a complete account of the settlement-第35章

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procured　on　the　Brazil　coast。　　He　had　not　gone　farther　south　than　37　degrees；　and　described　the　latitude　of　35　degrees　to　be　the　place　where　the　whales　most　abounded；　just　on　the　edge　of　soundings；　which　here　extends　about　fifteen　leagues　from　the　shore；　though　perhaps；　on　other　parts　of　the　coast　the　bank　will　be　found　to　run　hardly　so　far　off。

On　the　following　day　（November　11th）　the　'Mary　Anne'；　Captain　Munro；　another　of　the　whalers；　returned　into　port；　after　having　been　out　sixteen　days。　　She　had　gone　as　far　south　as　41　degrees　but　saw　not　a　whale；　and　had　met　with　tremendously　bad　weather；　in　which　she　had　shipped　a　sea　that　had　set　her　boiling　coppers　afloat　and　had　nearly　carried　them　overboard。

November　22d。　　The　'William　and　Anne'；　Captain　Buncker；　returned　after　having　been　more　than　three　weeks　out；　and　putting　into　Broken　Bay。　This　is　the　ship　that　had　killed　the　fish　in　which　Melville　shared。　Buncker　had　met　with　no　farther　success；　owing；　he　said；　entirely；　to　gales　of　wind；　for　he　had　seen　several　immense　shoals　and　was　of　opinion　that　he　should　have　secured　fifty　tons　of　oil；　had　the　weather　been　tolerably　moderate。　　I　asked　him　whether　he　thought　the　whales　he　had　seen　were　fish　of　passage。　　〃No〃　he　answered；　〃they　were　going　on　every　point　of　the　compass；　and　were　evidently　on　feeding　ground；　which　I　saw　no　reason　to　doubt　that　they　frequent。〃　　Melville　afterwards　confirmed　to　me　this　observation。　　December　3rd；　the　'Mary　Anne'　and　'Matilda'　again　returned。　　The　former　had　gone　to　the　southward；　and　off　Port　Jervis　had　fallen　in　with　two　shoals　of　whales；　nine　of　which　were　killed；　but　owing　to　bad　weather；　part　of　five　only　were　got　on　board。　　As　much；　the　master　computed；　as　would　yield　thirty　barrels　of　oil。　　He　said　the　whales　were　the　least　shy　of　any　he　had　ever　seen；　〃not　having　been　cut　up〃。　　The　latter　had　gone　to　the　northward；　and　had　seen　no　whales　but　a　few　fin…backs。

On　the　5th　of　December；　both　these　ships　sailed　again；　and　on　the　16th　and　17th　of　the　month　（just　before　the　author　sailed　for　England）　they　and　the　'Britannia'　and　'William　and　Anne'　returned　to　Port　Jackson　without　success　having　experienced　a　continuation　of　the　bad　weather　and　seen　very　few　fish。　　They　all　said　that　their　intention　was　to　give　the　coast　one　more　trial；　and　if　it　miscarried　to　quit　it　and　steer　to　the　northward　in　search　of　less　tempestuous　seas。

The　only　remark　which　I　have　to　offer　to　adventurers　on　the　above　subject；　is　not　to　suffer　discouragement　by　concluding　that　bad　weather　only　is　to　be　found　on　the　coast　of　New　South　Wales；　where　the　whales　have　hitherto　been　seen。　　Tempests　happen　sometimes　there；　as　in　other　seas；　but　let　them　feel　assured　that　there　are　in　every　month　of　the　year　many　days　in　which　the　whale　fishery　may　be　safely　carried　on。　The　evidence　of　the　abundance　in　which　spermaceti　whales　are　sometimes　seen　is　incontrovertible：　　that　which　speaks　to　their　being　'not　fish　of　passage'　is　at　least　respectable　and　hitherto　uncontradicted。　The　prospect　merits　attentionmay　it　stimulate　to　enterprise。

The　two　discoveries　of　Port　Jervis　and　Matilda　Bay　（which　are　to　be　found　in　the　foregoing　sheets）　may　yet　be　wanting　in　the　maps　of　the　coast。　My　account　of　their　geographic　situation；　except　possibly　in　the　exact　longitude　of　the　latter　（a　point　not　very　material）　may　be　safely　depended　upon。　　A　knowledge　of　Oyster　Bay；　discovered　and　laid　down　by　the　'Mercury'　store…ship；　in　the　year　1789；　would　also　be　desirable。　　But　this　I　am　incapable　of　furnishing。

Here　terminates　my　subject。　　Content　with　the　humble　province　of　detailing　facts　and　connecting　events　by　undisturbed　narration；　I　leave　to　others　the　task　of　anticipating　glorious；　or　gloomy；　consequences；　from　the　establishment　of　a　colony；　which　unquestionably　demands　serious　investigation；　ere　either　its　prosecution　or　abandonment　be　determined。

But　doubtless　not　only　those　who　planned；　but　those　who　have　been　delegated　to　execute；　an　enterprise　of　such　magnitude；　have　deeply　revolved；　that　〃great　national　expense　does　not　imply　the　necessity　of　national　suffering。　　While　revenue　is　employed　with　success　to　some　valuable　end；　the　profits　of　every　adventure　being　more　than　sufficient　to　repay　its　costs；　the　public　should　gain；　and　its　resources　should　continue　to　multiply。　　But　an　expense　whether　sustained　at　home　or　abroad；　whether　a　waste　of　the　present；　or　an　anticipation　of　the　future；　revenue；　if　it　bring　no　adequate　return；　is　to　be　reckoned　among　the　causes　of　national　ruin。〃*

＇*Ferguson's　Essay　on　the　History　of　Civil　Society。＇



A　list　of　the　Civil　and　Military　Establishments　in　New　South　Wales

Governor　and　Commander　in　Chief；　His　Excellency　Arthur　Phillip；　Esq。

Lieutenant　Governor；　Robert　Ross；　Esq。

Judge　of　the　Admiralty　Court；　Robert　Ross；　Esq。

Chaplain　of　the　Settlement；　the　Rev。　Richard　Johnson。

Judge　Advocate　of　the　Settlement；　David　Collins；　Esq。

Secretary　to　the　Governor；　David　Collins；　Esq。

Surveyor　General；　Augustus　Alt；　Esq。

Commissary　of　Stores　and　Provisions；　Andrew　Miller；　Esq。

Assistant　Commissary；　Mr。　Zechariah　Clarke。

Provost　Martial；　who　acts　as　Sheriff　of　Cumberland　County；　Mr。　Henry　Brewer。

Peace　Officer；　Mr。　James　Smith。


MILITARY　ESTABLISHMENT。

His　Majesty's　Ship　'Sirius'；　John　Hunter；　Esq。　Commander。　Lieutenants；　Bradley；　King；　Maxwell。

His　Majesty's　armed　Brig；　'Supply'；　Lieutenant　Henry　Lidgbird　Ball；　Commander。


FOUR　COMPANIES　OF　MARINES

　Major　Robert　Ross；　Commandant。


CAPTAINS　COMMANDING　COMPANIES

James　Campbell；　John　Shea；　Captain　Lieutenants；　James　Meredith；　Watkin　Tench。


FIRST　LIEUTENANTS

George　Johnson；　John　Johnson；　John　Creswell；　James　Maltland　Shairp；　Robert　Nellow；　Thomas　Davey；　James　Furzer；　Thomas　Timins；　John　Poulden。


SECOND　LIEUTENANTS

Ralph　Clarke；　John　Long；　William　Dawes；　William　Feddy。

Adjutant；　John　Long。

Quarter　Master；　James　Furzer。

Aide　de　Camp　to　the　Governor；　George　Johnson。

Officer　of　Engineers　and　Artillery；　William　Dawes。


HOSPITAL　ESTABLISHMENT。

Surgeon　General　of　the　Settlement；　John　White；　Esq。

First　Assistant；　Mr。　Dennis　Considen。

Second　Assistant；　Mr。　Thomas　Arndell。

Third　Assistant；　Mr。　William　Balmain。







End