218
th a t, unlefs th e breed cou ld be co n fid e ra b ly im p rov ed b y that alread y
in th e c o u n t r y , v e r y little ben e fit w a s fo r a len g th o f tim e to be e x pedited
from th e ir im po rtation. V a r io u s feeds and plants alfo w e re
re c e iv ed from th e com p a n y ’ s botanical g a rd e n ; and m uch commend atio
n w a s d ue to C o lo n e l K y d d , th e gen tleman w h o fuperintended the
feledtion and a r rangement o f th em fo r th e v o y a g e ; as w e l l as to L ie u ten
an t B o w e n , fo r his ca re , and fo r th e a c com m od a tion w h ic h he
g a v e u p , bo th to them and to th e ca ttle, in th e cabin o f th e fh ip .
In fo rm a tio n w a s re c e iv ed b y th e C a lcu tta papers o f the lofs o f his
M a je f ty ’ s Ihip Pan do ra , C ap tain E dw a rd s , w h o had been am o n g th e
F r ien d ly Illands in fearch o f C h r iftian and h is p iratica l c r ew , fou r te en
o f w h om h e had fe cu red , and w a s re tu rn in g w i th the p u rp o fe o f fu r -
v e y in g E n d e a v o u r Straits p urfuan t to his in ftrud tion s , w h e n h e u n fo r tu
n a te ly ftruclc u p on a r e e f in latitud e 23° S. e le v en d egrees o n ly to
th e n o r thw a rd o f th is p or t. B y h is boats h e p ro v id en tia lly reached
T im o r w i th n in e ty -n in e o f his officers and p eop le , b e in g th e w h o le o f
h is Ihip ’s c om p a n y w h ic h w e r e fav ed . A t T im o r , on h is ar riv al, h e
fo u n d B r y a n t and h is com p an ion s, w h o made th e ir efcape from this
p la c e in the f ilh in g cutter in th e n ig h t o f th e 28 th o f M a r ch 1 7 9 1 .
T h e fe p eop le had framed and to ld a plaufible tale o f diftrefs, o f th e ir
h a v in g be en c a ll aw a y a t fea ; and this fo r a time w a s b e l ie v e d ;
b u t th e y fo o n , b y th e ir lan gu a g e to each o th e r , and b y prad tifing
th e tr ick s o f th e ir fo rm e r p rofe fiion , g a v e ro om fo r fu fp ic io n ; and
b e in g ta k en u p , th e ir true character s and th e circumftances o f th e ir
efcape w e r e d ivu lg ed . T h e D u tc h g o v e rn o r o f T im o r d e liv e red them
to C ap ta in E dw a rd s , w h o to o k th em on w i th h im to B a ta v ia , w h en c e
h e w a s to proceed to E n g lan d . T h e c ircum ftan ce o f th e fe p eop le h av in
g rea ched T im o r con firm ed w h a t w a s fu g g e fted im m ed ia te ly after
th e ir d epa r tu re , th a t th e mafter o f th e fn ow W a a k fam h e y d had fu r -
n ifh ed B r y a n t w i th inftrudtions h o w to p roc e ed , and w i th e v e r y th in g
h e flo o d in n eed o f fo r his v o y a g e ; and it m u ft bie rem em be red , that
th o u g h th is m an , d u r in g his f la y in th is port, had co n ftan tly faid th a t
e v e r y fo r t o f re fre lhmen t w a s to be p rocured at T im o r , y e t w h e n
C ap ta in H u n te r , w h ile at fe a , p rop o fed to fle e r fo r that ifland , he
declared th a t n o th in g was to be g o t th e re , and fo p revented that o fficer ,
from g o in g th ith e r . T h e r e can n o t be a d ou b t th a t, e x p e c tin g to find
his
h is friend s at T im o r , h e did no t choofe eithe r to en d an ge r th em , or
r i fk a d ifc o v e r y o f th é p art h e had adted in aid in g th e ir efcape.
' H a d it no t be en fo r the fortuna te d ifc o v e ry and fubfequen t d e liv e r y
o f the fe p eop le to a captain o f a B r itifh man o f w a r , th e e v id en t practic
a b ility 'o f re a ch in g T im o r in an open b o a t m ig h t h a v e operated w i th
others to make th e attempt, and to c a r ry o f f boats from th e fe ttle -
ments ; w h ic h , d u r in g the abfence o f th e k in g ’ s fh ip s b e lo n g in g to. the
ftation, w a s -n e v e r d iffic u lt ; and it w a s n o w h o p ed , th a t th e c e r ta in ty
o f e v e r y b oat w h ic h fh o u ld rea ch th a t o r a n y o th e r D u tc h fettlement
under fim ila r c ircum ftan ce s b e in g fu fp e d e d and re c e iv ed a c co rd in g ly ,
w o u ld h a v e its due effedt here. |
T h e fu p p ly o f p rov ifio n s re c e iv ed b y th e A t la n t ic b e in g confined to
g ra in , i t became neceffa ry to red uce the ra tion o f fait meat. It w a s
th e re fo re ordered on th e 2 1 f t , that a fte r th e F r id a y fo llow in g o n ly
tw o pound s o f p o rk fh o u ld be iffued in lie u o f fo u r . T h e a llow an ce
o f one p ou n d and a h a l f o f flou r and fo u r p ou n d s o f maize- w a s con tin
u ed , b u t one p ou n d o f rice and on e quart o f peafe w e r e added.
T h e . g en e ra l ord er g iv e n ou t on th is o ccafion ftated,
“ T h a t the a r r iv al o f fhips w i th fu r th e r fup plies o f p ro v ifio n s m ig h t
“ be d a ily lo o k ed f o r ; b u t as it was p offib le th a t fome u n fo re fe en ac -
“ c id e n t m ig h t h a v e h ap pen ed to th e fh ip s w h ic h w e r e e xped ted to
“ have failed from , E n g lan d fh o r tly a fte r - th e departure o f th e P it t, it
« became n e ce ffa ry to reduce th e ra tion o f p rov ifio n s th en iffu ed , in
“ ord er that th e q u a n tity in fto re m ig h t h o ld out till th e a r r iv a l,o f
“ th o fe fh ip s , w h ic h m ig h t be fup po fed to h a v e failed fo r this c o u n t r y
« ab out the mon th s o f J an u a ry o r F eb ru a ry l a f t ; it h a v in g be en the
“ in ten tio n o f g o v e rnm en t th a t fhips fh o u ld fail from E n g lan d fo r this
IP c o lo n y tw ic e in e v e r y y e a r . A n d a s all deficiencies in th e ration
ft w e re t o h e made g o od h e reafte r, th e fo llo w in g extradt from th e in -
■ * ftrudtions w h ic h fix ed th e ra tion fo r th e c o lo n y w a s in fe rted , v iz .
R a tio n fo r each marine and male co n v id t fo r fe v en day s
fu c c e f i iv e ly :
7 p oun d s o f bread, o r in lieu th e r e o f 7 p ou n d s o f f lo u r ;
7 p oun d s o f b e e f, o r in lie u th e r e o f 4 p oun d s o f p o r k ;
3 pints o f peafe ;
6 oun ce s o f b u t te r ;
p ou n d o f flo u r , o r in lieu th e r e o f I a p o u n d o f r i c e :
“ B e in g