ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [April, 



Bengal with a cargo for Port Jackfon upon fpeculation. The Gover- 

 nor was informed by the fupercargo (one of the three who had ar- 

 rived), that the fhip had fprung a dangerous leak before fhe had 

 rounded the South Gape, which, as foon as they had got to the eaft- 

 ward of the fouthern part of the coaft, increafed to fo great a degree, 

 as to render it abfolutely neceffary to haul in for land ; which they 

 reached but juft in time to ground the fhip when fhe was dropping 

 from under them, having a&ually funk down to the fore channels 

 when they ran her upon the ground, which they did on an iOand in 

 lat. 40 0 37' fouth. They met with this misfortune in the middle of 

 February ; foon after w T hich a certain number of them refolved to at- 

 tempt reaching Port Jackfon in the fhip's long-boat, leaving the com- 

 mander and about thirty people to ftay by the wreck. The boat being 

 prepared, feventeen people embarked in her, and failed ; but, meeting 

 with much bad weather, they w T ere again wrecked, being driven on 

 fhore on the coaft near Point Hicks. Here they all landed, and en- 

 deavoured to travel northward, but dropped one by one, and loft 

 each other daily, until the number was reduced to five, the three who 

 had arrived (the fupercargo, a failor, and a lafcar), the firft mate of 

 the fhip, who had undertaken the navigation of the long boat, and 

 the carpenter. Thefe two, from exceflive fatigue, had been unable 

 to proceed any further, and had flopped the day before their com- 

 panions in this miferable journey had been taken up by the fifhing- 

 boat. 



To fearch for thefe unfortunate people, a whale boat was difpatched 

 the following day, properly provided with fuch comforts as were ne- 

 ceffary for perfons in their weak and wretched condition. They pro- 

 ceeded to the fpot pointed out by Mr. Clarke, the fupercargo, as that 

 where they had loft fight of their companions ; but after the moft 

 anxious endeavours could difcover only fome trifling articles, which 

 were known to have been in their poffeflion; and thefe being bloody, 

 it was conje&ured that they had been killed in their very helplefs con- 

 dition by the natives, whom, in the courfe of their long march, they 



had 



