VOYAGE TO NEW SOUTH WALES, 
coined out of old buckles, buttons belonging to the marines, 
and pewter fpoons, during their paflage from TenerilFe. 
The impreflion, milling, charader, in a word, the whole 
was fo inimitably executed, that had their metal been a little 
better, the fraud,. I am convinced, would have pafied unde- 
tedted. A ftridt and careful fearch was made for the appa- 
tatus wherewith this was done, but in vain ; not the fmalleft 
trace or veftige of any thing of the kind was to be found 
among them. How they managed this bufinefs without 
difcovery, or how they could effedt it at all, is a matter of 
inexpreflible furprife to me ; as they never were fuiFered to^ 
come near a £tre j and a centinel was conftantly placed over 
their hatchway, which, one would imagine, rendered it impof- 
Hble for either fire or fufed metal to be conveyed into their 
apartments. Befides, hardly ten minutes ever elapfed^ 
without an officer of Ibme degree or other going down among 
them. The adroitnefs, therefore, with which they muft; 
have managed, in order to complete a bufinefs that- required 
£o complicated a procefs, gave me a high opini0n of their 
ingenuity, cunning, caution, and addrefs j and I could not 
help wifiiing that thefe qualities had been employed to more 
kudable purpofes. The officers of marines, the mafter of 
the 
