7203 gallons of spii'itB. King issued a proclamation (28th May 1804) to the effect that,
- in conaequeuce of the illicit aii<l iinpmper oieans that have lieen
adopted, and atiU continue, to import and intrtHluce spirits into this colony (in defiance of His Majefit^'si iuatriictiona, my ordens conseijnent thereon, the proclamation of the Moat Noble the (iovernoriTeneral of Uw liritiBh Territories in the Kftgst Indies, and the conimuni cations mado to the Amerieau Conauls . . ) for the purpose of impoverishing the iidiabitantB, dcatroyin_Ef their health, and aol> verting the regularity necessary to be ohseri^ed for the prosperity of the colony ... on all spirits brought from the eastward of the Cape of (lood Hope without my permission . . , there shall be pnitl an additional duty of €5 for every ICKl gallons." Moreover, spirits brought without permission were not to be sold by the importer for more than " six shillings per gallon, including duty of two shillings," with other deductions ad rahrem and for wliarfage. The vessel^ it waB hoped, would go to sea after landing her dry goods rather than undergo such charges. But the master pleaded that she w^as *'toa rotten." The Governor ordered a survey, the plea was coniu'med, and the consignees tlms forced one cargo tipon the } colony, the spirits being sold under the ordinary conditions- The cases of the Mtfrth' and the E(fifij' demand notice- On the 19th Oct. 1804, the Mtfiiia, having cleared from Bengal for the north-west coast of America, arrived in Sydney, for which place her whole cargo appeared to have V)eeij t^elected. Hlie was consigned to Campbell, and had 7500 gallons of spirits on board. King forbade the landing of the spirits, and as the master was insolent to the guard, a General Order was issued to prevent the master or any one on Ijoard from landing without written permission, The naval ollii-er was commanded by the General Order to order the Mipiie to leave *' before to-morrow evening, and not to return here again on any pretence w Imtever.*' A copy of the order was sent to the CTOvernor-General in India- At this time settlements had been formed at Hobart Town and at the Tamar in Van Dienien's Land, King had instructed the Lt.-Goveninis at Norfolk Island, at Hobart Town, and at Port Dah^ymple, to carry out vigorously at those places the restrictions existing at Sydney with regard to spirit traffic. But Collins at Hobart Town was over- reached hy the master of the Mi/rtir, and purchased some of the spirits carried to the Derwent. i I
