th a t it w a s repor ted at R io de J an e iro , th a t th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e
w a s in o u r p offeflion.
T h e C eres, to u c h in g at th e ifland o f Am fte rd am in h e r w a y h ith e r ,
to o k o f f fo u r men, tw o F ren ch and tw o E n g l ifh , w h o had liv ed there
three y e a rs , h a v in g been le ft from a b r ig , (the Em ilia ,) w h ic h w a s
tak en on to C h in a b y the L io n m an o f w a r . O n e o f th e Fren chm en ,
M . Perron, ap p a ren tly d e fe rv ed a better k in d o f fo c ie ty than his com p
anions fupplied. H e had k ep t an accurate and n e a t ly -w r itten jo u rn a l
o f his p ro c e ed in g s , w i th fom e w e ll-d r aw n v iew s o f th e fp o t to w h ic h
h e was fo lo n g confined . It appeared th a t th e y h ad , in th e . ho pe o f
th e ir ow n o r fom e o th e r v e ffe l a r r iv in g to tak e th em o ff, co lle cted and
cured feveral thoufand s o f fea l- fk in s , w h ic h , h ow e v e r , th e y w e r e com p
e lled to abandon. M . P e r ron had fubfifted fo r th e laft e igh te en
mon th s on the flefti o f feals.
O n th e d a y fo llo w in g this a r r iv a l th e fign a l w a s ag ain made ; and
b e fo re n o on th e fn o w E x p e r im e n t , c om m a n d e cK b y M r . E dw a rd
M 'C le lla n , w h o w a s here, in th e fame ve ffe l in th e y e a r be fo re la ft,
from B en g a l, and th e Ih ip O tte r , M r . E b en e ze r D o r r matter, from
B o f to n in N o r th A m e r ic a , an ch ored in th e co v e .
M r . M ‘Glellan had on board a la rg e in v e ftm en t o f In d ia g o od s ,
m u flin s , ca licoes, ch in tze s , foap, fu g a r , fp ir jts , and a v a r ie ty o f final}
ar tic les, ap p a ren tly th e fw e e p in g s o f a B en g a l b a z a r ; th e fale o f
w h ic h in v e ftm en t h e e x p e d e d w o u ld p rod u c e ten o r tw e lv e thoufand
pounds.
T h e Am e r ic a n , eithe r fin d in g the mark et o ve r fto ck ed , o r h a v in g
h ad fom e other m o tiv e fo r to u c h in g h e re , declared he had n o th in g fo r
fa le ; bu t th a t h e co u ld , as a fa v o u r , fpare tw o h o g lh ead s o f J ama ica
rum , thre e p ipes o f M ad e ira , f ix ty - e ig h t qua rter ca lk s o f LifiboO w in e ,
fo u r chefts and a h a l f o f B o h e a -tea, and tw o h o glh ead s o f melaffes.
H e h ad tou ched at the late re fid en ce o f M . P e r ron , th e ifland o f A m fterdam,
and b ro u g h t o f f as m a n y o f th e fe a l- fk in s (his veffel b e in g
b o u n d to C h in a after v ifit in g th e n o r th -w e ft coaft o f Am e r ic a ) as h e
cou ld take on board. H e had be en fiv e months and three day s from
B o fto n , to u ch in g n o w h e r e but at th e a b o v e -m en tio n ed ifland.
W e h ad the fa t is fa d io n o f h e a r in g , th ro u g h M r . M ‘C le llan , from
the matter o f the B r itan nia. H e h ad , ac co rd in g to his in ft ru d io n s ,
proceeded
proceeded to Ba ta via , w h e re ju d g in g from h is ow n o b fe rv ation , and
b y w h a t h e heard , th a t it was, unfafe to m ak e a n y fta y , h e after fo u r
o r fiv e day s le ft th e p or t, and b y that means fo r tu n a te ly efcaped b e in g
detained, w h ic h , from ■ in fo rm a tion that h e a fte rw ard s re c e ived at
B e n g a l, h e foun d w o u ld h ave hap pened to h im . H e w a s to leave
Ca lcu tta about the end o f December,,! \
T h e report o f the C ape o f G o o d H o p e b e in g in ou r p offeflion had
reached that place before the E x p e r im en t failed. O n th is fu b je d w e
w e r e rather an x io u s , as the armed Ihips w h ic h had la te ly a r r iv ed , th e
R e lian c e and S u p p ly , w e r e in ten d ed to p roce ed to that p o r t as fo o n as
the feafon w o u ld admit, fo r cattle fo r th e co lon y .
B e n -n il- lo n g ’ s in fluen ce o v e r his c o u n t rym en no t e x ten d in g to th e
nativ es at the r iv e r , w e - th is m on th ag ain heard o f th e ir v io len c e .
T h e y attack ed a man w h o h ad been a llow ed to p ly w i th a paffa ge -
boat b e tw e en th e p o r t o f ,S y d n e y and th e r iv e r , and w o u n d e d h im , ( it
w a s feared m o r ta lly ,) as he w a s g o in g w i th his com p an io n to the fet-
t l em e n t ; and th e y w e re b e g in n in g ag ain to an n o y th e fettlers th e re . ,
N o tw ith ftan d in g th e rew ard th a t had been offered fo r ap p rehend in
g b la ck Csefar, h e remained at la rg e , and fc a r c e ly a m o rn in g ar r iv ed
w ith o u t a com plaint b e in g made to the magiftrates o f a lofs o f p ro p
e r ty fuppofed to h a v e been o ccafion ed b y th is mah. In f a d , e v e r y
th e ft that w a s com m itted w a s afcribed to h im ; a c a lk , o f p o rk was
fto len from the m ill-h o u fe , th e u p p e r p art o f w h ic h w a s ac ceflible,
an d , th e centinels w h o had th e ch a rg e o f th a t b u ild in g b e in g tr ied and.
acqu itted , th e th e ft w a s fix ed u p on Casfar, o r fom e o f th e vagab ond s
w h o w e r e in th e w o o d s , th e n um b e r o f w h om at this time am ou n ted
to f ix o r eight.
T h e h arv e ft was all w e l l g o t in d u r in g th is m on th . A t S y d n e y ,
the la b ou r in g hands w e r e em p lo y ed in u n lo ad in g the fto r e - Ih ip ; fo r
w h ic h p urpofe three men from each' fa rm h a v in g ten w e r e ordered, in
to p ublic w o rk .
O n th e 2 1 f t o f this m on th his M a je f ty ’ s Ihip th e R e lian c e failed fo r
N o r fo lk Ifland. In h e r w en t IVTr. F lib b in s , th e ju d g e -a d v o c a te o f
that fettlement w h o ar r iv ed from E n g lan d in the S o v e r e ig n ; and a
captain o f th e N ew S o u th W a le s co rp s , to ta k e th e command o f th e
troops th e re .
O n