Lieut.-Governor King to the Marquis of Buckingham.^*

Extract from a letter from Lieutenant-Governor King to the

Right Hon’ble the Marquis of Buckingham, dated Sydney,

New South Wales, 24th Oct., 1791.

Our voyage from the Cape of Good Hope can by no means be called a bad one. Many gales of wind happened, and the seas were in general very high; but in a ship like the Gorgon those incon- page 138 veniences are not much felt, and was it not for the extreme cold (the thermometer being, on an average, below 40°) and the wet state of the ship, which made us unfortunately loose a part of our stock, the voyage, altho’ in the depth of winter, and running 5,000 miles in the parallel of 43° and 44°, might be called a very good one.

The general run of all the transports and the Gorgon from the Cape of Good Hope to this port was eight weeks.

Out of 25 cows, 3 bulls, 62 ewes, 4 rams, and 11 swine taken on board at the Cape we lost 8 cows, 3 bulls, 8 ewes, 3 rams; but to make up in part for those losses a very fine bull calf, 17 cows, and a cow calf are in very good condition, and grazing at Parramatta with about 60 ewes.

Very great exertions have been made here, and a vast tract of land cleared. A number of people have become settlers, one of which has been some months independant, and the rest are making great advances towards it. From present appearances, I think there is every reason to expect a plentiful crop of Indian corn. The wheat has suffered very much from the great droughts; for sixteen months scarce any rain; but some late rains has given it a more promising appearance. Poultry, swine, and goats would have been in great abundance had there been corn to support them, and which there will be in plenty when the crops are got in.

Respecting Norfolk Island, we have the most flattering accounts (both publick and private) of the appearance of a very plentiful harvest. A person sent there some time ago has made considerable improvements in dressing the New Zealand flax found on the island, from which he has made some very good coarse canvas.

There is a circumstance which will add greatly to the consequence of this settlement, which is the whale fishery. Most of the whalers which were destined for the west coast of America have altered their plans, and are now going to fish on this coast. The most experienced master of those ships declared on his arrival here “that in one day he saw more spermaceti whales on this coast than he had done on the coast of Brazil in six years.“ In the Gorgon we passed through a shoal of fifty. It is needless for me to point out the very obvious advantages which will accrue to the colony if this fishery succeeds, and which I think there is very little doubt of. Four of those [whaling ships] sailed yesterday to fish on the coast.