as I got in and got clear
of my live lumber, to make all possible dispatch on the fishery
on this coast.

On our arrival here, I waited upon his Excellency Governor
Phillip, and delivered my letters to him. I had the mortification
to find he wanted to dispatch me with my convicts to
Norfolk-Island, and likewise wanted to purchase our vessel to
stay in the country, which I refused to do. I immediately told
him the secret of seeing the whales, thinking that would get me
off going to Norfolk-Island, that there was a prospect of
establishing a fishery here, and might be of service to the
colony, and left him. I waited upon him two hours afterwards with
a box directed to him: he took me into a private room, he told me
he had read my letters, and that he would render me every service
that lay in his power; that next morning he would dispatch every
long-boat in the fleet to take our convicts out, and take our
stores out immediately, which he did accordingly, and did every
thing to dispatch us on the fishery. Captain King used all his
interest in the business; he gave his kind respects to you.

The secret of seeing whales our sailors could not keep from
the rest of the whalers here, the news put them all to the stir,
but have the pleasure to say, we were the first ship ready for
sea; notwithstanding they had been some of them a month arrived
before us. We went out, in company with the William and Ann, the
eleventh day after our arrival. The next day after we went out,
we had very bad weather, and fell in with a very great number of
sperm whales.

At sun-rising in the morning, we could see them all round the
horizon. We run through them in different bodies till two o'clock
in the afternoon, when the weather abated a little, but a very
high sea running. I lowered away two boats, and Bunker followed
the example; in less than two hours we had seven whales killed,
but unfortunately a heavy gale came on from the south-west, and
took the ship aback with a squall, that the ship could only fetch
two of them, the rest we were obliged to cut from, and make the
best of our way on board to save the boats and crew. The William
and Ann saved one, and we took the other and rode by them all
night with a heavy gale of wind. Next morning it moderated, and
we took her in; she made us twelve barrels.

We saw large whales next day, but were not able to lower away
our boats; we saw whales every day for a week after, but the
weather being so b