and properties
thereon," he (King) had, while waiting for instructions from England,
decided to prevent any foreigner whatever from building vessels whose
length of keel exceeded 14 feet, except, of course, such vessel was
built in consequence of shipwreck by distressed seamen. There was
nothing unreasonable in this prohibition, as the whole territory being
a penal settlement, one of the Royal instructions for its government was
that no person should be allowed to build vessels without the express
permission of the Governor, so the Americans were only asked to obey
the existing law. The proclamation ended with a clause ordering that
all vessels coming from the State of New York should do fourteen days
quarantine in consequence of the plague having broken out there. Just
about this time news reached Sydney that the crew of an American sealer
lying in Kent's Bay among Cape Barren Islands (Bass's Straits) were
building a schooner from the wreck of an East Indiaman named the _Sydney
Cave_--a ship famous in Australian sea story. King despatched an officer
to the spot with orders to "command the master to desist from
building any vessel whatever, and should he refuse to comply, you will
immediately cause the King's mark to be put on some of the timbers, and
forbid him and his people from prosecuting the work, and also forbid the
erection of any habitation on any part of the coast... taking care not
to suffer any or the least act of hostility, or losing sight of the
attention due to the subjects of the United States," &c.

Writing to England on this matter, King says: "This is the third
American vessel that has within the last twelve months been in the
Straits and among the islands, procuring seal skins and oils for the
China market." In the same letter he tells how the loss of the ships
_Cato_ and _Porpoise_ on Wreck Reef had led to the discovery of
_beche-de-mer_ which could then be sold in Canton for L50 a ton; this
find was another reason for keeping foreigners out of Australian waters.

As no more is heard of the schooner building in Bass's Straits, we may
assume that the Americans quietly obeyed the laws and desisted; but
there were soon more causes of trouble.

In March, 1805, a general order set forth that American ships, after
receiving assistance and relief at Sydney Cove, were continually
returning this hospitality by secreting on board and carrying off
runaway convicts, and so it was ordered that every English or