[i799-
trowfers, and a proportion to the women and children. Thefe
gurrahs had been brought from India in fome of the fpeculative
voyages to this country, and were now found ufeful in covering
the nakednefs o f the people.
B y the arrival of the Buffalo, the governor at length had it in
his power to inform thofe people who had been convicted in Ireland,
and by the laws o f that kingdom had been tranfported to New
South Wales, that he had received from thence a corredt ftatement
of the feveral fentences of thofe who had been brought in the Queen ;
and an affurance, through the fecretary to the Lord Lieutenant,
that the lifts o f thofe who had been fent out fince that period fhould
he forwarded by the next veffel which might fail from Ireland for
this colony.
Thofe, therefore, who were remaining alive o f the convidts received
by the Queen, might learn the extent o f their convidtion, by
applying at the commiffary’s office. Such as might appear to have
been fent out for life were told they need not defpair o f being, in due
time, again the mafters o f their own labours ; as every one muft
have feen, that a decent, orderly, induftriöus and obedient condudt,
had frequently recommended many o f their defcription to public
favour.
June.] On the 2d o f this month, the Diana and Eliza whalers
came in to refit, and to refrelh their crews. They had each procured
about twenty-five tons offpermaceti oil -fince they left the port, and
had fpoke the Britannia, which had been more fuccefsful, fhe having,
in all, one hundred and ten tons o f oil on board.
About this time thé Indifpenfable .-failed on her fiffiing voyage.
This (hip had -been careened and completely repaired in the
Gove. ' ,
From the experience o f the mafters o f thefe whalers, :there was
every reafon to believe, that ffiips reforting hither, properly fitted
for the variable weather which they are liable to meet with upon
the coaft, would moft certainly fucceed. The ffiips that'had arrived,
in general, were not prepared for the weather of this ocean, but
were fitted for the more certain and ferene Ikies o f the coaft of
Peru ; which occafioned their fo frequently running into port to refit.
In this, fuch affiftance as the colony could fupply was always
readily afforded them ; and it might be worthy the attention of the
houfes o f Meffrs. Champion, Enderby, and others, owners o f (hips
in the whale fiffiery, to eftabliffi a depot or warehoufe at Sydney,
well fupplied with naval ftores, where their bufinefs could be tranf-
adted by their own people, and their ffiips refitted with their own
materials.
I f try-pots were fixed at fome convenient place near the entrance
of the harbour, and many fuch offer, where their warehoufe might
alfo be eftabliffied, the fiffiing ground not being far from the coaft,
might not a ffiip run in with the whale in blubber, leave it to be
tryed i out, and in the mean while put to fea in queft o f more ? I f
any time would be faved by this mode o f proceeding, it furely
would be worth adopting; but of this thefe gentlemen muft be the
better judges.
In the evening on the fourth of June, which had been obferved
as His Majefty’s birth day with every demonftration of loyalty and
refpedt, the weather became very tempeftuous, and continued for
three days blowing a heavy gale from the fouthward, attended with
a deluge of rain ; by which feveral buildings belonging to Government,
which had been eredted with great labour, were much damaged
; among others, was unfortunately the tower o f the new
mill at Sydney, of which the roof was fitting. The fouth-fide o f this
■ building was fo much injured, that it became neceffary to take the
whole down; which was done, and the foundation laid a fecond time.
This gale having fubfided, it returned about the middle of the
month, blowing.again from the fouthward with increaled violence,
and attended with another deluge o f rain. In its effedts it was more
deftrudlive than the preceding, doing much damage to various public
and