J38 c o n c l u s i o n .
in w i th i t ; an d , fin d in g e v e r y th in g as w e w iffied , on th e n e x t d a y
■ we completed o u r lo n g v o y a g e o f fix te e n w e e k s from Port J a ck fon b y
an ch o r in g fa fe ly in T a b le B a y .
H e r e , a lm oft th e w h o le o f o u r Chip’ s com p a n y h a v in g been p re fied ,
o r v o lu n ta r ily entered in to th e k in g ’ s fe r v ic e , and w i th d ifficu lty g e tt
in g fom e n e ce ffa ry rep a ir s'd o n e to th e fh ip , w e w e r e compelled m oft
re lu c ta n tly to remain fo r e ig h t we e k s . T h e p lace w a s v e r y un h
e a l th y , and lo d g in g and e v e r y ar tic le o f c om fo r t e x t r a v a g a n t ly
h ig h .
A few d a y s b e fo re w e fa iled , th e fh ip G a n g e s , command ed b y
M r . P a tr ic k fo n , ar r iv ed w i th co n v ic t s from C o rk . Sh e failed from
I re lan d w i th an o th e r fh ip , th e B r itan nia, h a v in g on board a fimila r
c a r g o ; b u t th e matte r, in ten d in g to to u ch at R io de Jane iro, had:
parted c om p a n y w i th th e G a n g e s o f f Palma. W e learned b y the-
G a n g e s , th a t tw o fto re fh ip s , th e S y lp h and Pr inc e o f W a le s , had failed
in J u n e laft fo r N e w S o u th W a le s . M u c h as G o v e rn o r H u n te r
w an ted labourers, th e p ro v ifio n s w o u ld be m ore w e lcom e to h im
th an th e I r ifh conviCts, w h o h ad h ith e r to a lw a y s created m ore trouble
th an a n y other.
B e fo re w e failed w e h ad th e fa tis fa& io n o f fe e in g fe v en ty head o f
v e r y fine y o u n g C ap e cattle p urcha fed b y M r . Palmer,, th e co rhm ifla ry
fo r th e c o lo n y , to b e fen t th ith e r in th e R e lian c e and S u p p ly ; th e
hitter o f w h ic h fh ip s fa iled w i th h e r p rop o r tion a f e w d ay s be fo re w e
le ft T a b le B a y . T h e fe fh ip s w o u ld re tu rn well- ftored w i th ufeful:
ar ticles fo r th e fettlem ent, an d com fo rts fo r e v e r y officer in it.
W e le ft the C a p e on th e 16 th o f M a r ch , and ar riv ed at the pleafantt
HI and o f S t. H e le n a on- th e 2 6 th o f th e fame m on th . H e r e w e remained
till the 1 7 th o f A p r il , h a v in g w a ited fem e tim e fo r a co n v o y ,,
and failed at laft w i th o u t a n y , in c om p a n y w ith the fh ip Brothers', a
S o u th -S e a w h a le r , w h o w a s re tu rn in g , loaded.
D u r in g o u r f ia y at St. H e le n a w e made -fev-eral'excurfions in to the-
in te r ior p a r t o f th e ifland . A v i f i t from the F ren ch w a s d a ily e x p
e c ted but w e faw w i th pleafure preparations made fo r th e ir re ception
th a tc a u fe d e v e r y one to treat th e p ro b ab ility o f th e ir coming;
as an e v en t m ore to b e w ifh e d fo r th an dreaded. F rom th e h o fp ita lity
o f G o v e rn o r B r o o k e and h is fam ily ,, and th e p le afan t fo c ie ty o f this
6 place,
p la c e , w e fe lt a regret at le a v in g the iflan d , w h ic h n o th in g b u t the
profpeCt o f fo on re a ch in g ou r ow n h ap p y in o re s alleviated.
E v e r y one n o w w a s an x io u s fo r the fu c ce fs fu l te rmin a tion o f th e
p a fla g e b efore us. O n the 2 7 th o f A p r i l w e croffed th e equator in the
lo n g itu d e o f 19° 02 ' W . O n the 4 th o f M a y w e fp o k e th e fhip
E liz a b e th , (an Am e r ican ,) Ifaac Ston e matter. T h e y h ad o n ly been
tw e n ty -e ig h t d a y s from D o v e r ,, and g a v e us th e fir ft in te llig en c e w e
re c e iv ed o f the v ic to r y obtained b y o u r fleet u n d e r E a r l St. V in c e n t
o v e r that o f th e Spaniards.
O n th e 7 th o f J u n e w e fp o k e a fch o o n e r u n d e r Am e r ic a n co lours ,
th e Federal G e o r g e o f D u x b u r y from B o u rd e a u x , bou n d to B o fto n .
T h e matter in fo rm ed u s , th a t th e ch an n e l w a s fu ll o f th e en em y ’ s
cruifers, w h o w e r e lo o k in g o u t fo r o u r MVeft-India fle e t, th en e x p
e cted h om e . T h o u g h w e fe lt perfuaded th a t o u r cruifers w o u ld
co u n te ra c t th e ir d e fign s , M r . R a v e n d e te rmin ed , from this in fo rm a
t io n , and from th e w in d h a v in g lo n g h u n g to th e eaftwa rd , to Hand
to the n o rthwa rd . F rom this time to th e 18 th o u r w e a th e r w a s v e r y
u n fa v o u rab le , and o u r w in d m o ft ly co n t ra ry . O n th e 18 th w e faw
the ro ck la id d ow n in th e charts b y th e name o f Ifle R o k a l , b e in g
th en in th e la titud e o f 5 7 ° 5 1 ' N . and lon g itu d e 13 ° 5 6 'W . T h e
r o c k th en bore N . 23° E . d iftan t e ig h t m iles and a half. O u r fo u l
w in d continued m a n y d a y s ; b u t on th e 2 3d w e fo u n d ou r fe lv e s o f f
In n ifh on e on th e n o r th p a r t o f Ire land . H e r e a man cam e o ff, w h o ,
to o u r in q u ir ie s refp eCting th e p ro g re fs o f th e w a r , an fw e red , th a t h e
k n ew n o th in g ab ou t w a r , e x c e p t that th e ftron g e ft p a r ty a lw a y s g o t
th e better o f th e w e a k e ft , thus u tte r in g a tru th in th e m id ft o f th e
p ro fo u n d e ft ign o ran c e . W e n o w d e te rmin ed to fteer fo r L iv e rp o o l ,
at w h ic h p o r t, after m u ch a n x ie ty , w e ar riv ed in fa fe ty on th e 2 7 th .
O n th e 29 th th e ju d g e -ad v o c a te d elivered at th e D u k e o f P o r tlan d ’s
office th e difpatches w i th w h ic h h e w a s cha rged .
H e n o w learned, th a t p re v io u s to h is a r r iv a l in L o n d o n th e re h ad
failed fo r N ew S o u th W a le s , e x c lu fiv e o f th e fh ip s S y lp h and Pr inc e
o f W a le s , G a n g e s and Br itan nia , th e L a d y S h o re tranfport, h a v in g
on board tw o male and f ix t y - f ix female co n v ic ts . O n th e 6 th o f laR
N o v em b e r th e B a rw e ll failed, h a v in g on board M r . D o r e , th e prefent
ju d g e -ad v o ca te o f th a t te r r ito ry , and tw o hun d red and n in e ty -e ig h t
2 z 2 male