la rge fh ip , ap p a ren tly u n d e r ju r y -m a ft s , was feen in th e o f f in g ; a n d
on th e fo llow in g d a y th e Su rp r ife tranfp ort, N ich o la s A n ft is m a ile r ,
(late c h ie f mate o f th e L a d y P e n rh y n ,) anchored in th e co v e from
E n g la n d , h a v in g on b oard one cap tain, one lieutenant, one fu rg e o n ’ s
m ate , one ferjeant, one co rp o ra l, on e d rum m e r , and tw en ty - th r e e
p riva te s o f th e N ew So u th W a le s c o r p s ; to g e th e r w ith tw o hun d red
and e igh te en male con v id ls . S h e failed on th e 19 th o f J an u a ry from
P o r tfm o u th in c om p a n y w i th tw o o th e r tranfp orts, w i th w h om fhe
p arted b e tw e en th e Gape o f G o o d H o p e and: this place.
W e h ad the' m o r tification to learn',, th a t th e prifoners. in th is fh ip
w e r e v e r y u n h e a lth y , u pw a rd s o f o n e hun d red b e in g n ow in th e lick-
lif t on board. T h e y had -b e en v e r y f ic k ly alfo d u r in g th e pafia ge, and
h ad bu r ied fo r ty - tw o o f the fe un fo r tu n a te p eop le . A portable h o fpital
h ad fo r tu n a te ly be en re c e iv e d b y th e Ju ftin ian , and there n o w appeared:
b u t to o grea t a p ro b a b ility th a t w e fh o u ld fo on have- patients en o u g h
to fill i t ; fo r th e fign a l w a s f ly in g at th e fo u th head fo r the o th e r
tranfp orts , and w e w e r e led to e x p e d l th em in as u n h e a lth y a ftate as-
th a t w h ic h h ad ju f t a r r iv e d
O n th e e v en in g o f M o n d a y th e 2 8 th , th e N e p tu n e and S c a rb o rou gh
tranfports an ch ored o f f G a rd e n Ifland , and w e r e w a rp ed in to th e cove.-
th e fo llo w in g m o rn in g .
W e w e r e n o t m ifta k en in o u r e xp e c ta tio n s o f th e ftate in w h ic h th e y
m ig h t ar riv e. B y n o o n th e fo llo w in g d a y , tw o h und red f ic k h ad been-:
land ed from th e different tranfports. T h e w e f t fide afforded a fcene
t r u ly d iftre flin g and m ife r a b le ; u pw a rd s o f th ir ty tents w e r e p itched in
fro n t o f th e ho fp ita l, th e p ortab le o n e no t b e in g y e t p u t u p ; all o f
w h ic h , as w e ll as th e h o fp ita l and th e adjacent huts, w e r e filled w i th
p e o p le , m a n y o f w h om w e r e labouring" u n d e r th e com plica ted difeafes-
o f fc u r v y and th e d y fe n te r y , and others in th e la ft fta ge o f e ither o f
th o fe ter rib le d iforders, o r y ie ld in g to the attacks o f an in fe c tiou s fe v e r ;
T h e appearance o f tho fe w h o did n o t require med ical affiftance w a s
le a n and emaciated. Several o f the fe miferable p eop le died in th e boats
as th e y w e r e r o w in g on fh o re , o r o n the w h a r f as th e y w e r e lif tin g out
o f th e b o a t s ; bo th th e liv in g and th e dead e x h ib itin g more horrid
fpeCtacles th an had ev e r be en witn e ffed in this c o u n t ry . A l l th is w a s
to be attributed to co n fin em en t, and th a t o f th e w o r ft fpecies, con fin e ment
m en t in a fmall fpace and in iron s , n o t p u t o n f in g ly , but m a n y o f
th em ch a in ed to g e th e r . O n board th e S c a rb orou gh a p lan h ad been
fo rm e d to ta k e th e fh ip , w h ic h w o u ld c e r ta in ly h a v e be en attem p ted ,
b u t fo r a d ifc o v e r y w h ic h was fo r tu n a te ly made b y one o f th é convidts
(Samu el B u r t) w h o had to o m uch p r in c ip le le ft to en te r in to it. T h is
n e c e ffa r ily , on board that Jh ip, óccafion ed m u ch fu tu r e c ir cum fp e d tio n ;
b u t C ap ta in M a r fh a ll’s h um an ity co n ftde rably leffened th e fe v e r ity
w h ic h tfie in fu rgen ts m ig h t n a tu ra lly h a v e exped ted . O n b o a r d the
o th e r fh ip s , th e m aile rs , w h o h ad th e en tire diredtion o f th e prifone r s ,
n e v e r fuffered th em to be at la rg e on d e ck , and b u t few at a tim e w e r e
p e rm itted there. T h i s co n fe q u en t ly g a v e b ir th to m an y difeafes. I t w a s
la id , th a t on board th e Nepjjpne fe v e ra l had died in i r o n s ; and w h a t
ad d e d to th e h o r ro r o f fu ch a c ircum ftan ce w a s , th a t th e ir deaths w e re
co n c e a led , fo r th e p u rp o fe o f fh a r in g th e ir allow an ce o f p ro v ifio n s ,
u n til ch an ce , and th e offenfivenefs o f a co rp fe , di-redted th e fu rg e o n ,
o r fom e one w h o h ad a u th o r ity in th e fh ip , to th e fp o t w h e re it la y .
A con tra c t had be en en te red in to b y g o v e rnm en t w i th MefTrs.
C a lv e r t, C am d en , and K in g , merchants o f L o n d o n , fo r th e tran fp o r tin g
o f one thoufand co n v id ls , and g o v e rnm en t en g a g ed to p a y 1 7 1 . 7 s. 6 d.
p e r head fo r e v e r y co n v id t th e y embarked. T h is fum b e in g as w e ll
fo r th e ir p ro v ifio n s as fo r th e ir tran fp or tation, n o in te re ft fo r th e ir
p re fe rv a tion w a s created in th e ow n e r s , and th e dead w e r e m ore p ro fitable
( i f p ro fit alone w a s con fulted b y th em , and th e cred it o f th e ir
h o u fe w a s n o t a t fla k e ) th an th e liv in g .
T h e fo llo w in g a c coun ts o f th e numbers w h o died on b oard each fhip
w e r e g iv e n in b y th e maile rs :
Men. Women. Children.
On board the Lad y Juliana - 0 5 2
the Surprife - r 4 2 0 O
the Scarborough ,, - - ' B 68 0 O
the Neptune s- L - ", 151 1 1 2
Total 261 16 4
A l l poffible e xp ed ition w a s ufed to g e t th e f ic k o n fh o r e ; fo r ev en
w h ile th e y remained o n board m an y died. T h e bodies w e r e tak en
o v e r to th e n o r th fh o re , and th e re interred.
R 2 Parties