O c to b e r .] T h e B r ita n n ia , w h ic h h ad quitted th e co v e o n th e la ft
d a y o f Sep tem b e r, p rep a ra to ry to he r departure on a f ilh in g v o y a g e ,
(a lic en ce fo r w h ic h h ad been g ranted b y th e E a ft-In d ia C om p an y fo r
th e fpace o f three y e a r s ,) re turn ed to th e 'c o v e on th e th ird o f this
m o n th fo r the p u rp o fe o f fittin g fo r th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e , th e
officers o f th e N ew S o u th W a le s corps h a v in g en g a g ed the matter to
p ro c e ed th ith e r and re turn o n th e ir a c co u n t w i th a fr e ig h t o f ca ttle, and
fu ch articles as w o u ld tend to th e com fo r t o f th em fe ly e s and the foldiers
o f th e corps, and w h ic h w e r e n o t to be fo u n d in th e p u b lic ftores.
M r . R a v e n , th e matter, le t h is fh ip fo r th e fum o f 2 0 0 0 1. ; and ele v en
fhare s o f 2 0 0 1 , each w e r e fub fc ribed to p urcha fe th e flo c k and o th e r
ar tic les. T h e fh ip w a s w e l l calculated fo r b r in g in g cattle, h a v in g a
v e r y fg o cd b e tw e e n -d e c k s ; and ar tificers from th e corp s w e r e imme*-
d ia te ly em p lo y ed to fit h e r w i th fla ils proper fo r the re ception and
ac com m od a tio n o f c ow s , ho rfe s , & c . A q u a n tity o f h a y w a s p u t o n
board fu ffic ien t to le ffen co n fid e ra b ly the e x p e n c e -o f th a t a r tic le at the
C a p e ; and fh e w a s re a d y fo r fe a b y th e mid d le o f th e m on th . Prev
io u s to h e r d eparture, on the 7 th , the R o y a l A dm ira l E a ft-In d iam an ,
com m an d ed b y C ap ta in E f fe x H e n r y B o n d , anchored in the co v e from
E n g la n d , w h en c e fh e had failed o n the 30 th o f M a y laft. H e r pafla ge
from th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e w a s th e m o ft rapid th a t had e v e r be en
m ad e , b e in g o n ly fiv e w e e k s and th re e d a y s from p or t to port.
O n b oard o f th e R o y a l A dm ira l came ftores and p ro v ifio n s fo r th e
c o lo n y •, one fe r je an t, on e co rp o ral, and n in e te en p riva te s , b e lo n g in g
to th e N ew So u th W a le s c o r p s ; a p e r fon to be em p lo y e d in th e cu ltiv
a tio n o f th e c o u n t r y ; ano the r as a matter m i l le r ; and a th ird as a
m atte r c a rp e n te r ; to g e th e r w i th tw o h und red and 4e ig h ty -n in e male
and fo r ty - fe v e n female c o n v id s . S h e b ro u g h t in w i th h e r a fe v e r ,
w h ic h had been m uch abated b y th e e x trem e a ttention p aid b y C ap tain
B o n d and h is officers to c leanlinefs, th a t grea t p re fe rv a tive o f h ealth on
b o ard o f fh ip s , and to p ro v id in g th o fe w h o w e r e ill w i th com fo rts and
neceffaries b e y o n d w h a t w e r e a llow ed fo r th e ir ufe d u r in g the paflage.
O f th re e hundred male c o n v id s w h ic h fhe re c e ived on board, ten o n ly
d ied , an d on e made h is efcape from th e h o fp ita l at F alfe B a y ; in
re tu rn fo r w h om , h ow e v e r , C ap ta in B o n d b ro u g h t on w i th h im
T h om a s
T h om a s W a t lin g , a male c o n v ic t , w h o fo u n d means to g e t on fh o re
from th e P itt w h en at that p or t in D e cem b e r la ft, and w h o had been-
con fin ed b y th e D u tc h at the C a p e tow n from h e r departure u n til this
o p p o r tu n ity offered o f fen d in g h im hither.
W e had the fatisfadtion o f h ea r in g th a t th e S u p p ly armed tend er
mad e g o od h e r paflage to E n g lan d in fom ew h a t lefs than fiv e m on th s,
a r r iv in g at P lym o u th on the 2 1 ft o f A p r i l la ft. I t w a s , h ow e v e r ,
matter o f m u ch -con ce rn to all w h o w e r e a cqua in ted w i th h im , to lea rn
at the fame tim e , th a t C a p ta in H u n te r , w h o failed from th is p o r t in
M a r ch 1 7 9 1 , in, th e D u tc h fn o w W a a k fam h e y d , and w h o h ad a n x io u f ly
defired to m ak e a fp e ed y p a fla g e , h ad been th ir te en months in that
v e ffe l ft r iv in g to reach E n g lan d , w h e r e h e at laft le t g o his an ch o r a
d a y after th e te rm in a tio n o f L ie u ten an t B a ll’ s m ore fuc ce fs ful v o y a g e
in th e S u p p ly , a r r iv in g at Sp ithead on" th e e v en in g o f the 2 2 d o f
A p r il laft. H is M a je f ty ’ s fh ip G o r g o n had be en at th e C a p e o f G o o d
H o p e , b u t h ad n o t a r r iv e d in E n g lan d w h en th e R o y a l A dm ira l le ft
th a t co u n t ry .
W e w e re alfo in fo rm ed , that th e K i t t y tranfport h ad failed w ith p ro v
ifio n s and a f e w c o n v id s from E n g lan d fom e w e e k s b efore th e R o y a l
A dm i r a l; and C ap tain B o n d le ft at Falfe B a y an Am e r ic a n b r ig ,
fre igh ted on fp e cu la tion w i th p ro v ifio n s fo r th is c o lo n y , and w h o fe
matter intended p u ttin g to fea im m e d ia te ly 'a fte r him .
T h e fic k , to ’th e n um b e r o f e ig h ty , w e r e all im m ed ia te ly difemhark ed
from th e In d iam a n ; th e rem ain d e r o f h e r c o n v id s w e r e fent up to be
em p lo y ed at Pa rrama tta and th e ad jo in in g fettlement. A t thefe places
w a s to be p e r formed th e g re a t la b o u r o f clear in g and cu ltiv a t in g the
c o u n t r y ; and th ith e r th e g o v e rn o r ju d g e d it n e ce ffa ry at once to fend
fu ch c o n v id s as fh ould ar r iv e in fu tu r e , w ith o u t p e rm ittin g th em to
d ifemb ark at S y d n e y , w h ic h tow n ( from th e circum ftan ce o f its b e in g
th e .only place w h e re fh ip p in g an chored) poffeffed all the e v ils and
allurements o f a fea p or t o f fom e Handing, and from w h ic h , i f once
th e y g o t into huts, th e y w o u ld be w i th d ifficu lty rem o ved w h en
w a n te d ; th e y pleaded the a cquirem ent o f com fo r ts , o f w h ic h , in f a d
it -would be p ainful th o u g h ab folu te ly n e ce ffa ry to d epr ive them. A t
-once to do aw a y therefore th e p offib ility o f a n y attachment to this p art
o f th e c o lo n y , th e g o v e rn o r g a v e directions fo r th e ir b e in g im m ed ia te ly
~ 6 fen t