<zyi ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [November, 



On the 7th of November, the Francis fchooner returned from 

 Dufky Bay in New Zealand. It was found that, by rigging this little 

 veffel as a fchooner in (lead of a floop ; for which fhe was built, her 

 failing had been materially affected. Four times fhe was blown off 

 the coaft of New Zealand. She left Mr. Raven and his fhip's com- 

 pany well at Dufky Bay, but his people had taken only four thou land 

 iive hundred feal fkins. Mr. Raven ftated the fpruce fir of that 

 country to be the fitteft wood that he had obferved for fhip-building, 

 and it might be procured in any quantity or of any fize. The car- 

 penter of the Britannia, an ingenious man, and matter of his pro- 

 feffion, compared it to Englifh oak for durability and ftrength. 



The natives had not molefted the Britannia's people : indeed, they 

 feemed rather to abhor them ; for, if by chance, in their excurfions 

 (which Were very few), they vifited and Left any thing in a hut, they 

 were fure, on their next vifit, to find the hut pulled down, and their 

 prefent remaining where it was left. Some little articles which Mr. 

 Raven had himfelf placed in a hut, when he touched there to eftablifh 

 his little fifhery, were found three months after by his people in the 

 fame fpot. 



Their weather had been very bad ; fevere gales of wind from the 

 north-weft, and heavy rains, often impeding the fifhery and other 

 labour. A (hock of an earthquake too had been felt. They had an 

 abundance of frefh provifions, ducks, wood-hens, and feveral other 

 fowl, and caught large quantities of fifh. The foil, to a great depth, 

 appeared to be compofed of decayed vegetable fubftances. 



Nothing appeared, by this information from Dufky Bay, that held 

 out encouragement to the. government of Port Jackfon to make any N 

 ufe of that part of New Zealand. So little was faid of the foil, or face 

 of the country, that no judgment could be formed of -any advantages 

 which might be expected from attempting to cultivate it : a feal-fifhery 

 there, was not an object with it at prefent ; and, befide, it did not feem 

 to promife much. The time the fchooner was abfent, however, was not 

 wholly mifapplied, it proving the event of having, as Mr. Raven had 



done, 



