Sydney
March 22nd 1817
Reverend Sir
	I beg Leave to Inform you that I have been Employed in the Sperm Whale Fishery. On the Coast of New Zealand between four & five years I always found Abundance of Sperm Whales to resort about the Coast from the begining [sic] of November until the latter end of April when they begin to take off. I also beg Leave to give you my Opinion as to what Quantity of Sperm Oil might be procur’d, in One season by the brig Active if properly fitted out for that Purpose— The last Voyage that I made in the Sperm Whale Fishery was in a Ship that Carry’d three Boats we Sailed from this Port on the 23rd of November and Arrived on the Coast of New Zealand on the 5th of December following, we left it again on or about the latter end of April after having Procur’d Ninety Six Tons of Sperm Oil, so that I think if the Active was Fitted as a Two Boat Ship that Sixty or Seventy Tons of Sperm Oil might be Procur’d, every Season. I am also of Opinion that if a Store house was Erected at the Bay of Islands for the Reception of of [sic] the Oil at the Expiration of the Season that it would be the Means of Enabling the Vessell to bring two Cargoes of Timber to this Port & to Return to [f] New Zealand in good time to take the Benifit [sic] of each Ensueing [sic] season as the Vessell would be on the Spot to take in the first Cargoe [sic] of Timber as soon as the Oil might be Discharged. I will make bold to say that if the above mentioned Plan is adopted that there is no doubt but what the brig Active would be Creditor in her Accounts in three years time for a Considerable Amount.
I am
Sir
Your most obed[ien]t humble Serv[an]t
Joseph Thompson
To the Reverend Samuel Marsden