第50章

By the governor's letters we learned that a large fleet of transports,with convicts on board,and His Majesty's ship Gorgon,(Captain Parker)might soon be expected to arrive.The following intelligence which they contained,was also made public.

That such convicts as had served their period of transportation,were not to be compelled to remain in the colony;but that no temptation should be offered to induce them to quit it,as there existed but too much reason to believe,that they would return to former practices;that those who might choose to settle in the country should have portions of land,subject to stipulated restrictions,and a portion of provisions assigned to them on signifying their inclinations;and that it was expected,that those convicts who might be possessed of means to transport themselves from the country,would leave it free of all incumbrances of a public nature.

The rest of the fleet continued to drop in,in this and the two succeeding months.The state of the convicts whom they brought out,though infinitely preferable to what the fleet of last year had landed,was not unexceptionable.Three of the ships had naval agents on board to control them.Consequently,if complaint had existed there,it would have been immediately redressed.Exclusive of these,the 'Salamander',(Captain Nichols)who,of 155men lost only five;and the 'William and Anne'(Captain Buncker)who of 187men lost only seven,I find most worthy of honourable mention.In the list of convicts brought out was Barrington,of famous memory.

Two of these ships also added to our geographic knowledge of the country.

The 'Atlantic',under the direction of Lieutenant Bowen,a naval agent,ran into a harbour between Van Diemen's land,and Port Jackson,in latitude 35degrees 12minutes south,longitude 151degrees east,to which,in honour of Sir John Jervis,Knight of the Bath,Mr.Bowen gave the name of Port Jervis.Here was found good anchoring ground with a fine depth of water,within a harbour about a mile and a quarter broad at its entrance,which afterwards opens into a basin five miles wide and of considerable length.They found no fresh water,but as their want of this article was not urgent,they did not make sufficient researches to pronounce that none existed there.They saw,during the short time they stayed,two kangaroos and many traces of inhabitants.The country at a little distance to the southward of the harbour is hilly,but that contiguous to the sea is flat.On comparing what they had found here afterwards,with the native produce of Port Jackson,they saw no reason to think that they differed in any respect.

[Just before I left the country,word was brought by a ship which had put into Port Jervis,that a large fresh water brook was found there.]

The second discovery was made by Captain Wetherhead,of the 'Matilda'transport,which was obligingly described to me,as follows,by that gentleman,on my putting to him the underwritten questions.

"When did you make your discovery?"

"On the 27th of July,1791."

"In what latitude and longitude does it lie?"

"In 42degrees 15minutes south by observation,and in 1481/2east by reckoning"

"Is it on the mainland or is it an island?"