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The Whaling Journal of Captain W. B. Rhodes: Barque Australian of Sydney 1836 - 1838

8. Owners' further instructions: Cooper and Holt to Captain Rhodes

8. Owners' further instructions: Cooper and Holt to Captain Rhodes

Waterloo Warehouse, Sydney,New South Wales, 28th February, 1837.

Capt.W. B. Rhodes,
Barque Australian.

Sir,

We have received your several letters, communicating your indifferent success hitherto and your expectations and prospects, as detailed in your letter of the 7th December last, page 100of making up for lost time and Outlay of Provisions and Stores, provided six months' additional provisions were sent you together with sundry stores and Trade Goods as specified by you.

Altho' you went to sea well and sufficiently victualled for Twelve Months and little more than Eight Months are now elapsed, we have resolved to send you the supplies you write for, in order to afford you every possible chance of retrieving your voyage by the trial of another season in the Black Whale Fishery. You will accordingly receive these supplies by the present conveyance the Schooner Currency Lass, Capt ——— should he find you at the Bay of Islands, or if not, you will receive the same from Capt. Clendon there, into whose custody they will be delivered to wait your arrival. Enclosed you will receive a Bill of Lading and List specifying the quantities &c. and the Expense of which additional stores and provisions, Casks and Shooks included, with the Freight, will not be less than £650, in addition to which, we incur further expense to extend the Insurance for another season in the Black Whale Fishery. But you will be careful to observe that by the Clauses in the Policies of Insurance you are permitted in the pursuit of the Black Whaling Fishery to enter the following Ports and places and no other, namely,

Cloudy Bay
Port Cooper

Otago and
Chatham Islands,—You cannot therefore be unlimited' as to Bay Whaling as you propose.

On the conclusion of this next season's Black Whale Fishery you are to return from thence direct to Sydney without engaging again (whether full or not full) in the Sperm Whale Fishery. Your voluntary deviation from these our Orders and Instructions will vitiate our Policies of Insurance. And you should be aware that your going into any unpermitted Port, or your pursuing for a single day or hour any unpermitted page 101purpose, even tho' you meet with no accident in either, is a deviation to all intents and purposes, and would prevent our recovery in the event of any subsequent loss or disaster. We wish you to understand, however, that on leaving the Bay of Islands you are not restricted from pursuing a Sperm Whale Fishery, if occasion should present itself, previously to your recommencing Black Whaling, but that on the conclusion of the next season's Black Whale Fishery, you are not on any account whatever to engage again in the Sperm Whale Fishery, but to return as abovementioned, direct to Sydney.

With respect to sending up all or any part of your Cargo that may be already obtained on the receipt thereof you have our authority to do so, and we have accordingly arranged for its transhipment on board the Schooner Currency Lass and agreed with the owner of that vessel as to the Freight of the same. The Shooks or Packs and Casks now sent to you will replace the casks sent up with the Oil as far as we have been able to obtain room for the same on board the Currency Lass.

You will not fail to send up with any Oil or Bone you may ship for Sydney the Certificate of yourself and first Officer (in the form of the enclosed) of the same being British Fishing, otherwise it will not be admitted to entry as such here.

You will also fill up and transmit to us at the same time a Bill of Lading for the oil &c. shipped for which purpose we enclose you a Blank Set of Bills Lading. The Freight you will state to be 'payable as to agreement with the owners here' you will also write us in duplicate by some other opportunity sending us a second Bill Lading, or leave such letter and Bill Lading with Capt Clendon for transmission to us when opportunity may offer—so that in case of loss we may have the means of proving our Interest. In the body of the Bill of Lading you will mention the number of Tuns of Oil or weight of Bone as near as possible.

Wishing you better success henceforward, We remain,

Sir, Your Obdt. Hble. Servts.

Cooper & Holt