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The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803-1842) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article625952
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SHIP NEWS.
On Monday arrived His Majesty's Ship Calcutta, D. WOODRIFFE, Esq. Commander, from Port Philip, from whence she sailed the 8th instant, leaving the Ocean and the Francis schooner, the former of which reached that Port in bad repair the 11th, and the latter on the 13th. When the Calcutta sailed the Lady Nelson had not arrived; but on the 21st Capt. Woodriffe passed her near to Kent's Group, being from stress of weather obliged to put in to refit: And as soon as the Francis is repaired, we learn, it is the in- tention of Lieutenant-Governor COLLINS to send her out upon survey to Port Dalrymple.
On Monday also arrived the Schooner Govenor
King, Messrs. Kable and Underwood owners, from King's Island, with 37 Tons of, Oil, and about 700 Skins.
In his way hither Mr. Moody, Master of that vessel, touched at Kent's Group, where
the Charles of Boston then lay to refit: -- From her master and crew Mr. Moody relates that the greatest violence was offered to the schooner's people, some of whom were treated with unexampled inhumanity,
The crew of the Governor King consisted only of nine men, besides the master; seven of these were landed for the purpose of sealing,
and when upon their return to the vessel were met on the beach by the people of the Charles aimed and drawn up in a double rank, through which they were ordered to pass, down to one of the American's boats, with threats of the worst of consequences upon
a refusal to comply. The others, not obey- ing with the readiness insisted on, were immediately seized, their hands bound behind,
and thrown into the boat headlong, with some severe blows; they were then conveyed to a small Island, destitute of water, where they con- tinued six hours before Mr. Moody, who
had remained on board, discovered their distressed situation, and then was not permitted to release them, but upon the express condition that the Governor King should be under way before a boat was dispatched to take them on board, to which demand he was compelled from his own inferiority in strength and num- bers to accede without hesitation or demur.--- One of his people, Mr. Moody declares to have been so violently beaten about the head
with a pistol, for refusing to submit to being bound, as that some of the splinters of the stock remained in his head until the vessel was entirely clear of the Group.
Mr. Moody further states, that upon his offering to remonstrate against so unprincipled
a conduct, and urged the protection afforded
by our Government to the Trade, the master of the Charles descended to scurrility, presumptuous and unbecoming any individual let his circumstances be what they might.
In justification of this act of violence, the master of the Charles alledged that he had landed his freight in order to careen the ship, and therefore would not suffer his property to be exposed to casualty, by permitting a set of depredators to remain upon the island: -- But to such a vindication we must observe, that there could be no actual necessity for
so rigorous a proceeding, as, with an armed ship, and a more than triple compliment of
men, it would have been as easy to protect a
property, in cases of real emergency, as to commit on a privileged and unprovoked a violence upon a defenceless people.
In another instance also, has Capt. Percival shewn himself altogether regardless of those observances, which as a subject of the United States of America, enjoying an uninterrupted Trade to the Islands in the Straits, where he had then procured a freight of upwards of 300 tons of oil, he undoubtedly should not have lost sight of: An interference with our Colonial concerns it was his duty to avoid; but on the contrary he chose to take away some of the most useful people from the gangs, for which he could not avail himself of necessity as a plea, his ship being already more than sufficiently manned --- and this pro- ceeding has been highly prejudicial to the
interests of our own Adventurers.
Such is our veneration for the American
Character, that we should willingly have passed over in silence an outrage committed by a few inconsiderate individuals, but from the very material consideration that we should have exposed ourselves to censure, as being unconscious of our duty to the Colonial Trader, who, although incompetent to retaliate
violence and insult, may, when apprised, endeavour to avoid a treatment to which he
could only submit with unavailing resentment
and regret.
A private Letter from Mr Oliphant, of the Endeavour schooner, to his owners at Sydney, brought by Mr. Moody from King's Island, says, "I arrived at the Derwent River on the 12th of November, and landed the prisoners at Hobart all in good health The Dart left the River six days before my arrival, her destination I did not learn. Not long before seven men took away a boat from the River, the property of Mr Mountgarrett, and are supposed to have made for the Straits.
Druce is among the number, and it is unhappily too probable, that unless they are reapprehended, the temerity of this rash adventurer has plunged himself and his
ill-advised companions into an irresistible vortex of destruction.
[For Remainder of Ship News see the last Page]