1 16
ag a in ft an ifland o f ice in la titud e 4 5° 5 4 ' S o u th , and lo n g itu d e 4 1 ° 30 '
E a ft , w h e r e b y lh e re c e ived fo m u ch in ju r y , th a t L ieu ten an t R io u w a s
com p e lled , in ord er to fa v e h e r from in ftan tly fin k in g , to th row o v e r b
o ard th e grea teft p a r t o f h e r v a lu a b le ca rgo bo th on th e p u b lic and
p r iv a te ac count. T h e fto c k w a s all k illed , ( fe v en h o r fe s , fix te en cow s ,
tw o hulls, a n um b e r o f fh e ep , g o ats , and tw o d eer,) th e gard en de-
ftr o y e d , and th e fh ip h e r fe lf fa v ed o n ly b y th e in te rp o fition o f P r o v id
en ce , and th e admirable c o n d u it o f th e commander.
T h e G u a rd ia n w a s a fa ll- fa ilin g fh ip , and w o u ld p ro b a b ly have-
a r r iv ed in th e la tter end o f J an u a ry or th e b e g in n in g o f F e b ru a ry laft.
A t th a t p e r io d the la rg e q u a n tity o f liv e fto ck in th e c o lo n y was d a ily
in c r e a f in g ; th e p e o p le req u ired fo r labou r w e r e , com p a ra tiv e ly w ith
th e ir p re fen t ftate, ftro n g and h e a l th y ; th e n e ce ffity o f d iv id in g the
c o n v i i t s , and fen d in g th e S ir iu s to N o r fo lk Ifland , w o u ld n o t h a v e
e x i f t e d ; th e ra tion o f p ro v ifio n s , inftead o f th e dim in ution s w h ic h had
b e en n e ce ffa r ily d irec ted , w o u ld h a v e been increafed to the fu ll a llow an
c e ; and th e tilla g e o f th e g ro u n d co n feq u en tly proceeded in w i th
th a t fp ir it w h ic h m u ll b e e x e r ted to th e u tm o ft b efore the fettlement
co u ld ren d e r it fe lf in d ep end ent o f th e m oth e r c o u n t r y fo r fubfifience.
B u t to w h a t a d iftance w a s th a t p e r iod n o w th row n b y this u n fo r tu
n a te ac cid ent, and b y the d e la y w h ic h to o k p la c e in the v o y a g e o f
th e L a d y J u lia n a ! G o v e rnm e n t h ad placed a n a v a l o ffice r in this
tran fp or t, L ie u ten a n t T h om a s E d g a r * , fo r the p urpofe o f fe e in g ju ft ic e
d o n e to th e co n v ic ts a s to th e ir p ro v ifio n s , cleanlinefs, & c . and to
gu a rd a g a in ft a n y u n n e ce ffa ry d ela y s o n th e v o y a g e . B e in g directed
to fo llo w th e ro u te o f th e S ir iu s and h e r c o n v o y , h e called at T en e r iffe
and S t. Ia g o , fta y ed fe v en w e e k s at R io de Jane iro, and one m on th at
th e C ap e o f G o o d H o p e ; com p le tin g his circuitous v o y a g e o f ten
mon th s d u ra tion b y a r r iv in g here on the 3d d a y o f J u n e 17901
O n L ieu ten an t E d g a r ’ s a r r iv al at th e C a p e h e fo u n d th e G u a rd ian
ly in g th e re , L ie u ten an t R io u h a v in g ju f t fa fe ly rega ined that p or t,
from w h ic h h e h ad failed but a Ihort tim e , w i th e v e ry fa ir profpeCt o f
fp e e d ily and h a p p ily e x e cu t in g th e orders w i th w h ie h he w a s entrufted,
and o f c o n v e y in g to this c o lo n y th e affiftance o f w h ic h it ftood fo m u ch
* He had failed with the late Captaia Cook.
in need. U n h a p p ily fo r us, lh e w a s n ow ly in g a w r e ck , w i th d ifficu lty
and at an im m enfe e x p en c e p referved from fin k in g at h e r anchors.
B e fid e th e com m on lh a re w h ich w e all bore in this ca lam ity , w e h ad
to lament th a t the efforts o f ou r feveral fr ien d s , in am p ly fu p p ly in g th e
w a n ts that th e y conc lud ed m uft h ave been occafioned b y an abfence o f
th re e y ea rs , w e r e all rendered ineffec tua l, the p r iv a te articles h a v in g
be en am o n g th e firft th in g s th a t w e r e th row n o ve rb oa rd to lig h ten th e
fh ip * .
G o v e rnm en t h ad fen t o u t in th e ’ G u a rd ia n tw e n ty - fiv e male con v
ic t s , w h o w e r e e ither farme rs o r artificers, to g e th e r w i th fe v en pe rfon s
en g ag ed to fe rv e as fuperintendants o f co n v ic ts , fo r three y ea rs from
th e ir la n d in g , at falaries o f fo r ty pound s p e r annum each. O f th e fe ,
tw o , w h o w e re profe ffed ga rd eners, w e r e fup po fed to be d row n e d , h a v in
g le ft th e fhip fo on after lh e ftru ck , w i th feveral o th e r p e r fon s in
b o ats , and n o t been ■ heard o f w h e n the L a d y Ju lian a le ft th e C a p e . r
T h e fuperintendants w h o remained came on in th e t r a n fp o r t ; but th e
con v id ts , o f w h o fe condudt L ieu ten an t R io u fp ok e in the h ig h e ft terms,
w e r e detained at th e Cape.
A c le rg ym an alfo w a s on board th e G u a rd ian , th e R e v . M r . C r o w -
th e r , w h o had been ap p ointed , at a fa la ry o f e ig h t fh illin gs p e r d iem ,
to d iv id e th e re ligiou s duties o f the fettlement w i th M r . Joh n fon . T h i s
g en tleman le ft th e fh ip w i th th e matter and p u r fe r in th e long-b.oat,
ta k in g p ro v ifio n s and w a te r w i th th em ; and o f fiv e boats w h ic h w e r e
launched on th e fame p e rilous enterprife, th is w a s th e o n ly one th a t
condudted her paffengers in to a n y fa fe ty . T h e y w e r e fo r tu n a te ly , a fte r
m an y d ay s fa ilin g , p ick ed up b y a F ren ch fh ip , w h ic h to o k th em in to
th e C a p e , and thence to Europ e .
O n e - th ird o f th e ftores and p ro v ifio n s in ten d ed fo r th e c o lo n y w e r e
p u t on board the tran fp o r t, th e rem a in in g tw o -th ird s w e r e on b oard
th e G u a r d ia n ; n one o f w h ic h it w a s fu p p o fed w o u ld e v e r rea ch th e
fettlement, th e fmall q u an tity ex cep ted ( fe v en ty - fiv e barrels o f flo u r )
w h ic h was p u t o n board th e tran fp or t at th e C ap e . T h e D u tc h at that
place w e r e p ro fitin g b y ou r m is for tune , th e ir w a reh ou fe s b e in g let o u t
* The private property of the officers was all flowed, as the belt and fafefl place in the
(hip, in the gun-room. Some officers were great lofers.
a t