m D E D I C A T I O N .
be forfeit to the offended Laws; but which, being pre-
ferved, under falutary Regulations, might afterward become
ufeful to Society: and to your Patriotifm the Plan
prefented a Profpedt of commercial and political Advantage.
The following Pages will, it is hoped, ferve to
evince, with how much Wifdom the Meafure was fug-
gefted and conducted; with what beneficial Effects its
Progrefs has been attended; and what future Benefits the
Parent Country may with Confidence anticipate.
That Y o u r L o r d s h i p may long live to enjoy thofe
grateful Reflections which a Senfe of having advanced the
public Welfare muft be prefumed to excite; and that
O u r m o s t g r a c i o u s S o v e r e i g n , . t h e F a t h e r , o f h i s
P e o p l e , may long, very long reign over thefe Kingdoms,
and continue to be ferved by Statefmen of tried Talents
and Integrity, is the earned: Prayer of,
M Y L O R D ,
Y o u r Lordfhip’s much obliged,
and moft devoted Servant,
DAVID COLLINS.
Poland-Street,
May 25,1798*
P R E F A C E .
To the Public the fo llowing W o rk is with refpe&ful deference fulv
mitted by.its Author, who trufts that it will be found to comprife muck
information interefting in its nature, and that has not been anticipated by
an y former productions on the fame fubjeft. I f he fhould be thought to
have been fometimes too minute in his detail, he hopes it will be con-
fidered, that the tranfaftions here recorded were penned as th e y occurred,
with the feelings that at the moment they naturally excited in the
m in d ; and that circumftances w h ich , to an indifferent reader, may appear
trivial, to a fpe&ator and participant feem often o f importance. T o
the defign o f this W o rk , (which was, to fum ilh a complete record o f the
tranfacftions o f the C o lony from its foundation,) - accuracy and a degree
o f minutenefs in detail feemed e lfen tial; and 'bn reviewing his manu-
fcript, the A uthor faw little that, confidently with his plan, he could
perfuade himfelf to fupprefs.
For his labours he claims no credit beyond what may be due to the
ftr ia e ft fidelity in his narrative, It was not a romance that he had to
give to the world ; nor has he gone out o f the track that actual circumftances
prepared for him, to furniftifood fo r fick ly minds,, b y fictitious
relations o f adventures that n’ever happened, but which are b y a certain
defcription o f readers perufed with avidity, and not unfrequently con-
fidered as the only palfages deferving o f notice.
Tho u gh to a wo rk o f this nature a ftyle ornamental and luxuriant
would have been evidently inapplicable, y e t the A u th or has not been
w h o lly inattentive to. this particular, but has endeavoured to temjfcr the
d ry and formal manner o f the mere journalift, with fomething o f the
hiftorian’ s eafe. L o n g fequeftered, however, from literary fociety,
and from'convenient accefs to books, he had no other models than
thofe which memory could fupply ; and therefore does not prefume to
A 2 think