New South Wales
The following particulars respecting this flourishing colony will not be unacceptable to our readers :–
“We are informed by Lieutenant Grant, who is lately arrived from New South Wales, of the flourishing state of that colony ; he left Port Jackson in November last, when the crops were very luxuriant and beginning to be cut down, without having suffered that year from the floods.
“Governor King had opened a communication with Otaheite, for the purpose of supplying the colony with pork, in which he had been singularly successful his Majesty’s armed ship Porpoise having made one trip, and the Norfolk brig having sailed on the same employ previous to Mr Grant’s leaving Sydney.
“The most friendly understanding exists between the natives of Otaheite and the settlement of New South Wales. We are happy to hear that the latter country is longer in want of a staple commodity, the article of coals, of an excellent kind, being found in abundance in Hunter’s River, together with plenty of wood, well qualified for the masting of shipping. Mr Grant made his passage to the Cape of Good Hope, round Cape Horn, in the brig Anna Josepha, loaded with spars for masts, and coals, which latter sold immediately at the Cape, at 36 rix dollars per ton (nearly 6l. sterling.)
“Governor King had formed a small settlement at Hunter’s River, for the purpose of working the coal, which is of the same nature with that of Newcastle.
“Mr Grant entered this river in the Lady Nelson, in order to obtain the survey of it. He penetrated in his boats nearly seventy miles up the same, accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Paterson, without being able at that time, to discover its source. A wood resemblingsustichad also been found.
“Mr Grant in his passage from England to Port Jackson, in the Lady Nelson, a vessel of only 60 tons burthen, with three sliding keels, and built on Captain Schank’s construction, was the first that passed through the straits which separate Van Diemens Land from New Holland, and sailed along a great extent of coast to the westward of any land before seen by those who had visited that country, going into no higher latitude than 39. 30. fourth ; and observes, that the fourth cape of New Holland lies in 39. 2. fourth. He found those he sailed along bold, with very deep water, wherever he attempted to land ; and, in general, he had, with a very moderate offing, from 50 10 45, and 30 fathoms water, fine land, and sometimes shells.
“By order of Governor King, he returned into those straits, and obtained the survey of the coast from Wilson’s Promontory to Western Port, with the survey of that harbour, which is well sheltered, and capable of containing many sail of shipping. There is abundance of wood easily to be got, and plenty of water ; though the latter is rather difficult to be procured, on account of the distance, and from several shoals lying in the way, which render it necessary to take advantage of tide. Mr Grant gives a very favourable report of that part of the country.
Citation: Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, United Kingdom), 01 July 1802, available at the Scissors and Paste Database, http://www.scissorsandpaste.net/102.