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rattier fuccefsful for the time (only two months), the one having got
54, and the other 60 tons of fpermaceti oil.
The Eliza (more wifely) put into Botany Bay, to wood and water.
She, although much longer at fea, had not been fo fuccefsful,
having got only 45 tons o f oik The matter o f this thip Bated, that
he faw off the N. E. part o f New Caledonia a thip on thore upon a
reef, the lower malls o f which were above water, and one of the
tops was on the matt. The weather was thick and hazy, and blew
too freth to allow him to fend to examine h e r ; but a piece o f a
boat, which he took to be part o f a whale boat, floating near him,
he judged the wreck to be that of a whaler. He alfo fell in with a
very dangerous and extenfive thoal, lying N. N. W, about 40 leagues
from Sandy Cape, upon the coaft o f New South Wales. It was
fo large, that, finding himfelf entered upon it, and unable to get
back, it took him from nine in the morning until fix in the evening,
going at the rate o f fix knots (or miles) an hour, before he ran
through it.
Thus already did the fettlement and the public at large derive
fome advantage from the filhing on the coaft, by the difcovery of
this thoal.
There happened three deaths in this month which were out o f the
common w a y : a woman at the Hawketbury died o f the bite o f a
fnake ; another woman was drowned in attempting to land at Nor-
folk-Ifland; and on the 19th died, very fuddenly, Mr. Stephenfon,
the ftorekeeper at Sydney. As his death was not exactly in the
common way, fo neither had been the latter part of his life ; indeed,
all that part of it which he had paffed in this country; for,
by an upright conduit, and a faithful difcharge o f the duties o f the
office with which he had been entrufted, he fecured to himfelf
the approbation of his fuperiors while living, and their good name
at his death.
Stephenfon had been emancipated for his orderly behaviour, and
to enable him to execute the office o f ftore-keeper.
The
The annual election o f conftables recurring about this time, the
Hiagiftrates were defired to be very particular in their feleition o f the
perfons returned to them for that purpofe; as there was reafon to
fear, from the frequent efcapes o f prifoners from the different gaols,
that the conftables had been tampered with, fo fhamefully to negledt
their duty.
The wheat harveft being over, and the country, as happened generally
at this feafon of the year, every where on fire, thbfe who
were engaged in farming were reminded o f the neceffity of their
exerting themfelves by every practicable means to fecure their crops,
when Hacked, againft accident by fire. As yet, none had been
heard of. In the early part of the month Farenheit’s thermometer
at the Hawketbury flood at 10 7 degrees in the lhade.
Many people were at this time much afflidted with inflammations
o f the eyes*, attended with extreme pain, and fuppofed by
the medical gentlemen to be occafioned by the exceffive dry and
fultry weather which had prevailed for a confiderable time. Dyfenteric
complaints were alfo very common, which were attributed to the
water, mod o f the runs and fprings having been nearly dried up.
The tanks which were cut in the rocks below the ftream by order of
Governor Philip had proved of infinite utility.
The feamen belonging to the Supply completed their half-moon
battery in this month, and part o f that ffiip’s guns were mounted
in it.
In addition to other public works, fome people were employed in
white-walhing the houfes in the town o f Sydney, and repairing fuch
o f the buildings as required i t ; an attention highly neceffary at leaft
once in every year, for the prefervation o f works, the re-conftruc-
tion o f which, when fuffered to fall to decay, was attended with
a great expence.
* In the month o f April 17 9 4 and 1796, feveral adults and children were troubled with
an inflammation of the eyes, which was then attributed to the variable and unfettled weather
that had for fome time prevailed. I t muft be remarked, that the prefent appearance of
this complaint was in the fummer, the former in the winter feafon.
T 2 The