270
O n th e e v e n in g o f S u n d a y th e 2 4 th th e fign a l w a s mad e at the
S o u th -h e a d , a lh o r t tim e b e fo re d ark , but too late to be obfe rv ed at
th e fe t t lem e n t ; at n in e o ’ c lo c k , h ow e v e r , in fo rm ation w a s re c e iv ed b y
th e boat b e lo n g in g to th e S o u th -h e a d , th a t a fliip from C a lcutta w a s at
an ch o r in th e low e r p art o f th e harb ou r . In th e m o rn in g ih e w o rk e d
u p , and an chored ju f t w i th o u t th e co v e . S h e p ro v e d to be th e Sh ah
H o rm u z e a r , o f ab ou t fo u r h u n d red tons b u r th en , command ed b y
M r . M a t th ew W r ig h t B am p ton , from C a lcu tta , w h o h ad embarked
fom e p ro p e r ty on a p r iv a te fp e cu la tio n fo r th is c o u n t ry . M r . B am p to
n , in S ep tem b e r la ft, had failed from B om b a y , w i th a ca rgo o f p ro-
v ifio n s and fto e k fo r th is fe t t lem e n t ; b u t w h e n n e a r th e L in e , h is Ihip
fp r in g in g a le a k , h e w a s o b lig ed to re tu rn , and g o t to B e n g a l, w h e r e ,
w i th th e fa n d io n o f L o rd C o rnw a llis , h e to o k o n board a fre lh ca rgo
fo r th e co lo n y . A t B en g a l h e h ad m e t w i th C ap tain M a n n in g , w h o
fa iled from h en ce in the P itt in A p r i l la ft, and w h o m entioned to h im
fu ch ar ticles as h e th o u g h t w e r e m o l l w an ted in the fe fettlements.
M r . B am p to n h ad on board w h e n h e failed , one b u ll, tw e n ty - fo u r
c ow s , tw o h u n d red and tw e n ty Iheep, one hun d red and th ir ty goats,
f iv e h o r fe s , and f ix a f fe s ; to g e th e r w i th a q u a n tity o f b e e f, flou r , r ic e ,
w h e a t ,' g ram , p ad d y , and fu g a r ; a few p ipes o f w in e , fom e flat iro n ,
an d co p p e r fuffic ien t fo r th e Hoop’ s b o ttom w h ic h h ad been re ce ived in
fram e b y th e P it t, an d w h ic h C ap ta in M a n n in g remembered to h a v e
b e en fen t ou t w ith o u t th a t n e ce ffa ry a r t ic le ; a la rge q u a n tity o f fpirits,
an d fom e canvas. In th e article o f f lo c k , h ow e v e r , M r . B am p ton had
b e en v e r y unfortuna te. $ H is cattle d i e d ; o f th e fheep m ore than h a l f
p e r ilh ed ;■ One h o r fe and thre e afles d ie d ; and v e r y f e w o f th e go ats
fu r v iv e d th e v o y a g e , a v o y a g e b y n o means -a lo n g o n e , h a v in g been
p e r fo rm e d in e igh t w é é k s w a n tin g th re e , d a y s , and in g o o d w e a th e r .
T h i s m o r ta lity e v id en tly d id n o t p roce ed from a n y w a n t o f p rop e r
ca re , b u t w a s to be afcribed to th e ir h a v in g b e en embarked im m e d
ia te ly on b e in g taken from th e fields, and c o n fe q u en t ly w a n t in g that
ftam in a w h ic h a fe a -v o y a g e required . { '
T h e cattle that fu rv iv e d w a s p u r c h a fe d .b y th e different officers o f
th e c o lo n y , w h ile th e o th e r p art o f th e c a rg o , th e fpirits and canva s
e x c e p te d , w e r e tak en b y g o v e rnm en t. T h e am o u n t o f th e w h o le p urchafed
cha fed b y g o v e rnm en t w a s 9 603 1. 5 s . 6 d ; fo r a lth o u gh a fu p p ly o f
p rov ifio n s had be en la te ly re c e iv ed from E n g lan d , it w a s b u t a fmall
o n e , and w e w e re no t y e t in poffeffion o f th a t p le n ty w h ic h w o u ld
h a v e warranted our r e je f t in g a cargo o f p ro v ifio n s , p a r t icu la r ly w h e n
b ro u g h t on fpeculation. T h e hou r o f diftrefs m ig h t ag ain a r r iv e , and
occafions m ig h t o ccur that w o u ld e x c ite a w ith , p erhap s in v a in , fo r
a cargo p f p rov ifio n s from B en g a l. In ad d ition to th e fe rea fons, it
m u ll be remarked , th a t th e d ifferent articles w h ic h w e r e p u rch a fed
w e r e o f the be lt q u a lity , and offered o n reafonable terms.
B y this fliip w e re c e iv ed in fo rm a tion , th a t th e Q u e e n tran fp or t had
a r r iv ed fafe at B om b a y ; b u t it w a s m u ch fea red th a t th e A dm ira l B a r r
in g to n , w h ic h failed in c om p a n y w i th th e Q u e e n from this p lace on
th e 6 th o f J an u a ry 1 7 9 2 , w a s lo ft, as n o accounts had been re c e iv ed
o f h e r a t an y . p o r t in In d ia , a confiderable tim e after h e r a r r iv a l a t
B om b a y from B a ta v ia m ig h t re a fon a b ly h a v e be en e x p e& e d . T h e r e
a r r iv ed in th e Ch e fte r fie ld a pe rfon w h o h ad be en a c o n v ia in this
c o u n t r y , bu t w h o had been allow ed to tak e his p affage on board the
A dm ira l B a r r in g to n . T h is man qu itted the. A dm ira l B a r r in g to n at
B a ta v ia , and g o t 't o th e C ap e in a D u tc h th ip , w h e re m e e tin g w i th
M r . A l t , h e embarked w i th h im , and b y th e ac cid ent w h ic h b ro u g h t
th e Ch e fte r fie ld h ith e r returned to th is c o lo n y . O n h is a r r iv a l h e r e ,
h e circulated a rep or t, th a t fe v e ra l o f th e c o n v id s w h o h ad g o t o n
b o ard o f the fe tw o fhips h ad been landed b y ord er o f th e matters at
a n ifland w h ic h th e y met w i th in th e ir p affa ge to B a ta v ia , in h ab ited
in d e ed , b u t b y fa v a g e s ; and th a t th o fe w h o rem ained e x p e r ien c e d
fu ch in h um an treatment, that th e y w e r e glad to ru n aw a y from th em
a t th e firft p or t w h e re a n y civ ilifed p eop le w e r e to be fo u n d . H e w a s
h im fe lf am on g this n um b e r , and n ow declared th a t he w a s re a d y to
m ake o a th to th e tru th o f his relation i f it Ihould be required . I f
the re w a s a n y tru th in h is a c co u n t, and th e maile rs o f th e fe fh ip s d id
a d u a l ly tu rn a n y p eop le on flio re in th e m an n e r a lread y d e fcr ib ed , it
w a s more than probable that an a d o f fu ch ap p arent c ru e lty h ad be en
occafioned b y fom e attempt o f th e c o n v ia s to tak e th e Ihips from
th em • and th e numbers w h ic h w e re fu p p o fed to h a v e been on board
(fev enteen) rather ju ftified th e fu p po fition . : C a p ta in M a n n in g , o f th e
P it t, w h o h ad tak en from th is fettlement tw e n ty m en and n in e w o m
e n ,