■ 795- ration of that time you are to proceed as herein before direfited ; for
—*— j which this fliall ;be your order. Dated on board His Majefly’s Hoop
Difcovery, in St. Helena bay, this 1.2th day of July, 1795.
T o George Vancouver.” '
Eieutenant Peter Puget, commanding
His Majelty’s armed tender Chatham.”'
Previoufly to Mr. Puget’s departure from St. Helena, we were given
to underftand, by Mr. Bowen, that it had been decreed, by the national
affemhly of France, that the Difcovery and Chatham Ihould pafs the
feas unmolefled by the French cruizers, notwithftanding the exifting
war between the two countries. This agreeable intelligence induced
me to alter the plan which I had formed of waiting at this illand for
convoy. The Eaft-India fhips, under the protection of the Sceptre,
had not yet been failed fo long from St. Helena, as to divelt me intirely
of the hope that we might overtake them, before they Ihould have
reached thofe latitudes in which we Ihould be likely to meet with any
thing unpleafant from the enemy’s fhips of forcé, in confequence of
their commanders being unacquainted with the national decree in our
favor, for in the event of any new matter having arifen between the
powers at war to eaufe its being revoked. | Every effort was therefore
now made to expedite our re-equipment ; the main yard, by the affif-
tânce of the carpenters belonging to the Arnillon, was likely to be ready
in the courfe of a day or two, in which time, I had reafon to believe,
our own artificer* would have Hopped the leak in the {hip’s bows ; and
as I entertained hopes that, foon after this fervice fhould be performed,
the Difcovery would, in all other refpeâs, be fit for fea, I determined
to fail immediately, and not to wait for the uncertain arrival of any
other velfel, which might afford us protection during the remainder of
our voyage to England.
The fupply of vegetables which St. Helena afforded us was very ample
but fruits o f all kinds were found to be extremely fcarce, owing to the
want of rain. So févere and continued had been the drought for the
three preceding years, that mofl of the trees, which were not indigenous
to the country, had withered and fallen into decay, and amongll the ex-
1 otics
otics that had died were fix plants of the bread fruit, which had been ‘ 795-
left by Captain Bligh on his return in the Providence from the illands '—-y----1
in the pacific ocean. The lofs of thefe valuable plants was very much
regretted, as they appeared to thrive, and it was hoped, would have
come to perfection. The herbage had fuffered alfo in the fame proportion,
and, in the courfe of the period above mentioned, upwards of
fixteen hundred head of cattle had died, upon the ifland. The fheep
were very lean and poor, and the quantity of frefh provifions that could
be obtained was by no means equal to the fupply I could have wifhed
to have procured. . - _
On tuefday I had the pleafure to . behold-our new main yard in fueb Tucfdiyii,
a Hate o f forwardnefs that it would be ready to be got on board and
rigged the following day, and had the additional fatisfaClion o f feeing,
that by the unremitted attention o f the-refpeCtive officers, who had
the fuperintendance of the feveral fervices which had become neeelfary
to be carried into .effe£t, little elfe now remained to. be done than to prepare
the velfel for our departure.
Much of my time, ftnee ouir arrival at St. Helena^ had been employed
about the concerns of the Dutch prize Macalfar, and in making
the bell arrangements within my power, to fecure a fafe palfage for her
to England. The lhip was in a very bacLleaky condition, and although;
we were able to give her fome repair, yet it was totally out of our power
to refit her, and put her in a proper Hate-for fo long a voyage, efpe-
cially as there was little chance of her reaching any Britilh port before:
the commencement of the winter.
Having, from long experience, been convinced, o f the flail and re-,
fources which Lieutenant -Johnftone polfelfed, and which,_on many- trying
occafions throughout the voyage, he had eminently difplayed, I derived
great fatisfaflion. in committing the-charge-of the Macalfar to his;
care. For this efpec.ial purpofe he received my directions to-quit the:
Chatham previoufly to her departure for St. Salvador; and in addition,
to the people that were to be engaged- at St. Helena, to- navigate the:
prize home, I fpared, from the crew of the Difcovery, feventeen- able-
feamen,. on whole exertions I could with confidence: rely, to car,try Mr.
Johnltone’s