78 THE WHILE FISHERY. 



upon another trial, and having made the necessary prepara- 

 tions acrain set ont about the end of November. Early in 

 December the " Matilda" and "Mary Ann" returned. Of 

 whales, the "Matilda" saw none, but the "Mary Ann " was 

 more fortunate. By going south she killed nine fish, securing 

 five, which yielded thirty barrels of oil, when the weather 

 became again bad. The vessels again sailed immediately after 

 their arrival, and ran down south as far as 36° 30', l3ut returned 

 on tlie 16th December, without killing a fish. The " Sala- 

 mander" and "Britannia " arrived at the same time, reporting 

 the same ill-fortime. Disheartened by these successive failures, 

 the masters of some of the ships gave up all hopes of the- 

 establishment of a whale fishery in these seas ; but the 

 "Salamander" and "Britannia," on the 7th of January in 

 the new year, started on a three months' cruise, with the 

 intention at the expiration of that time, according to their 

 success, either to return to Port Jackson or pursue their 

 vovasre north. From the absence, however, of further notice 

 of the two vessels, it seems probable that their success was 

 meagre, and that the expressed intention of going north was 

 carried out. 



In 179tL renewed efforts seem to have been put forth. 

 Captain Melville, having again put in an appearance in Port 

 Jackson, sailed on a trial voyage on the 2ncl August of that 

 year. He returned, however, Avithout having seen a fish ; 

 subsequently he made repeated efforts with varying success. 



On the 29th December, 179S, the " Indispensable " and 

 " Britannia," which had been fishing on tlie coast for some 

 time, appeared in port for repairs and to refresh their crews. 

 They had cruised chiefly between the latitudes of 32° and 35°, 

 not further from the coast than twenty to thirty leagues, and 

 thought themselves tolerably sucessful for the time (only two 

 months), the one having secured fifty-four and the other 

 sixty tuns of spermaceti oil. Another vessel, the " Eliza " 

 put into Botany Bay for wood and water, and, although 

 much longer at sea than the other two, had secured only 

 forty-five tuns of oil. 



In March, 1799, the "Britannia" arrived again in Port 

 Jackson with twenty-five tuns of sperm oil, the master 

 reporting that had the weather been favourable he would have 

 half filled his ship. On the 2nd June in the same year the 

 "Diana" and "Eliza" arrived, each having twenty-five 



