o n e o f th e cov es o f th is n o b le and capacious harb ou r , eq u a l i f n o t fu -
p e r io r to a n y y e t k n ow n in th e w o r ld , it was determined to f ix th e
fe tt lem en t; and on th e 2 3d , h a v in g ex am in ed it as fu l ly as th e time
w o u ld a llow , t h e . g o v e rn o r and his p a r ty le ft P o rt J a ck fo n and its
f r ie n d ly and p e ace ful inhab itants , ( fo r fu ch h e e v e r y w h e re fo u n d th em ,)
and re turn ed to B o ta n y B a y . ,
In th e rep or t o f th e fu r v e y made b y L ie u ten an t K in g , d u r in g th e
g o v e rn o r ’ s ab fence, th e la tter fo u n d n o th in g to in d u ce h im to alter
h is re fo lu tio n o f f ix in g in P o r t J a c k fo n : d irec tions w e r e the re fo re
g iv e n , th a t th e n e ce ffa ry fu p p ly o f w a te r and grafs fo r the fto c k Ihould
b e im m ed ia te ly fen t o f f to the Ihips, and th e n e x t m o rn in g w a s app
o in ted fo r th e ir departure from B o ta n y B a y .
S e v e ra l trees had be en cu t d ow n at P o in t S u th e r land , a faw -p it
h ad be en d u g , and o th e r preparations mad e fo r d ifem b a rk in g , in
ca fe th e g o v e rn o r h ad n o t fuc ceed ed as, to th e grea t fa t is fa ft io n
o f e v e r y o n e , it w a s fo u n d h e h a d ; fo r h ad h e be en com p e lled to
rem a in in B o ta n y B a y , th e fw am p y g ro u n d e v e r y w h e r e around it
th re a ten ed us w i th u n h e a lth y f itu a t io n s ; n e ith e r could th e Ih ip p in g
h a v e r id d en in p e r fe c t fe c u r ity w h e n th e w in d b lew from th e S. E .
to w h ic h th e b a y la y m u ch e x p o fe d , th e fea a t that tim e ro llin g in
w i th a p rod ig iou s fw e li. A rem o v a l th e re fo re to P o r t J a ck fo n w a s
h ig h ly app laud ed , and w o u ld h a v e ta k en place th e n e x t m o rn in g , b u t
a t d a y - lig h t w e w e r e fu rp r ifed b y th e appearance o f tw o ftrange fail
In th e o ffin g. O f w h a t nation th e y cou ld b e , en g ag ed th e g en e ra l
w o n d e r fo r fom e tim e , w h ic h at laft g a v e w a y to a con je c ture th a t th e y
m ig h t be th e F ren ch Ihips u n d e r M . de la P e rou fe , th en on a v o y a g e
ro u n d th e w o r ld . T h is w a s fo on ftren gth en ed b y the v iew o f a w h ite
p end an t, fim ila r in lh ap e to th a t o f a com m od o re in o u r fe rv ic e , and
w e had n o lo n g e r a d ou b t rem a in in g that th e y -w e r e th e Ihips ab ov e
mentioned . T h e y w e r e , h ow e v e r , p revented b y a ftron g fo u th e r ly curren
t from g e t tin g in to th e b a y u n til th e 2 6 th , w h e n it w a s k n ow n th a t
th e y w e r e th e B ou ffo le and A ftro la b e , F ren ch Ihips, w h ic h failed , u n d e r
th e com m an d o f M . de la P e rou fe , from France in th e y e a r 1 7 8 5 , o n
a v o y a g e o f d ifc o v e r y . A s C ap tain H u n te r , w i th w h om , the g o v e rn o r
h ad le ft th e ch a rg e o f b r in g in g the S ir iu s and tranfports rou n d to P o r t
J a ck fo n , (w h ith e r h e had preceded th em in th e S u p p ly th e d a y befo re ,)
w a s w o rk in g , ou t w h en M . de la P eroufe entered B o ta n y B a y , th e tw o
command ers had b a re ly time to: ex change: c i v i l i t ie s ; and it m u ff
n a tu ra lly h a v e created fom e furp rife in M . de la P eroufe to find o u r
fleet ab and oning th e harb ou r a t the v e r y tim e h e ' w a s p rep a r in g to
an ch o r in it r ind eed he afterwards faid , th a t “ u n til h e had lo o k ed
« rou n d h im in B o ta n y B a y , h e cou ld no t d iv in g th e cau fe o f ou r
“ q u it tin g it , w h ic h h e w a s fo fa r from e x p e f t in g , th a t h a v in g heard
“ at K am fch a tk a o f th e in ten d ed fe ttlem en t, h e im a g ine d h e Ihould ,
“ h a v e fo u n d a tow n b u ilt and a m ark e t e f ta b li lh e d ; b u t from w h a t
“ h e h ad feen o f th e c o u n t ry fince h is a r r iv al, he w a s co n v in c ed o f
“ th e p ro p r ie ty and ab folute n e ce ffity o f th e m ea fu re .” M . de la
P e ro u fe failed into th e h a rb ou r b y C ap tain C o o k ’ s cha rt o f B o ta n y
B a y , w h ic h la y b e fo re h im o n th e b in n a cle ; and w e h ad th e pleafure o f
h e a r in g h im m ore than once p a y a tr ib u te to ou r grea t c ir cum n a v ig a to r ’ s
m em o r y , b y a c k n ow le d g in g th e a c cu ra c y o f his n au tica l o bfervations.
T h e g o v e rn o r , w i th a p a r ty o f marines, and fom e artificers feledled
from am o n g th e feamen o f th e .S ir iu s and th e c o n v i f t s , ar r iv ed ia
P o r t J a ck fo n , and an chored o f f th e m ou th o f th e co v e in ten d ed fo r
th e fettlement on th e e v en in g o f th e 2 5 th ; and in th e cou rfe o f th e
fo llow in g d a y fuffic ient g ro u n d w a s cleared fo r en c am p in g th e o fficer’ s
gu a rd and th e c o n v if t s w h o h ad b e en landed in th e m o rn in g . T h e fp ot
ch o fen fo r th is p u rp o fe w a s at th e head o f th e c o v e , near th e ru n o f
fre th w a te r , w h ic h ftole f ile n t ly a lon g th ro u g h a v e r y th ic k w o o d , the
ftillnefs o f w h ic h h ad th en , fo r th e fir ft tim e fince th e c reation, b e en
in te r ru pted b y th e rud e fo u n d o f th e labou re r’ s a x e , and th e d ow n fa l
o f it s an c ien t inhab itants a ftillnefs arid tran q u illity w h ic h from th a t
d a y w e r e to g iv e place to th e v o ic e o f la bou r , the co n fu fio n o f camps
and tow n s , and “ th e b u fy h um o f its n ew poffeffors.” T h a t th e fe
did no t b r in g w i th th em
“ Minds not to be changed by time or place,”
w a s fe r v e n tly to h a v e b e en w i lh e d ; and i f it w e r e p oflib le , th a t o n
ta k in g poffeffion o f N a tu re , as w e h ad th u s d one , in he r fim p le ft,
p u re ft ga rb , w e m ig h t n o t fu lly th a t p u r ity b y th e in t r o d u a io n o f
v ic e profan en e fs , and im m o ra lity . B u t th is , th o u g h m u ch to be
w i lh e d ,