male co n v ic ts . T h e B r ita n n ia , a fh ip be lon g in g to the h o u le o f
£ n d s r b y C o . ra iled on th e 1 7 th o f laft F eb ru a ry w i th n in e ty - f ix
fem ale co n v ic t s on board. T h is Ihip w e n t o u t w ith orders to t r y the
w h a le - filh e r y o n th e coaft o f N ew S o u th W a le s fo r one feafon. I f
th is Ihould fu c ce ed , th e fettlement and th e p u b lic at la rge w i ll ow e
m u ch to th e fpirited e x e r tio n s o f th e hou fe o f E n d e rb y to p romote a
beneficial com m e rce from that co u n t ry .
T h e k in g ’ s fh ip s on th a t fta tion b e in g ill calculated fo r th e fe rv ice s
e x p e& e d from th em , h a v in g on board e x p e n fiv e com plemen ts o f men
and officers, and co n fe q u en t ly b u t little ro om fo r c a t t le ; ahd b e in g
befid e fo d e fe c tiv e and im pa ired b y tim e as to be un'fafe to nav iga te
m u ch lo n g e r ; tw o others h a v e be en p ro v id ed , n ew e r and more
cap ab le o f ren d e r in g fe rv ic e to th e c o lo n y . O n e o f th em , th e B u ffalo ,
com m an d ed b y M r . W il liam R a v e n , late matter o f th e B r itan nia, is
on th e p o in t o f fa ilin g , and is to take cattle to N ew Sou th W a le s from
th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e . T h e o th e r is named th e P o rp o ife , and has
the fame fe rv ice to p e r form. A Ihip, called the M in e r v a , is alfo p ro ce
ed ing to C o rk to ta k e in a n um b e r o f I r iffi co n v ic ts .
L e tte r s h a v e been re c e iv ed from N ew S o u th W a le s , dated about
f ix w e ek s a fte r th e au th or failed from th a t c o lo n y . .’ G o v e rn o r H u n te r
had re c e ived b y th e S y lp h and Pr inc e o f W a le s ftorefhips tw o thoufand.
f ix hun d red and fif t y c a fk s o f falted p ro v ifio n s . S e v e ra l p erfons h ad
be en tr ied b y th e co u r t o f cr im in al ju d ic a tu re fo r ro b b in g th e p u b lic
fto re s , and h ad be en fo u n d g u ilty . O n e man h ad been e x e cu ted fo r
m u rd e r , and his b o d y h u n g in chains on R o c k Ifland , a fmall fp ot at
th e m outh o f S y d n e y C o v e , and b y w h ic h e v e r y boat and fh ip com in g
in to the c o v e mutt n e ce ffa r ily pafs. T h e g o v e rn o r w a s on th e p o in t
o f v ifit in g P o r tlan d H e a d , fom e h ig h land on th e banks o f th e
H aw k e fb u r y , w h e r e h e p urpo fed e fta b lifhin g a fettlement. .
H a d th a t r iv e r 'a n d its- fe r t ile banks been d ifco v e red b efore th e
e ftab lifhm en t at S y d n e y C o v e had p roceed ed to o fa r to rem o v e it,
hovt e lig ib le a place w o u ld it h a v e be en fo r the p r in c ip al fettlement 1
A n a v ig a b le r iv e r poffeffes m a n y ad vantages th a t are u n k n ow n in o th e r
fituations.
fituations. M u c h ben e fit, h ow e v e r , w a s to b e d e r iv ed from th is ev en
as an in fe r io r fettlement. Its ex trem e fe r t ility w o u ld a lw a y s in fu re a
ce r ta in fu p p ly o f g r a in ; and th e fettlers on its b an k s mutt p rod u ce a
q u a n tity equa l to th e con fum p tion o f th e c iv il and m ilita ry , and o f
th e ir ow n fam il ie s ; and th u s , w h ile r en d e r in g a fe r v ic e to th e fta te ,
th e y m ig h t in tim e b ecome o p u len t farmers. Y e t ou r p i t y is e x c ited ,
w h e n it is con fid e red , th a t th e y are o f fo u n w o r th y a d e fcr ip tion as
has c le a r ly been made appear in th e p re ced in g n ar rative. T h a t a r iv e r
ju f t ly termed the N ile o f N ew S o u th W a le s fh o u ld fa ll in to fu ch hands
is to be lamented. In procefs o f tim e , h ow e v e r , th e ir p rod u c tiv e
farms w i ll h a v e y ie ld ed th em all th a t th e y afpire to ,' and m a y th en fall
in to th e poffeffion o f p erfons w h o w i ll lo o k b e y o n d th e mere g ra tification
o f th e m om en t, and caufe th e fettlements in N ew S o u th W a le s
to ftand as h ig h in th e p u b lic eftimation as an y colonies in h is M a -
je f t y ’ s dominions.
S A U N DE R SON'S FARM ,
JE’ublishedJfqy 2â ?zjÿ â by CetdeU Sc,J3aiies. Strand.