314 HISTORY or 



den impulse, which nearly renders it impossible 

 to trust them with security. 



The men belonging* to the boats were not 

 heard of for some time, which made it feared 

 they had been murdered, but they very fortu- 

 nately reached the settlement in perfect safety. 

 On the 24th of April, the Nautilus returned 

 from Norfolk Island, and with her a Spanish 

 ship, a prize to two whalers, captured off Cape 

 Blanco on the coast of Peru. The Spaniard was 

 bound from Lima to Guiaqnill. 



A vice-admiralty court being: assembled, she 

 was condemned as a legal prize, and that part of 

 her cargo, consisting of sugar and flour, was in 

 a few days sold by public auction ; but a quan- 

 tity of an ardent spirit, similar to the aqua 

 ardente of the Brazils, the Governor would not 

 allow to be sold. 



This new circumstance in the history of New 

 SouthWales, wore the very promising appearance 

 of rendering it of more consequence than it 

 had previously been ; it indeed proved, that in a 

 Dutch or Spanish war, it might become a place 

 of importance, as it at once offered a reception 

 to the prizes, and a court were they could be con* 

 demned, as well as a market for their cargoes. 



On the 26th, the Norfolk returned from 

 Norfolk Island, with information that the maize 

 harvest had entirely failed, in consequence of 

 the long drought. 



The want of clothing, during April, stimulated 

 several experiments to be made, to remedy what 

 indeed there seemed no other way of getting the 



