* NEW SOUTH WALES. 117 



long ago as 1790, to treat the officers of this 

 expedition with every attention. They were 

 called the Descuvierta and Atrevicla, (the Dis- 

 covery and Intrepid,) the former commanded 

 by Don Alexandro Malaspina, commander of 

 the expedition, and the latter by Bon Jose' de 

 Bustamante y Guevra. They requested per- 

 mission to build an observatory near the point 

 of the Cove, on which the hut was built for 

 Bennillong, which hut they used as a magazine 

 for their instruments. The presence of these 

 strangers, afforded a pleasing variety to the 

 uniformity of occurences at Sydney. On the 

 21st, returned the Kitty from Norfolk Island, 

 whither she had been with provisions, and Go- 

 vernor King, returned by her, many of such 

 characters, as he had reason to believe would 

 occasion him trouble ; and he stated in his 

 dispatches, that the harvest of wheat and maize 

 had proved so prolific, that he had enough for 

 twelve months. The people were healthy, and 

 not one offence had been committed, deserving 

 punishment, for three months. 



The master of the Shah Hamuzear, having 

 submitted proposals for procuring live-stock, an 

 agreement was entered into for that purpose, 

 and Bengal settled to be the place from whence 

 they should come, as well as some provisions, 

 for which purpose he quitted the Cove on the 

 l^th of April, in company with the Chesterfield, 

 having to carry, in conjunction with that ship, 

 provisions and stores to Governor King, at 

 Norfolk Island, which, with what he had already 

 4 



