at an im m en fe e x p en c e to re c e iv e fu ch o f th e p ro v ifio n s and ftores as
rem ained on b oard th e G u a rd ian w h e n fhe g o t in.
In ad d ition to th e ab ov e d iftre ffin g c ircum ftan ce s , w e lea rned that one
th o u fan d c o n v if t s o f b o th fe x e s w e r e to fail at the latter end o f th e laft
y e a r , and th a t a corps o f fo o t w a s ra ifin g fo r th e fe rv ice o f this co u n t ry
u n d e r th e com m an d o f a m a jo r -com m an d an t, F ranc is G r o fe efq. from
th e 2 9 th fo o t , o f w h ic h re g im en t h e w a s m a jo r . T h e tranfports
w h ic h failed h en ce in M a y , J u ly , and N o v em b e r 178 8 (the F r ien d -
Ihip ex cep ted ) ar r iv ed in E n g lan d w ith in a v e r y fh o r t tim e o f each
o th e r ; and th e ir a r r iv al re lie v ed th e p u b lic from a n x ie ty u p o n our
a c co u n t.
T h e j o y th a t w a s d iffu fed b y th e a r r iv al o f th e tranfports w a s co n -
lid e r a b ly ch e ck ed b y th e v a r ie ty o f u n pleafan t and u nw e lcom e in te llig
en c e w h ic h flic b ro u g h t. W e lea rned th a t o u r b e lov ed S o v e re ign
h ad b e en attacked and fo r fom e m on th s afflicted w i th a dangerous
an d a la rm in g illn e fs , th o u g h n o w h a p p ily re cov e red . O u r d iftance
from h is p e r fon h ad n o t leffened o u r a tta chm en t, and the d a y fo llow in
g th e re c e ip t o f th is in fo rm a tion b e in g th e an n iv e r fa ry o f h is M a -
j e f t y ’ s b ir th , it w a s k e p t w i th e v e r y m a rk o f d iftin dtion that w a s in ou r
p ow e r . T h e g o v e rn o r p ardoned all offenders w h o w e r e un d e r confinem
en t, o r u n d e r fentence o f co rp o ral p u n i lhm e n t ; th e ra tion w a s in -
cre afed fo r th a t d a y , th a t e v e ry on e m ig h t re jo ic e ; at th e g o v e rn o r ’ s
ta b le , w h e re all th e officers o f th e fe ttlem en t and ga r r ifo n w e r e met,
m a n y p rofp e rou s and h a p p y y ea rs w e r e fe r v e n t ly w ifh e d to be added
to h is M a je f ty ’ s l i f e ; and W e d n e fd a y th e 9 th w a s appointed fo r a
p u b lic th a n k fg iv in g on o c c a fio n o f his r e c o v e r y .'
T h e L a d y Ju lian a w a s , b y ftron g w e f te r ly w in d s and bad w e a th e r ,
p re v en ted from re a ch in g th e co v e u ntil th e 6 th , w h e n , th e w e a th e r
m od e ra tin g , Ihe w a s tow e d up to the fettlement. T h e conv id ts on
b oard h e r appeared to h a v e b e en w e ll treated d u r in g th e ir lo n g paffage,
an d preparations fo r lan d in g th em w e r e im m ed ia te ly m a d e ; but, in
th e diftreffed fituation o f th e c o lo n y , it w a s n o t a little m o r tify in g to
fin d o n board th e firft flo p th a t ar r iv ed , a ca rg o fo u n n e ce ffa ry and
u nprofitab le as tw o h und red and tw e n ty - tw o females, inftead o f a ca rgo
o f p r o v if io n s ; th e fu p p ly o f p ro v ifio n s on board h e r was fo in c o n fi-
derable as to p e rm it o n ly an ad d ition o f o n e p ou n d and a h a l f o f flour
b e in g
b e in g made to th e w e e k ly ration. H a d the G u a rd ian ar r iv ed , p erhap s
w e fh ou ld n e ve r ag ain h a v e been in want.
O n the 9 th , b e in g th e d a y appointed fo r re tu rn in g th an k s to A l m
ig h ty G o d fo r his M a je f ty ’ s h a p p y reftora tion to health, th e attendance
on d iv in e fe rv ice w a s v e r y fu ll. A fe rm on on th e o c c a fio n w a s
p reached b y the R e v . M r . J o h n fon , w h o to o k his te x t from th e b o o k
o f P ro v e rb s , “ B y me k in g s r e ig n .” T h e officers w e r e a fte rw ard s
enter tained at th e g o v e rn o r ’ s, w h e n an addrefs on th e o ccafion o f th e
m e e tin g w a s re fo lv ed to be fen t to h is M a je f ty .
W h e n the w om en w e r e land ed o n th e n t h , m a n y o f th em appeared
to be loaded w i th th e in firm itie s in c id en t to old ag e, and to be
v e r y im p rop e r fubjedts fo r a n y o f the purpo fe s o f an in fa n t c o lo n y .
In ftead o f b e in g capable o f lab our, th e y feemed to req u ire attendance
th em fe lv e s , and w e r e n e ve r l ik e ly to be a n y o th e r than a burd en to
th e fe ttlem en t, w h ic h muft. fen fib ly feel th e hardftvip o f h a v in g to fu p -
p o r t b y the labour o f tho fe w h o cou ld to il, and w h o at th e b e ft w e r e
b u t few , a d e fcr iption o f p eop le u tte r ly incap ab le o f u fin g a n y e x e r tio n
tow a rd th e ir ow n m aintenance.
W h e n th e w om en w e r e d ifembarked , and the p ro v ifio n s and ftores
la n d ed , it w a s fo u n d th a t tw e n ty ca lk s o f flo u r (from th e unfitnefs o f
th e lh ip to p e r form fu ch a v o y a g e , b e in g old and fa r from tig h t) w e r e
to t a lly d e ftroy ed . T h is w a s a ferious lofs to us., w h e n o n ly fo u r
p ou n d s o f flou r conftituted th e a llow a n ce o f th a t ar tic le fo r o n e man
fo r fe v en d ays.
F rom th is fitu a tion o f diftrefs, h ow e v e r , w e w e r e in a fh o r t tim e
afte rw a rd s e ffe c tu a lly re lie ved , and th e c o lo n y m ig h t be p ron ou n ced
to be reftored , b y th e a r r iv a l (on th e 20th) o f th e Ju ftin ian fto re lh ip ,
M r . B en jam in M a itlan d matter, from E n g lan d , a fte r a Ihort p affa ge
o f o n ly fiv e months. M r . M a itlan d , on the 2d o f th is m on th , the
d a y p re ced in g th e a r r iv al o f th e L a d y J u lian a, w a s o f f th e entrance o f
this^harbour, a n d w o u ld c e r ta in ly h a v e be en fo u n d b y th a t lh ip at
an ch or w ith in the heads, h ad h e n o t, b y a fud d en ch an ge o f th e w in d ,
aided b y a cu rrent, be en d r iv en as fa r to th e n o r thw a rd as B la c k H e ad ,
in latitud e 32° S. w h e re h e w a s v e r y n e a r ly lo ft in an h e a v y ga le o f
w i n d ; b u t w h ic h h e p ro v id en tia lly rod e o u t, h a v in g been o b lig ed to
com e to an an ch or , th o u g h e lo fe in w ith fom e dangerous rock s. T h e
- w in d