at the commissary's office. Such as might appear to have been sent out
for life were told they need not despair of being, in due time, again the
masters of their own labours; as every one must have seen, that a decent,
orderly, industrious and obedient conduct, had frequently recommended
many of their description to public favour.

June.] On the 2nd of this month, the _Diana_ and _Eliza_
whalers came in to refit, and to refresh their crews. They had each
procured about twenty-five tons of spermaceti oil since they left the
port, and had spoke the _Britannia_, which had been more successful,
she having, in all, one hundred and ten tons of oil on board.

About this time the _Indispensable_ sailed on her fishing voyage.
This ship had been careened and completely repaired in the Cove.

From the experience of the masters of these whalers, there was every
reason to believe, that ships resorting hither, properly fitted for the
variable weather which they are liable to meet with upon the coast, would
most certainly succeed. The ships that had arrived, in general, were not
prepared for the weather of this ocean, but were fitted for the more
certain and serene skies of the coast of Peru; which occasioned their so
frequently running into port to refit. In this, such assistance as the
colony could supply was always readily afforded them; and it might be
worthy the attention of the houses of Messrs. Champion, Enderby, and
others, owners of ships in the whale fishery, to establish a depot or
warehouse at Sydney, well supplied with naval stores, where their
business could be transacted by their own people, and their ships
refitted with their own materials.

If try-pots were fixed at some convenient place near the entrance of the
harbour, and many such offer, where their warehouse might also be
established, the fishing ground not being far from the coast, might not a
ship run in with the whale in blubber, leave it to be tried out, and in
the mean while put to sea in quest of more? If any time would be saved by
this mode of proceeding, it surely would be worth adopting; but of this
these gentlemen must be the better judges.

In the evening on the fourth of June, which had been observed as His
Majesty's birthday with every demonstration of loyalty and respect, the
weather became very tempestuous, and continued for three days blowing a
heavy gale from the southward, attended with a deluge of rain; by which
several buildings belongin