a complete account of the settlement-第47章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


an　we　had　witnessed　many　proofs。　　The　governor　had　written　to　England　for　a　set　of　locks　to　be　sent　out　for　the　security　of　the　public　stores；　which　were　to　be　so　constructed　as　to　be　incapable　of　being　picked。　　On　their　arrival　his　excellency　sent　for　Frazer　and　bade　him　examine　them　telling　him　at　the　same　time　that　they　could　not　be　picked。　　Frazer　laughed　and　asked　for　a　crooked　nail　only；　to　open　them　all。　　A　nail　was　brought；　and　in　an　instant　he　verified　his　assertion。　　Astonished　at　his　dexterity；　a　gentleman　present　determined　to　put　it　to　farther　proof。　　He　was　sent　for　in　a　hurry；　some　days　after；　to　the　hospital；　where　a　lock　of　still　superior　intricacy　and　expense　to　the　others　had　been　provided。　　He　was　told　that　the　key　was　lost　and　that　the　lock　must　be　immediately　picked。　　He　examined　it　attentively；　remarked　that　it　was　the　production　of　a　workman；　and　demanded　ten　minutes　to　make　an　instrument　'to　speak　with　it。'　　Without　carrying　the　lock　with　him；　he　went　directly　to　his　shop；　and　at　the　expiration　of　his　term　returned；　applied　his　instrument；　and　open　flew　the　lock。　　But　it　was　not　only　in　this　part　of　his　business　that　he　excelled：　　he　executed　every　branch　of　it　in　superior　style。　　Had　not　his　villainy　been　still　more　notorious　than　his　skill；　he　would　have　proved　an　invaluable　possession　to　a　new　country。　　He　had　passed　through　innumerable　scenes　in　life；　and　had　played　many　parts。　　When　too　lazy　to　work　at　his　trade　he　had　turned　thief　in　fifty　different　shapes；　was　a　receiver　of　stolen　goods；　a　soldier　and　a　travelling　conjurer。　　He　once　confessed　to　me　that　he　had　made　a　set　of　tools；　for　a　gang　of　coiners；　every　man　of　whom　was　hanged。

Were　the　nature　of　the　subject　worthy　of　farther　illustration；　many　similar　proofs　of　misapplied　talents　might　be　adduced。

Their　love　of　the　marvellous　has　been　recorded　in　an　early　part　of　this　work。　　The　imposture　of　the　gold　finder；　however　prominent　and　glaring；　nevertheless　contributed　to　awaken　attention　and　to　create　merriment。　He　enjoyed　the　reputation　of　a　discoverer；　until　experiment　detected　the　imposition。　　But　others　were　less　successful　to　acquire　even　momentary　admiration。　　The　execution　of　forgery　seems　to　demand　at　least　neatness　of　imitation　and　dexterity　of　address。　　On　arrival　of　the　first　fleet　of　ships　from　England；　several　convicts　brought　out　recommendatory　letters　from　different　friends。　　Of　these　some　were　genuine；　and　many　owed　their　birth　to　the　ingenuity　of　the　bearers。　　But　these　last　were　all　such　bungling　performances　as　to　produce　only　instant　detection　and　succeeding　contempt。　　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　Jacks