* 



124 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY ^February, 



being loft ; the crew to be landed at the Cape, and himfelf to be fur- 

 niflied with a paffage to England. On receiving this fecond offer, 

 his Excellency informed him, that, inftead of his propofal, one pound 

 fterling per ton per month mould be given for the hire of the fnow, 

 to be paid when the voyage fhould be completed. With this offer, 

 the mafter, notwithftanding his having quitted the cove on his firft 

 terms being rejected, declared himfelf fatisfied, and directly returned 

 to the cove, faluting with five guns on his coming to an anchor. 



After fome delay, occafioned by the perverfenefs and ignorance 

 of this man, the charter-party was finally fettled ; he confenting to 

 be paid for only three hundred tons, inftead of three hundred and 

 fifty, for which fhe had been impofed upon Lieutenant Ball at 

 Batavia. 



The Supply, after an abfence of five weeks, returned from Nor- 

 folk Ifland, having on board Captain Hunter, with the officers and 

 people of the Sirius. They brought a confirmation that the fears 

 which had been entertained of the diftrefled fituation of that fettle- 

 ment had been too well founded. The fupply of provifions which 

 was difpatched in the Juftinian and Surprize reached them at a critical 

 point of time, there being in ftore on the 7th of Auguft, when they 

 appeared off the ifland, provifions but for a few days at the ration 

 then iflued, which was three pounds of flour and one pint of rice 5 

 or, in lieu of flour, three pounds of Indian meal or of wheat, ground, 

 and not feparated from the hufks or the bran. Their fait provifions 

 were fo nearly expended, that while a bird or a fifli could be procured 

 no fait meat was iflued. The weekly ration of this article was only 

 one pound and a half of beef, or feventeen ounces of pork. What 

 their fituation might have been but for the providential fupply of birds 

 that they met with, it is impoflible to fay; to themfelves it had 

 appeared too big with calamity to be contemplated .without terror. 

 On Mount Pitt they were fortunate enough to obtain, in an abundance 

 almoft incredible, a fpecies of aquatic birds, anfwering the defcription 

 ©f that known by the name of the Puffin* Thefe birds came in from 



the 



