105 1ITS.TORY OF 



The Britannia, Mary-Ann, William and Ann, 

 and Matilda, made an excursion as an experi- 

 ment to see how far it might answer the pur- 

 pose to visit this, coast as a whale fishery ; hut 

 owing to the badness of the weather few could 

 be secured though several were killed ; but from 

 the great numbers seen, the masters of the ves- 

 sels determined to give it another trial as soon 

 as they could refit, which they did with much 

 the same success. On the 26th of November, 

 the Supply, Lieut. Ball, sailed for England, at 

 which time there were 921 acres of land thin- 

 ned, cleared, and cultivated. This month the 

 mortality was so great that 50 male and four 

 female convicts died ; and a servant of Mr, 

 White's in passing from his house to the kitchen, 

 without his hat, was deprived of sense and 

 motion by a ray of the sun, and died the next 

 day. At twelve o'clock that day, the thermo- 

 meter stood at 94° -J-, and the wind was N. W. 

 As the heat of the water affected the quality, 

 and assisted by the watering the transports, 

 considerably decreased the run of water, the 

 Governor ordered the stone masons gang, to 

 cut tanks in the rocks, as reservoirs, for water 

 enough to last a considerable time. On the 3d 

 of December, the Albemarle and Active sailed 

 for India, and at and after this time orders were 

 given to all masters or captains to deliver up 

 any convicts or others, who might be found 

 secreted on board, the first opportunity, to the 

 British Government. The Gorgon sailed for 

 England on the 1 8th of December. In January 



