j 52 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [November,, 



vernor had thus addrefTed them. The prevailing difeafe was a dyfen- 

 tery, which was accompanied by a general debility. 



From her intended trial of the whale- fifhery on the coaft the Bri- 

 tannia arrived on the 10th, and was followed on the next day by 

 the Mary Ann. The former, in company with the William and Ann* 

 the day me went out, killed feven fpermaceti whales, two only of 

 which they were able to fecure, on account of the bad weather that 

 prevailed. From the whale which fell to the Britannia's fhare,, 

 although but a fmall one, thirteen barrels of oil were procured ; and,, 

 in the opinion of the mafter, the oil, from its containing a greater 

 proportion of that valuable part of the fifh called by the whalers, the 

 head-matter, was worth ten pounds more per ton than that of the 

 fifh of any part of the world that he had been in. He thought that 

 a moft advantageous voyage might be made upon that coaft, as he 

 was confident upwards of fifteen thoufand whales were feen in the 

 firft ten days that he was abfent, the greater number of which were 

 obferved off the harbour of Sydney ; and he was prevented, from 

 filling his fhip by bad weather alone, having met with only one day 

 during the time he was out in which he could lower down a boat. 



The fuceefs and report of the matter of the Mary Ann. were very: 

 different ; he had been as far to the fouthward as the latitude of 75 0 

 without feeing a whale ; and in a gale of wind fhipped a fea that ftove 

 two of his boats, and warned down the veffels for boiling the oil, 

 which were fixed in brick-work, and to repair which he was obliged 

 to return into port. •■ 



The Matilda came in a few days afterwards from Jervis Bay, being 

 leaky. They had feen many whales, but were prevented by the bad?- 

 nefs of the weather from killing any. 



The William and Ann foon followed, confirming the report of the 

 great number of fifh which were to be feen upon the coaft, and the 

 difficulty of getting at them. She had killed only one, and came in 

 to repair her main-maft. 



A dif- 



