time w e had failed f iv e th ou fan d and tw en ty -o n e le a g u e s ; had tou ched
at the Am e r ic an and A fr ic a n C o n tin en ts ; and had at laft refted within-
a few d a y s fail o f the antipodes o f ou r n ative c o u n t ry , w ith o u t m e e tin g
a n y ac cid ent in a fleet o f e le v en fail, n in e o f w h ic h w e r e merchantmen1
th a t had n e v e r before failed in that diftant and im p e r fe c t ly e x p lo re d
ocean : and w h en it is confid ered , that th e re w a s on board a la rge b od y
o f co n v ic t s , m an y o f w h om w e r e embarked in a v e r y . f ie ld y ftate, w e '
m ig h t be deemed p e cu lia r ly fo r tu n a te , that o f th e w h o le n um be r o f all'
deferiptions o f perfons c om in g to form the n ew fettlem ent, o n ly th ir ty -
tw o had died fince th e ir le a v in g E n g lan d , .am on g w h om w e r e to be in c
lu d ed one o r tw o deaths b y accidents ; a lth o u gh p re v io u s to o u r dep
arture it was g e n e ra lly co n je c tu red , that b efore w e fliould hav e been 3
m o n th at fea o n e o f th e tranfports w o u ld h a v e been con v e r ted in to an
h o fp ita l fliip . B u t it fo r tu n a te ly hap pened o th e rw ife ; th e h ig h health
w h ic h w a s apparent in e v e ry cou n tenan ce w a s to be attributed no t o n ly
to th e refreshments w e met w i th at R io .d e Janeiro and th e C ap e o f
G o o d H o p e , b u t to th e e x c e llen t quality* o f th e p rov ifio n s w i th w h ic h
w e w e r e fu p p lied b y M r . R ich a rd s ju n io r , th e con tra c to r ; and the'
fp ir its v ifib le in e v e ry e y e w e r e to b e aferibed' to th e general j o y and fa -
tisfaCtion w h ic h im m ed ia te ly to o k place on fin d in g ourfelve's a r r iv ed ’,at
th a t p o r t w h ic h had be en fo ;m u ch and fo lo n g the fubjeCt o f o u r moflj
fe r io u s re fle c tion s , th e con ftan t th em e o f ou r c o n v e n t io n s .
T h e g o v e rn o r , w e fo u n d ,'h a d em p lo y ed the tim e h e had been here
in e x am in in g the b a y , fo r th e p urpo fe o f d e te rm in in g w h e r e h e Should
e ftab lilh th e fe t t lem e n t ; b u t as y e t h e h ad n o t feen a n y fp ot to w h ic h
fom e ftr o n g o b je c tio n did riot a p p ly . In d e ed , v e r y few places offered'
th em fe lv e s to h is ch o ic e , and n o t on e Sufficiently e x ten fiv e fo r a th o u fan
d p eop le to fit d ow n on. T h e fou th e rn Shore about P o in t Sutherlan
d feemed to poffefs th e fo il b e lt adapted fo r cu ltiv a tio n , blit it w a s
d e fic ien t in th a t grand effential fre fh w a te r , and was befides to o con fin
ed fo r o u r numbers. T h e r e w a s ind eed a Small ru n o f w a te r th e r e ;
b u t it appeared to b e o n ly a drain from a m arffi, and b y no means p ro -
m ifed th a t amp le o r ce rtain fu p p ly w h ic h w a s requisite fo r fu ch a fettlem
en t as ours. T h e g o v e rn o r , th e re fo re , fp e e d ily d e termined on e x am in in
g th e ad ja cent harb our s o f P o r t J a ck fo n and B ro k en B a y , in one o f
w h ic h h e th o u g h t it p offib le th a t a better fitu ation fo r h is y o u n g c o lo n y
m ig h t
•might be fou n d . B u t as h is fearch m igh t p o ffib ly p ro v e fru itle fs , and
th a t the f e w d a y s w h ic h it fh ould o c c u p y m ig h t not be a lto g e th e r
th row n a w a y , h e le ft th e lie u ten an t -g o v e rn o r at B o ta n y B a y , w i th
hnftruCtions to clear th e g round about P o in t S u th e r land , and m ake
preparations fo r d ifem b a rk in g the d e ta chm en t o f marines and the
-convicts on his re tu rn , fh ould that place a t laft b e deemed th e m o ft
»eligible fpot. A t th e fame tim e L ie u ten an t K in g , o f th e S ir iu s , w a s
'direCled to e x am in e fu ch parts o f the b a y as, from w a n t o f tim e , the
g o v e rn o r had n o t h im fe lf be en able to v ifit.
■ T h e g o v e rn o r fet o f f on M o n d a y th e 2 1 f t , a c com pan ied b y C ap tain
H u n te r , C ap ta in C o llin s (the ju d g e ad v o ca te ), a lieu ten an t, and th e
mafter o f th e S ir iu s , w i th a final 1 p a r ty o f marines fo r th e ir p ro te c tio n ,
th e w h o le b e in g em b arked in th re e o p en boats. T h e d a y w a s m ild
an d feren e , and there b e in g b u t a g en tle fw e ll w i th o u t th e m o u th o f
th e h a rb ou r , th e e x cu r fio n p rom ifed to b e a pleafant one. T h e i r
little fleet attracted th e atten tion o f fe v e ra l parties o f the n a tiv e s , as
th e y p roce ed ed a lo n g th e co a ft, w h o a ll gre e ted th em in th e fame
w o rd s , and in th e fame to n e o f v o c ife ra tio n , flio u t in g e v e r y w h e re
« W a r ra , w a r ra , w a r ra ,” — w o rd s w h ic h , b y th e ge fture s th a t ac com p
an ied th em , could n o t be inte rpre ted in to in v ita tio n s to lan d , o r e x -
p reffions o f w e lcom e . ' I t muft h ow e v e r b e o b fe rv ed , th a t a t B o ta n y
B a y th e n ativ e s had h ith e r to con d u c ted th em fe lv e s fb c ia b ly and peacea
b ly tow a rd all the parties o f o u r officers and p eop le w i th w h om th e y
h ad h ith e r to m etj and b y no means feemed to rega rd th em as enemies
o r inv ad e rs o f th e ir c o u n t r y and tran q u illity * .
T h e co a ft, as th e boats d rew near P o rt J a ck fo n , w o r e fo un fa v o u rab le
an. appearance, that C aptain P h illip ’ s u tm o ft e x p e c ta tio n rea ched n o
fa r th e r than to find w h a t C ap tain C o o k , as h e paffed b y , th o u g h t m ig h t
b e found,, f lic k e r f o r ‘a .b o a t . In this co n je c tu re , h ow e v e r , h e w a s
m o f t ag re eab ly d ifapp ointed , b y fin d in g no t o n ly fh e ite r fo r a
bo a t, but a harb ou r capable 'o f a fford in g fe c u r ity to a m u ch la rg e r
fle e t than w o u ld p ro b a b ly e v e r fe ek fo r fhe ite r o f fe cu r ity in it. In
* How grateful to every feeling of humanity would it be could we conclude this
narrative without being compelled to fay, that 'thefe unoffending people had found reafon
to change both their opinions and their conduct!
B.2 one