Leviathan. 
229 
and in the old Sydney shipping records of the 
first years of this century there are many such 
entries as these : Arrived— Favourite, March 
10, 1806, from Boston, America; having re¬ 
freshed, she sailed for the fishery. Comanche, 
from Juan Fernandez, with 300 barrels ; called 
to refresh, etc. etc. 
The Sydney Gazette came into existence 
in March, 1803, and it was then and for several 
years the only newspaper in this part of the world. 
From its columns we learn that on February 14th 
“ arrived the Greenwich whaler, Mr. Alexander 
Law, master, with 1,700 barrels of spermaceti 
oil, procured mostly off the north-east coast of 
New Zealand. The whalers she left cruising off 
that coast, and which may be expected here to 
refit about the beginning of June, are the 
Venus, Albion, and Alexander." The Venus 
duly arrived with 1,400 barrels of oil, and 
reported how her master had nearly lost his 
life when acting as harpooner, by the coil 
of the line getting entangled in his leg 
and dragging him overboard, but one of 
the boat’s crew cut the line just in time 
to save his captain. From this date on¬ 
ward for a long time almost the only news 
