In the ovi-viviparous dog-filh, the internal organs o f the female
have a very fimilar ftru&ure. There is therefore every reafon to
believe, that this animal alfo is ovi-viviparous in its mode, o f generation.
It appears, by accounts which have been received from New
South Wales, that the voyage of the fmall brig Lady Nelfon,
commanded by Lieutenant Grant, was (notwithftanding her fize,
being only 60 tonsburthen, and the diftance {he had to fail) effected
without het* meeting with any material accident ; {he arriving in
December 18 0 1. Her commander was fo perfectly acquainted
with her good qualities, that he ventured to make the land of
New Holland, in latitude 38° oo' fouth, coafting for fome diftance
toward-the eaftward, and failing through Bafs Strait, in his way up
to Port Jackfon.
It does not appear, that this paflage o f the Lady Nelfon through
the Strait added any thing new to the difcoveries which had been
previoully made by Captain Flinders and Mr. Bafs, in the little Hoop
Norfolk, except that of having made the land about four degrees
further to the weftward than had been feen by thofe gentlemen.
B y means of a few fuch veflels as the Lady ’Nelfon, well commanded,
and furnilhed with inftruments requifite for carrying on a
maritime furvey, the neceflary knowledge o f the coaft o f that
extenfive country would foon be obtained. Governor Hunter, who
is well known to be thoroughly qualified in this eflential part o f
maritime education, has been frequently heard to fay, that with a
few fmall veflels, perhaps three or four, i f he could have obtained
them, or if his iiiftruCtions would have permitted his building them,
he would in thecourfe of a fhort period have gained fome acquaintance
with all that part of the coaft which Captain Cook had not an
opportunity o f examining minutely.
Large
Large veflels, in his opinion, were not wanted for fuch a furvey,
nor were they fit for the purpofe. A depofit o f the {lores neceflary
for this fervice could be made at the principal fettlement,
where fuch veflels, whenever requifite, might refit or repair.
Large {hips are proper to be employed only when they are to furvey
an unknown coaft, where fupplies are not to be had ; this rendering
it expedient that they Ihould be fufliciently capacious to
carry a considerable {lock o f provifions and ftores for all their pur-
pofes. Tfie fmall, veflel, i f caught upon a lee fhore, and unable to
work off", has a chance o f finding fecurity for anchorage where a
large {hip cannot; and i f no fuch {helter offer, {he has in her favour
a greater probability o f faving her crew by running on {hore j her
light draught o f water admitting her to approach the land much
nearer than could the large veflel.
Di{patches have been recently received at Lord Hobart’s office
from New South Wales, dated in Auguft 18 0 1, b y which it appears,
that the quantity o f fait provifions remaining in {lore in the beginning
o f the year, being very inconfiderable, and it being poflible
that accidents might happen to {hips fent from England with meat,
the governor had judged it neceflary to fend the Porpoife to the
ifland o f Otaheife, for the purpofe o f falting pork for the ufe o f the
colony : and as it was abfolutely neceflary to fend thither a quantity
o f fait for this purpofe (an article which the colony could not fur-
nifli), he fortunately was enabled to purchafe about fifteen tons of
fait from the matter o f a whaler which put in there from one of
the Cape de Verd iflands. On this voyage the Porpoife failed in
the month o f May 18 0 1 , and her commander, Lieutenant Scott, was
furnilhed, in addition to very ample inftrudtions for his guidance,
with a letter from the governor to Pomarre, the king of Otaheite,
urging him to give Mr. Scott every protection and afliftance in the
execution o f the bufinefs on which he was fent to the ifland, and
vol. 11. u u recoin