220 ENGLISH CLAIM OF FISHING PRIVILEGE. 



wliicli she broke her windlass whilst getting under 

 weigh last year. From all accounts her Hobartown 

 crew had been anything but orderly and obedient, 

 so that the captain was glad to be rid of them. 

 Amongst the men at the fishery there were several 

 Americans who had been in this section of the world 

 for years ; they did not like the country, and, if we 

 had wanted men, would gladly have engaged and 

 gone home with us. 



It is the law of the English government, that no 

 fishing; shall be carried on within three miles of the 

 coast of colonies. This law . is a dead letter in 

 the Indian Ocean, excepting where their fisheries 

 exist; and I am sure that, had whales made their 

 appearance in this bay whilst we were present, our 

 boats would have been down amongst them. The 

 men at the fishery strongly urged their exclusive 

 right to this privilege ; but, at the same time, they 

 informed us that, a few weeks previous, the ship 

 Congress, of New Bedford, had taken a humpback 

 whilst lying where we now were ; for, having no 

 casks at the fishery, they were necessitated to buy 

 some from the ship, and because of this favor, they 

 had agreed not to interfere with their prize. 



Returning from the fishery, we took a short cut 

 through the bush, which is lower here than any I have 

 seen elsewhere in Australia — no tree or shrub ap- 

 pearing that was over eight feet in height. Amidst 

 the general desolation, beautiful flowers of various de- 

 scriptions and colors sprung up ; forming a strange 

 contrast, and appearing as if Nature, to make amends 

 for the general loneliness and negligence displayed, 



