13. Survey of Bread

Know All Men by these presents that We the undersigned having been c ailed upon by Captain Rhodes of the Barque Australian belonging to the Port of Sydney in New South Wales and now laying at anchor in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand to proceed on board the said Barque for the page 106purpose of holding a survey on Fifteen Casks of biscuit bread. We accordingly went on board this Twenty ninth day of April in die year one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven and examined the different casks, found eleven partially damaged, one entirely damaged and unfit for use, and three in a good and perfect state, but out of the eleven casks of partially damaged biscuit picked out of four of sixty and one of one hundred gallons each, estimating the quantity at about nine hundred weight of mouldy bread entirely unfit for any use. We are therefore of opinion that the damage has occurred in consequence of the casks not being properly coopered at the time the biscuit was put up.