JB/119/098/001

Click Here To Edit

Whole Letter from Botany Bay

1788
Nov. 18

Sir,
The Mahogany Hygrometer which I had from Nairne
and Blunt during the voyage or since our landing neither
contracted or expended, nor did the Humidity or dryness of
the Air cause the smallest change on it. Ever since my
landing I have not been able to get a piece of Wood that
would make one, although I have been constantly on the
look out; indeed all the Wood which is only of three kinds is
so execrably bad, that we can't make even an Axe handle of
it: from this you'll perceive that so nice an Instrument as
a Hygrometer could not possibly be made out if it; all the
Timber in his Country tho' ever so dry, is so very heavy, that
it immediately sinks on being thrown into water, nor do
I know an earthly purpose for which it is fit unless to burn.
Individuals opinions respecting the Country perhaps may be
as well concealed, but as this is only for your private
reading, I will freely tell you that I have been from one
extreme North America to the other, through all the West
India Islands on the Mosquito Shore and other parts of the
Spanish Main, and in the course of my peregrinations I never
saw so unpromising miserable a Country as this is; truly
it is almost so bad, as, when compared with other Countries
to seem in a great degree deserted by animated nature
nothing can be a stronger proof of the badness of hte Country
than the wretchedness of its native Inhabitants, who are not
many degrees above the Brute creation: indeed every Savage
nation that I have seen is as far superior, in point of
Civilization to these wretches, as a polished European to them
I think another proof may be adduced which is, every Officer
and Man (the Governor excepted) wishing to be relieved at
the end of their tour of three Years, notwithstanding many
of them particularly the private Soldiers brought their
families with them fully determined to remain as settlers.

Identifier: | JB/119/098/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 119.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	119	Main Headings	panopticon
Folio number	098	Info in main headings field	white's letter from botany bay
Image	001	Titles
Category	collectanea	Number of Pages	4
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering
Penner		Watermarks	[[watermarks::edmeads & pine [britannia with shield motif]]]
Marginals		Paper Producer	edward cooke
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	39609
Box Contents