1788. The result of the voyage will be seen by the following extract of his narrative, published in 1789:–
“That the King George’s Sound Company have not accumulated immense fortunes may perhaps be true; but it is no less certain that they are gainers to the amount of some thousands of pounds; and that the voyage did not answer the utmost extent of their wishes, undoubtedly was owing to their own inexperience; for when the King George and Queen Charlotte arrived at Canton, and even a month after that period, prime sea-otter skins sold for from 80 to 90 dollars each. Of this quality, these ships had at least 2000 on board, besides a large quantity of furs of inferior value: but though we could have sold our cargo with ease, we were not at liberty to dispose of one single article; the sole management of it being vested in the hands of the East India Company’s supercargoes; and at length the skins just mentioned were sold for less than 20 dollars each[1].”
Some time after Mr. Lapenotiere’s return to England, in the King George, the late commander of H.M. armed ship Bounty also returned from the South Pacific, with an account of his having been turned out of her, and obliged to cross a sea of more than 1200 leagues in an open and deeply loaded boat:– all the circumstances attending that transaction have been truly stated at p. 747 et seq. of Vol. II. Part II.
Although the mutiny to which we allude had entirely frustrated the designs of the British government in sending out the Bounty, yet it did not lessen their zeal for benefiting the West India islands; accordingly, as soon as circumstances permitted, a new bread-fruit expedition was set on foot under the same commander, but who, on this occasion, was provided with a tender to succour him in case of a similar mishap. In this tender (the Assistance of 110 tons, with a complement of 27 men) Mr. Lapenotiere again left England, under the command of Lieutenant Portlock, Aug. 2, 1791; and returned home with that officer, at the commencement of Aug. 1793[2]. During these two interesting voyages to and from the South Seas, Mr. Lapenotiere successively visited Guernsey, Madeira, St. Jago, Falklands and the Sandwich islands, Cook’s river. Prince William’s Sound, Macao, and St. Helena; Teneriffe, the Cape of Good Hope, Van Dieman’s Land, Ota-
- ↑ Portlock’s Voyage round the World, p. 382.
- ↑ See Vol. II. Part II. note * at p. 630.
