The Month's Mew Reading

The World As It Was

160 Years Ago

Great Britain had declared war on Spain and was pre pared for a possible invasion from France; Napoleon Bonaparte had proclaimed himself emperor of the French and the Pope had agreed to crown him; King George lIFs state of health had caused the British Parliament to be prorogued; Lord Nelson was thought to have vanquished a French squadron in the Mediterranean; and thousands of people were dying of starva tion in Spain . . .

[N the newspapers of Europe of 1805-1806, these were the affairs }f the day that people were reading ibout.

Twelve thousand miles away and nany months later, people in the nfant colony of New South Wales vere also reading about them in heir weekly newspaper, the Sydney jazette, which had begun publica ion in March, 1803.

But to the people of Sydney, the vars and affairs of Europe were a ong way off. What interested them nost were the problems of their ►wn harsh, alien Australian environ nent, where hostile, spear-throwing Aborigines roamed, where strange mimals were discovered from time o time, where convicts escaped from :ustody and became lawless bush angers, where deadly snakes oc :asionally bit people, and where he arrival of a ship from the out ide world was still a more or less lotable event.

The Sydney Gazette gave its eaders a good coverage of these natters.

Facsimile Edition

Now, 160 years later, the Public dbrary of New South Wales has mbarked on the laudable project of eproducing the early volumes of he Gazette in facsimile, thanks to . bequest from the late Sir William )ixson which provided money for the reprinting of books and locuments relating to Australasia .nd the Pacific which have become o scarce that they are not available o students . . .”

Two volumes have already been ssued. The latest covers the period rom March 3, 1805, to March 9, 806, when the printer, George Howe,

was faced with an extreme shortage of paper. Because of this shortage, most of the issues comprised only two pages, and on two occasions there was no issue at all.

But by dint of using his worst and smallest type, by reducing the size of his masthead, and by publishing an occasional supplement, Howe managed to disseminate most of the news that mattered—and a good deal that didn’t, but which was interesting nevertheless.

Among the most interesting news items were those concerning the Pacific islands.

In the issue for March 10, 1805, for example, there was a story about the simultaneous arrival at Norfolk Island of nine large ships—an event that has possibly never been duplicat ed since.

“The appearance of nine large ships standing in regular order for the island . . . occasioned some doubts respecting what nation the ships were of, or their errand,” the Gazette reported. “However, every active preparation was made by the Commandant, Captain Piper, to defend the island by every means in his power, which became unnecessary, as a boat was sent from the ships, in which Lieutenant Little of the Royal Navy landed, and informed Captain Piper that the ships were the China Fleet, under convoy of L’Athenien 64, commanded by Cap tain Fayerman, had sailed from England in June last, touched at Rio

Janeiro . . . that they came through Bass’s Straits, were ordered to touch at Norfolk Island, and proceed to the Philippine Isles . . .”

Tahiti, Tonga News

In the same issue of the Gazette , there was also news from Tahiti and Tonga. That concerning Tahiti stated that the island had continued in peace since the death of Pomare, but that if Pomare’s son Otoo should be “taken off’ [i.e. killed or removed] the island would be in a “convulsed state” as there seemed to be “none of sufficient authority to supply his place”.

The Gazette added that Otoo was building a vessel of about 60 or 70 tons, and that he had some thoughts of sending her to Sydney when finished.

The item about Tonga described how Captain William Campbell of the brig Harrington had called there en route to Sydney from Peru, and that he had “observed a strong in clination for attack from the natives”.

The Gazette said that two Tahitians in Captain Campbell’s crew had been “invited, or rather decoyed on shore”, but as Captain Campbell had doubts of the Tongan’s designs, he “adopted

such precautions as appeared nece sary for the safety of the ship ar crew”.

The paper added: “The Otaheitar after a detention of two days, we permitted to return; and as th( informed that the chief had th morning arrived, in all probability plan of treacherous operation wou have been entered upon, had tl vessel not left the place.”

Although Captain Cam p b e managed to escape the treachery the Tongans, he found himself hot water with Governor King, New South Wales, when Kii learned that Campbell had captun two Spanish ships off the coast Peru while Britain and Spain, as f as was known, were not at war.

The result of this discovery w that Governor King issued a pr clamation ordering the commande of His Majesty’s ships and vesse or Colonial vessels belonging to tl Crown, or any officer or magistra of the territory “to take the me efficient measures for the captun Spanish vessels to be sent to Sydm whether it be by taking possessn of them, or otherways”.

Proclamation

Captain Campbell’s action in ma ning his own and the two Spani ships with Islanders from Tahiti ai Hawaii was also a factor which lat caused Governor King to issue proclamation—the first of its kin probably—for the protection of tl Pacific Islanders, Governor King’s proclamation w dated May 26, 1805, and was pu lished in the Sydney Gazette of th day.

A month or so later, the Gazei reported that Governor King h; had all the Pacific Islanders in Sydn assembled at Government Hous where he personally and separate interrogated them on the treatme they were receiving from their er ployers.

“Not one, we are rejoiced to adc the newspaper said, “murmured his present condition; and all retin sensibly delighted with those £ surances of protection, which f our own credit as well as for t! advantage of our countrymen visith their hospitable shores, we sincere hope none will be obliged to claim There are a thousand other iter that one could quote to illustrate tl interesting material to be found the old Gazette. But it is mu< more fun to find them for onese and, considering the price of tl volume, it is cheap enough.—RL.

(The, Sydney Gazette. The Truste

of the Public Library of New South Wal< in association with Angus and Robertso Sydney. $6.30.)