One of them addressed to the governor, with the name of
Baron Hotham affixed to it, began 'Honored Sir!'
A leading distinction, which marked the convicts on their outset in the
colony, was an use of what is called the 'flash', or 'kiddy' language.
In some of our early courts of justice an interpreter was frequently
necessary to translate the deposition of the witness and the defence of
the prisoner. This language has many dialects. The sly dexterity of the
pickpocket, the brutal ferocity of the footpad, the more elevated career
of the highwayman and the deadly purpose of the midnight ruffian is each
strictly appropriate in the terms which distinguish and characterize it.
I have ever been of opinion that an abolition of this unnatural jargon
would open the path to reformation. And my observations on these people
have constantly instructed me that indulgence in this infatuating cant
is more deeply associated with depravity and continuance in vice than is
generally supposed. I recollect hardly one instance of a return to honest
pursuits, and habits of industry, where this miserable perversion of our
noblest and peculiar faculty was not previously conquered.
Those persons to whom the inspection and management of our numerous
and extensive prisons in England are committed will perform a service
to society by attending to the foregoing observation. Let us always keep
in view, that punishment, when not directed to promote reformation,
is arbitrary, and unauthorised.
CHAPTER XIX.
Facts relating to the probability of establishing a whale fishery
on the coast of New South Wales, with Thoughts on the same.
In every former part of this publication I have studiously avoided
mentioning a whale fishery, as the information relating to it will,
I conceive, be more acceptably received in this form, by those to whom it
is addressed, than if mingled with other matter.
Previous to entering on this detail, it must be observed that several of
the last fleet of ships which had arrived from England with convicts,
were fitted out with implements for whale fishing, and were intended to
sail for the coast of Brazil to pursue the fishery, immediately on having
landed the convicts.
On the 14th of October, 1791, the 'Britannia', Captain Melville, one of
these ships, arrived at Sydney. In her passage between Van Diemen's Land
and Port Jackson, the master reported that he had seen a large shoal
of spermaceti whales. His words were, 'I saw more whales at one time
around my ship than in the whole of six years which I have fished on the
coast of Brazil.'
This intelligence was no sooner communicated than all the whalers were
eager to push to sea. Melville himself was among the most early; and on
the 10th of November, returned to Port Jackson, more confident of success
than before. He assured me that in the fourteen days which he had been
out, he had seen more spermaced whales than in all his former life.
They amounted, he said to many thousands, most of them of enormous
magnitude; and had he not met with bad weather he could have killed
as many as he pleased. Seven he did kill, but owing to the stormy
agitated state of the water, he could not get any of them aboard. In one
however, which in a momentary interval of calm, was killed and secured
by a ship in company, he shared. The oil and head matter of this fish,
he extolled as of an extraordinary fine quality. He was of opinion the
former would fetch ten pounds per ton more in London than that procured
on the Brazil coast. He had not gone farther south than 37 degrees;
and described the latitude of 35 degrees to be the place where the whales
most abounded, just on the edge of soundings, which here extends about
fifteen leagues from the shore; though perhaps, on other parts of the
coast the bank will be found to run hardly so far off.
On the following day (November 11th) the 'Mary Anne', Captain Munro,
another of the whalers, returned into port, after having been out sixteen
days. She had gone as far south as 41 degrees but saw not a whale,
and had met with tremendously bad weather, in which she had shipped a sea
that had set her boiling coppers afloat and had nearly carried them
overboard.
November 22d. The 'William and Anne', Captain Buncker, returned after
having been more than three weeks out, and putting into Broken Bay.
This is the ship that had killed the fish in which Melville shared.
Buncker had met with no farther success, owing, he said, entirely, to
gales of wind; for he had seen several immense shoals and was of opinion
that he should have secured fifty tons of oil, had the weather been
tolerably moderate. I asked him whether he thought the whales he had seen
were fish of passage. "No" he answered, "they were going on every point
of the compass, and were evidently on feeding ground, which I saw no
reason to doubt that they frequent." Melville afterwards confirmed to me
this observation. December 3rd, the 'Mary Anne' and 'Matilda' again
returned. The former had gone to the southward, and off Port Jervis
had fallen in with two shoals of whales, nine of which were killed, but
owing to bad weather, part of five only were got on board. As much,
the master computed, as would yield thirty barrels of oil. He said the
whales were the least shy of any he had ever seen, "not having been
cut up". The latter had gone to the northward, and had seen no whales
but a few fin-backs.
On the 5th of December, both these ships sailed again; and on the 16th
and 17th of the month (just before the author sailed for England) they
and the 'Britannia' and 'William and Anne' returned to Port Jackson
without success having experienced a continuation of the bad weather
and seen very few fish.
