1 794. J OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 265 



In confequence of the fupplies received by the Indifpenfable, the 

 full ration of flour was directed to be ifTued, and the CommhTary was 

 ordered not to receive for the prefent any more Indian corn that 

 might be brought to fale. 



The arrival of the Britannia on the firft of June gave general fatisfae- 

 tion, as many doubts about her fafety had been created by fome ac- 

 counts which the m after of the Indifpenfable had heard at the Cape 

 of Good Hope, of the Bay of Bengal being full of French privateers. 

 They learned from Mr. Raven, that he had been forced to go to Ba- 

 tavia inftead of Bengal, having been attacked in the Straits of Malacca 

 by a fleet of piratical Proas, which engaged him for fix hours, and 

 from whom he might have found fome difficulty to efcape, had he not 

 fortunately killed the Captain of one of them when in the ad: of making 

 preparations for boarding him. At Batavia he was informed, that his 

 pafTage to Bengal was, by the number of French privateers which in- 

 fefted the Bay, rendered very precarious ; he therefore determined to 

 load the Britannia at Batavia, and, after fome neceffary arrange- 

 ments with the Governor-General and Council, purchafed a cargo 

 confifting of beef, pork, fugar and rice. 



At Batavia Mr. Raven learned, that the Shah Hormuzear failed 

 from thence for Bombay three months before he arrived there ; and 

 the report given by the late convict of the difafter which befel the 

 boat and people from that fhip, in the pafTage through the Straits be- 

 tween New South Wales and New Guinea, was confirmed at Batavia. 

 As, however, Mr. Bampton had not fmce been heard of, it feemed more 

 than probable that he had fallen a prize to fome of the privateers 

 which were to be met with in thofe feas. 



On the 8th, the Speedy, a ftoremip commanded by Mr. Melville, 

 arrived with ftores and provifions from England ; and on the 14th, 

 the Halcyon, a fhip from Rhode Ifland, loaded on fpeculation with 

 provifions and fpirits, anchored in the Cove. 



Mr. Page, the matter, had made his pafTage from Rhode Ifland in 

 one hundred and fifteen days, and without touching at any port. This 



m m gentleman. 



