3*6
■was underftood that this.fyflem, fo beneficial to the fettlement, was
to be purfued in all the Chips which were in future, to .carry put cow
■ vidts or (lores to that country.
O«Sober.] The Buffalo failed for England on the 2 1 ft o f Odlober*,
and as the governor had intended to touch and land at Norfolk-,
lfland, for the purpofe of learning, from his own obfervation, forne-
thing of the Hate of that fettlement, fome few o f the Irifh prifoners,
Who were fufpe£ted o f laying plans o f infurrection and maffacre,
were taken in the Buffalo, and landed there. This fettlement wore
a moft unpromifing appearance. All the buildings were in a Hate
o f rapid decay, and but Few fymptoms. o f induflry were, vifible.
Of flock, only a few hogs and a fmall quantity o f vegetables were
to be protured. On Phillip lfland, which had formerly fed a great
number bf hogs, not one1 was to be found alive, they having, for
want of better food, deftroyed each pilfer A few fields of wheat,
which wfre ready for reaping, looked tolerably well,; but on the
whole Norfolk-Iflarfd by no means prormfed to repay the expence
which it annually, c'oft the government.
On board o f the Buffalo were two o f the birds denominated by
Dampier black-fwans, and three o f thofe which in New South
Wales were ftyled emus. However much jn lha-pe the former
refembled the European Fwan, yet, as they are o f a different fpecies,
they are not properly entitled to the appellation of fwan, that name
being appropriate folely to the European fpecies. Thefe birds bad
with very great care been brought alive 'to England, and were
given b y Lieutenant William Kent, the proprietor, , to Earl St!
Vincent, who prefented them as “ rarae aves,” and literally “ nigro
fimillimas cygno ” to her Majefty, by whom they were Tent to
Frog more. They were of different fex.es; but unfortunately one of
them foon died in moulting ; and the other having, after that
operation, with his health, alfo recovered the perfedt ufe o f his
• The Buffalo arrived at Spithead, with a convoy which flic brought from St. Helena, on
the'314th o f May 18 0 1 , having made the paffage by Gape Horn in feven months.
wings,
wings, availed' himfelf o f the liberty they gave him (the precaution
o f cutting them not having been taken), and was (hot by a nobleman’s
game-keeper as it was flying acrofs the Thames.
I1 'The other birds were given by the fame gentleman to Sir Jofeph
Banks; and they are now enjoying their freedom in the Earl o f
Exeter’s park at Burleigh. Thefe birds have been pronounced by
Sir Jofeph Banks, o f whofe judgment none can entertain a doubt, to
come nearer to what is known o f the American oftrich, than to either
the emu of India, or the: oftrich of Africa. [The fubjoined Engraving
is from a drawing made in New South Wales, and fliews the
height to which they can eredt themfelves.]
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