to be com e th e m a ile r s ; and that an in te r co u r fe m ig h t fa fe ly and
ad v an ta g e o u fly be opened be twe en th em and the co lon ifts o f N ew
S o u th W a le s , w h e n e v e r p rop e r materials and pe rfon s Ihould be fent
o u t to m an ufa cture th e fla x , i f the g o v e rn o r o f th a t co u n t ry Ihould
e v e r th in k it an o bje ct w o r th y o f his atten tion .
F rom N ew Z ea lan d th e F a n c y p roceed ed to N o r fo lk Ifland , and n ow
came h ith e r 'in th e h o pe o f m e e tin g w i th , o r h e a r in g o f M r . B am p ton .
From that fettlement w e g a in ed th e fo llow in g information^:
T h e Salamander to u ched th e re , and th e R e fo lu t io n appeared o f f the
iflan d , b u t had no com m u n ica tio n w i th th e Ihore.
A h e a v y ga le o f w in d , a c com pan ied w i th a flig h t {ho ck o f th e e a ith ,
had done confid erable d am a g e ,' w a fh in g aw a y a v e r y u fe fu l w h a r f and
crane at Ca fcad e , b u t w h ic h th e g o v e rn o r m eant im m ed ia te ly to
replace.
T h e p rod u c e o f th e w h e a t th is fea fon on g o v e rnm en t’ s a c co u n t
am o u n ted to th re e th o u fan d bu lh e ls , and th a t o f fettlers to fifteen
hu n d red . T h e In d ian co rn p rom ifed a v e r y p len tifu l c r o p ; b u t th e
fettlers w e r e m u ch d ifcou ra g ed b y th e ir bills o f th e laft y e a r rem a in in g
{till u n pa id . M u c h o f th a t c om w a s o b lig ed to be fu r v e y e d , and tw o
th o u fan d b u lhe ls h ad be en con d em n ed .
Sw in e w e re , in c re a fin g fo ra p id ly o n P h illip Iflan d , n o w Hocked b y
g o v e rnm en t, th a t M r . K in g th o u g h t h e Ihould be ab le fo r fom e time
to ilfue fr e lh p o rk d u r in g fo u r d a y s in th e w e e k . T h e flou r w a s e x p
end ed ; o f fait m eat there w a s a fu lfic ien c y in llo r e fo r e ig h t m onths.
T h e w h o le n um b e r o f p erfons on th e iflan d amounted to n in e hun d red
and fo r ty - fiv e .
A c o n v iA w e l l k n o w n in t h i s . fe ttlem en t, B en jam in In g rah am ,
b e in g d e teA ed in th e a A o f h o u feb re a k in g , p u t an end to his ow n
e x iften c e b y h a n g in g h im fe lf, th us te rm in a tin g b y h is o w n h an d a life
o f wre tched n e fs and v illa n y .
O n th e 1 7 th St. P a tr ic k fo u n d m a n y vota r ie s in th e fettlement.
S om e C a p e b ra n d y la te ly im p o r ted in th e B r ita n n ia appeared to hav e
ar riv ed v e r y fea fon a b ly ; and lib ations to the fa in t w e r e fo p len tifu lly
p ou red , th a t at n ig h t the ce lls w e r e fu ll o f prifoners.-
Settlers, and o th e r pe rfon s w h o had In d ian co rn to d ifp ofe o f, w e r e
th is m on th in fo rm ed , th a t th e y w o u ld re c e iv e fiv e Ihillings p e r b u lh e l
fo r all th e y m ig h t b r in g to th e p u b lic ftores. T h e y w e r e lik ew ife to ld ,
3 g 2 . th a t