DESCRIPTION OF SHIPPING. 159 



land, when he cannot enjoy a ramble upon it is, 

 that he attributes to it, and not without reason, either, 

 a miasmatic influence ; and, whilst in its vicinity, 

 ever}' ache or pain is attributed to its vicinage, and 

 he consoles himself by saying, "I will soon be all 

 right, when we leave this infernal land and get 

 outside." 



I cannot refrain from remarkino; on the character 

 of the shipping on this ground. At this time there 

 were some fifteen vessels cruising within an area of a 

 hundred miles — three of us Yankees, nine from 

 Hobartown, two from E"ew Zealand, and a brig from 

 Sj'dney. At daylight all might be seen busily en- 

 gaged in hoisting their topsails and spreading their 

 canvass ; during the day using their best endeavors 

 to get over as much ground as possible. At sundown, 

 sail was shortened aboard of each. The schooner 

 Otago, at the sunset hour, in fair weather, presented 

 a strange appearance; always at such times and in 

 such cases, taking in every rag and laying under 

 bare poles — the captain assigning as a reason that it 

 saved his sails. This craft original Ij^ came out from 

 'New London, Connecticut, as a tender to a whaler; 

 here she was sold, and during six months of the 

 year was employed conveying cattle and wool to 

 Sydney, and the balance in whaling. The Eliza was 

 a craft of much more aristocratic pretensions ; she 

 was a neat and tidy little schooner, and had been ori- 

 ginally constructed as a yacht for Sir John Franklin, 

 when lie Avas governor of Van Diemen's Land. 

 After the daring explorer of the frozen North had 

 removed from the Australian colonies, the Govern- 

 ment employed her as a revenue cutter ; but now she 



