C H A P . X X I I .
THE DAEDALUS SAILS FOR NOOTKA.---A TEMPORARY CHURCH FOUNDED.—
CRIMINAL COURT.—THE COLONIAL VESSEL LAUNCHED.---A SCHEME TO
TAKE A LONG BOAT.---TWO SOLDIERS DESERT.---COUNTERFEIT DOLLARS IN
CIRCULATION.—A SOLDIER PUNISHED.—THE BODDINGTONS ARRIVES FROM
CORK.---GENERAL COURT MARTIAL HELD.---THE BRITANNIA HIRED AND
CHARTERED FOR BENGAL.—THE NEW CHURCH OPENED.---ACCIDENT.---PROVISIONS
IN'STORE.---CORN PURCHASED FROM SETTLERS.---THE BRITANNIA
SAILS FOR BENGAL, AND THE FRANCIS SCHOONER FOR NEW ZEALAND.
---IRISH CONVICTS STEAL A BOAT.---THE SUGAR CANE ARRIVES.---INTENDED
MUTINY ON BOARD PREVENTED.—EXCURSION TO THE WESTWARD.—PUBLIC
WORKS.-
J u ly .] On th e firft o f th is m on th the Daedalus failed to c o n v e y to
C a p ta in V a n c o u v e r th e p ro v ifio n s and ftores w h ic h had been required
b y th a t officer. L ie u ten an t H a n fo n , th e n a v al ag en t on bo ard, rece
ived th e m o ft p oin ted orders fo r th e fh ip to return to this p o r t im m e d
ia te ly after h a v in g e x e cu ted th e fe rv ice o n w h ic h fhe w a s then g o in g .
T h e Daedalus w a s con fid e red as a co lon ia l f h ip ; and n o th in g bu t
C ap ta in V a n c o u v e r ’ s e xp re fs req u ifitio n to h a v e th e ftores and prov
ifio n s w h ic h w e r e on board h e r (the ftores b e in g ch ie fly a r tic le s o f
traffic) fen t b a ck to h im , to enable h im to fu lfil the inftrutdlions he had
r e c e iv e d , w o u ld h a v e ind uced th e lie u ten an t-g ov e rn o r , in th e p refent
fta te o f th e c o lo n y , to h a v e parted w i th he r , w h en it w a s no t im p ro b
able th a t he r fe rv ice s m ig h t be w a n tin g to p ro cu re fup plie s , and at no.
v e r y d iftant p e r iod , i f fhips did n o t ar rive.
T h e Daedalus b e in g , lik e o th e r fhips w h ic h had p receded h e r , fh o r t
o f han d s , th e matter w a s p e rmitted to re c ru it his num be rs h e re , an d
to o k w i th h im f ix conviefts, -w h o h a d fe rv ed th e ir fe v e ral terms o f
tran fp or tation, and w e r e o f g o o d c h a r a c te r ; and tw o feamen, w h o h ad
be en le ft b ehind from o th e r fhips. T h e e x ten fiv e p op u la tion o f the
iilands at fom e o f w h ic h the Dasdalus m ig h t h a v e o ccafion to to u ch
rend ered it ab folu te ly n e ce ffa ry th a t fhe fh o u ld be c om p le te ly manned j
as
a s w e w e ll k n ew th e readinefs w i th w h ic h , at all times, th e ir in h a bitants
a v a iled th em fe lv e s o f a n y in fe r io r ity o r w e a kn e fs w h ic h th e y
m ig h t d ifeo ve r am o n g us.
O n board o f th e Daedalus alfo was embarked a n ative o f this co u n t
r y , w h o w a s fen t b y the lieu ten an t-g ov e rn o r fo r th e p u rp o fe o f acq
u ir in g ou r language. L ieu ten an t H an fo n w a s d ire c ted b y h o means
to lea ve h im at N o o tk a , but, i f h e fu r v iv e d th e v o y a g e , to b r in g h im
b a ck fafe to his fr ien d s and co u n t rym en . H is n ativ e names w e r e
G n u n g - a gn u n g -a , M u r - r e -m u r -g a n ; b u t h e h ad fo r a lo n g tim e ent
i r e ly lo ft th em , e v en am o n g h is ow n p e o p le , w h o called h im
k C o llin s ,” after th e ju d g e -ad v o c a te , w h o fe name h e had adopted o n
the firft d a y o f his com in g am o n g us. H e w a s a man o f a m ore
gen tle d ifp ofition th an m o ft o f his affociates ; and, from th e con fid en c e
h e placed in us, v e r y re a d ily u n d e r to o k the v o y a g e , a lth o u gh h e le ft
beh in d h im a y o u n g w i fe , (a fille r o f B en n illo n g , w h o a c com pan ied
G o v e rn o r P h illip ,) o f w h om h e a lw a y s appeared e x tr em e ly fond .
O n S a tu rd a y the 6 th th e in ten d ed ch an ge to o k place in the r a t io n ;
an d it b e in g a w e e k on w h ic h p o rk w a s to be iflu ed , three p oun d s o f
th a t article w e r e fe rv ed inftead o f fo u r . T h e o th e r articles remained
th e fame.
T h e c le rg ym an , w h o fuftered as m u ch in con v en ien ce as o th e r p eop le
from th e w a n t o f a p rop e r place fo r th e p e r forman ce o f d iv in e fe rv ic e ,
h im fe lf u n d e r to o k to rem o v e th e e v il, on fin d in g tha t, from th e preflure
o f o th e r w o rk s , it w a s n o t e a fy to fo re fe e w h en a ch u r ch w o u ld be
eredted. H e a c co rd in g ly b eg an one u n d e r , his ow n infpedtion, and
ch o fe the fituation fo r it at th e b a ck o f the huts on th e eaft fide o f the
co v e . T h e fro n t w a s fe v en ty - th re e fe e t b y fifte e n ; and at r ig h t ang
le s w ith the centre p ro je c ted an o th e r b u ild in g fo r ty fe e t b y fifteen.
T h e edifice was conftrud ted o f ftro n g pofts-, w a ttle s , and p lafte r, and
w a s - to be th a tc h e d * . M u c h cred it w a s due to th e R e v . M r . J o h n fon
fo r his perfonal ex e rtion s on this o ccafion.
Rep re fen ta tion h a v in g be en made to th e lie u ten an t-g o v e rn o r , that
feveral o f the foldiers had been fo th ou gh tle fs as to d ifp ofe o f the fugar
a n d tob a cco w h ic h had been fe rv ed ou t to th em b y th e ir officers fince
* The expence of building it was computed to be about forty pounds.
the