The Friendlhip, (fnow,) o f 228 tons, had on board 76 male and 21 female
convicts ; 1 captain, a lieutenants, I 2 ferjeants, 3 corporals, 1 drummer,
and 36 privates, with 1' aflillant furgeon to the colony.
There were on board, befide thefe, 28 women, 8 male and 6 female children,
belonging to the foldiers of the detachment, together with 6 male and 7 female
children belonging to the convifls.
The Fifhbourn ftore-lhip was of 378 tons ; the Borrowdale of 272 tons; and
the Golden Grove of 331 tons. On board this lalt lhip was embarked the
chaplain of the colony, with his wife and a fervant.
Not only thefe as llore-lhips, but the men of war and tranfports, were llored
in every part with provifions, implements o f agriculture, camp equipage, clothing
for the convifts, baggage, &c.
On board of the Sirius were taken, as fupernumeraries, the major commandant
of the corps of marines embarked in the tranfports *, the adjutant and quarter
mailer, the judge-advocate of the fettlement, and the commiflary ; with 1 fer-
jeant, 3 drummers, 7 privates, 4 women, and a few artificers.
Proper day and night fignals were eftablilhed by Captain Phillip for the regulation
of his convoy, and every neceffary inltruflion was given to the mailers to
guard againll leparation. On board the tranfports a certain number of prifoners
were allowed to be upon deck at a time during the day, the whole being properly
fecured at night: and as the mailer o f each lhip carrying convifls had in-
dented for their fecurity in a penalty of forty pounds for every one that might
efcape, they were mftrudled conflantly to confult with the commanding marine
officer on board the tranfports, both as to the number of convifls that were to
be fuffered to come on deck during the paffage,’ and the times when fuch indulgence
Ihould be granted. To the military was left the care o f thofe effential
fervices, the prefervation of their health, the infpeflion of their provifions, and
the diftribution o f the centinels who were to guard them.. Their allowance o f
provifions during the voyage (two-thirds of the ufual allowance to a feaman in
the navy) was contrafled for in London t ; and Mr. Zachariah Clark was lent
out in one of the tranfports as the agent refponfible for the due performance o f
the contrafl. This allowance was to be fufpended on their arrival at any foreign
port, the commiflary of the fettlement being then to furriilh them with frelh
provifions.
A t our outlet we had the mortification to find that two^of our convoy were
very heavy failers, and likely to be the occafion of much delay in fo long a voyage
as that in which we had embarked. The Charlotte was on the firlt and
* This officer was alfo lieutenant'-govemor of the colony,
f By William Richards jun. efqnire, of Walworth in the. county of Surry.
fécond
fecond day taken in tow by the Hyaena, and thé Lady Penrhyn fell confiderably
altern. As the feparation of any of the fleet was a circumllance to be moll
feduloufly guarded againll and prevented, the Sirius occafionally Ihortened fail
to afford the llernmoll fhips time to come up with her; at the clofe of evening
lhe was put under an eafy fail for the night, during which time lhe carried, for
the guidance of the whole, a confpicuous light in the main-top.
On the 15th the fignal was made for the tranfports to pafs, in fucceflion within
hail under the Hern of the Sirius, when, on inquiry, it appeared, that the pro-
voll-marlhal of the fettlement (who was to have taken his paffage on board the
Prince of Wales) was left behind, together with the third mate of the Charlotte
tranfport, and five men from the Filhbourn Itore-lhip : the lofs of thefe five per-
fons was fupplied by as many feamen from on board the Hyaena.
Light or unfavourable winds prevented our getting clear of the Channel until
the 16th, at which time we had the fatisfaflion of finding that we had accotn-
plilhed it without returning, or putting in at any of the ports which offered
themfelves in our way down.
Sunday the 20th was marked by the difcovery of a defign formed among the
convifls on board the Scarborough tranfport to mutiny and take poffeffion of
the lhip. The information was. given by one of the conviéls to the commanding
marine officer on board, who, on the lying-to of the convoy at noon to dif-
patch Captain De Courcy to England, waited on the major-commandant on
board the Sirius, and communicated the particulars to him and Captain Phillip,
who, after fome deliberation, direéted that the ringleaders (two in number)
Ihould be brought on board the Sirius, there punifhed, and afterwards fecured
in the Prince of Wales tranfport.,. This was accordingly put in execution, and
two dozen lalhes were inflidted by the boatfwain’ s mate of the Sirius on each of
the offenders, who lledfaftly denied he exillence of any fuch defign as was imputed
to them.
A boat from each of the tranfports coming on board the Sirius with letters
for England, fome additional fignals were given to the mailers, with direflions
to thofe who had convidls on board to releafe from their irons fuch as might by
their behaviour have merited that indulgence ; but with orders to confine them
again with additional fecurity on the lealt appearance among them of irregularity.
Thefe neceffary regulations being adjufted, and the Hyaena fent off with the
commanding officer’ s letters, the fleet made fail again in the evening. But it
Ihould have been obferved, that when the Hyaena’s boat came on board lhe
brought fome neceffaries for the five men belonging to her, who had been lent
to the Filhbourn ftore-lhip, and who, animated with a fpirit of enterprife,. chofe
rather to remain in her than return in the frigate to England.
The