lefs ben e fit from it than w a s at fir ft exp e c ted . T h e r e w a s alfo fome
re a fon to fu p p o fe , th a t fe v e ra l fettlers w o u ld abandon th e ir farms , an d ,
le a v in g th e ir fam ilie s a burd en to the fto re , embrace the ch an ge w h ic h
w a s o ffered th em b y en lift in g as E a ft- In d ia foldiers. I t was fa r better
fo r us, i f a n y w e r e capable o f bea r in g arms and b e c om in g foldiers,
to arm th em in d efence o f th e ir o w n liv e s and poffeffions, and, b y
em b o d y in g th em from tim e to 't im e as a m ilitia, fa v e to th e p u b lic the
e x p en c e o f a re g im en t o r corp s raifed fo r th e mere p u rp o le o f p ro -
ted tin g the p u b lic ftores and th e c iv il e ftablilhm ent o f th e c o lo n y .
R e c ru it in g , th e re fo re , in th is c o lo n y fo r th e B en g a l a rm y , b e in g 4
.meafure th a t requ ired fom e con fid e ra tion , and w h ic h th e g o v e rn o r
th o u g h t Ihould firft h a v e obtained th e fa n d io n o f adm in iftration , h e
d e termined to w a it th e re fu lt o f a com m u n ica tio n on th e lu b je d w i th
th e fe c re ta ry o f ftate, b e fo re h e g a v e it his countenance. A t th e fatfte
tim e h e me an t to re com m en d it in a ce rta in d egre e , as it w a s e v id en t
that m a n y g o o d rec ruits m ig h t be ta k en , w ith o u t a n y in ju r y to th e
interefts o f th e fe ttlem en t, from th a t clafs o f ou r p eo p le w h o , b e in g
n o lo n g e r p r ifo n e r s , d e clin ed la b o u r in g fo r g o v e rnm en t, and , w i th o
u t a n y v ifib le means o f fu b fift in g , liv ed w h e r e and h o w th e y chofe.
T h e B r itan n ia , in h e r p affage to B a ta v ia , an ch ored in G o w e r ’ s
H a rb o u r , N ew Ire lan d , (on th e 16 th o f J u ly ,) w h e r e fhe com p le ted
h e r w o o d and w a te r , and failed on th e 2 3d . O n the 2d o f Sep tem be r
fo llo w in g fhe ar r iv ed a t B a t a v ia ; and it ap p ear in g to M r . R a v e n (as
b e fo re obfe rv ed ) b u t to o probable th a t h e ih o u ld be detained b y th e
g o v e rnm en t i f h e v en tu red to w a it e v en fo r th e ir de te rmin a tion re -
fp e f t in g fu p p ly in g th e p ro v ifio n s , h e failed on th e 7th fo r B e n g a l,
a r r iv in g in th e G a n g e s on th e 1 2 th o f Odtober. N o t b e in g able to
p ro cu re at Ca lcu tta the fu ll q u a n tity o f p ro v ifio n s that his Ihip cou ld
con ta in , h e failed fo r M ad ra s on th e i f t o f F eb ru a ry , w h e r e h e an ch
o red o n th e 1 5 th . T h e r e h e completed his c a rg o , and failed , w i th
fiv e h om ew a rd -b o u n d In d iam en , on th e 2 7 th o f th e fam e m on th .
H i s paffage to this c o u n t r y w a s lo n g and ted iou s , o w in g to th e p re valen
c e o f lig h t and co n t ra r y w in d s ; but w e w e r e all w e ll p le afed to be
in p offeffion o f th e com fo rts h e b ro u g h t us from th a t p art o f the w o r ld ,
and to congra tulate h im o n h is p e r fon a l efcape from th e f ic k ly and
n o w in im ic a l p or t o f B a ta v ia , as w e ll as from th e cruifers o f th e
en em y , w i th w h ic h h e had reafon to fu p p o fe h e m ig h t fa ll in on
th e In d ian coaft.
O n his return from this h is fecond v o y a g e to In d ia , M r . R a v e n
g a v e it as h is o p in io n , “ th a t th e p affa ge to be p ur fu ed from N ew
S o u th W a le s to In d ia depended w h o l l y u p o n th e feafon in w h ic h
th e Ihip m ig h t lea ve P o r t J a ck fon . F rom th e m on th o f N o v em b e r
to A p r il, o r rather from O c to b e r to th e b e g in n in g o f M a r c h , w h ic h
o u g h t to be the la teft p e r iod th a t a n y ftiip {hould attem p t a n o r th e rn
p affa ge, h e re com m en d ed m a k in g N o r fo lk Ifland ; and th en c e , p a llin
g b e tw e en th e L o y a lty I f la n d s * and N ew C a led on ia , to k e ep as
n e a r ly as circumftanees w o u ld a l low in th e lo n g itu d e o f 16 5 ° E a ft ;
u n til th e {hip {hould reach th e latitud e o f 8° S o u th ; and th en fhap e a
cou r fe to crofs the equa to r in 160 0 E a f t ; after w h ic h th e mafter
{hould fle e r to th e N . W . b y N . o r N . N . W . u n til in th e la titud e
o f 5° 20l o r 3° 30 ' N o r t h ; in w h ic h latitud e M r . R a v e n w o u ld ru n
d ow n h is lo n g itu d e , and pafs the fo u th end o f M in d a n a o , and be tw
e e n th a t ifland and B a fc e la n ; and th en c e th ro u g h th e ftraits o f
B a n g u e y in to th e C h in a Sea. In ru n n in g th is p affa ge, it w o u ld b e
n e ce ffa ry to p a y attention to M r . D a lr ym p le ’ s charts o f th o fe ifland s,
& c . w h ic h M r . R a v e n fo u n d v e r y accurate.
“ I f le a v in g P o r t J a ck fon a n y tim e b e tw e en the b e g in n in g o f M a r c h
and th e I ft o f Sep tem b e r , M r . R a v e n w o u ld p re fe r p a flin g th ro u g h a
ftrait in th e lo n g itu d e o f 156 ° 10' E . o r th e re a b o u t; and from the
latitud e o f 7° 06' E . to 6“ 4 2 ' S- w h ic h d iv id es fom e p a r t o f th e
iflands o f the N ew G e o r g ia o f C a p ta in S h o r t la n d ; th en c e th ro u g h
St. G e o r g e ’ s C h an n e l to th e n o r th w a rd . o f N e w G u in e a , th ro u g h
* The Loyalty Iflands are fituated between New Caledonia and the New Hebrides,
and extend from about 21 ° 30*' to 20° 50' S.- and from the longitude of 1680 to
167Q E. Mr. Raven fuppofed them to be a large group .of iflands, which, being prefled
for time, he could not ftop to furvey." All that he had opportunity to determine was,
the longitude and latitude of fome of the head-lands. Many fires were feen on them in
the night *, the whole appeared to be full of wood, and in fome places in high cultivation.
Thefe iflands, certainly a difcovery belonging to Mr. Raven, may be thought
worthy of being explored at fome future day, and become an object of confequence to
the fettlement in New South Wales,
D am p ie r ’ s