The Transactions of the Colony continued to the End of May, 1791.
December, 1790. The Dutch snow from Batavia arrived on the 17th of the
month, after a passage of twelve weeks, in which she had lost sixteen of
her people. But death, to a man who has resided at Batavia, is too familiar
an object to excite either terror or regret. All the people of the 'Supply'
who were left there sick, except one midshipman, had also perished in that
fatal climate.
The cargo of the snow consisted chiefly of rice, with a small quantity of
beef, pork, and flour.
A letter was received by this vessel, written by the Shebander at Batavia,
to governor Phillip, acquainting him that war had commenced between England
and Spain. As this letter was written in the Dutch language we did not find
it easy of translation. It filled us, however, with anxious perturbation,
and with wishes as impotent, as they were eager, in the cause of our
country. Though far beyond the din of arms, we longed to contribute to her
glory, and to share in her triumphs.
Placed out of the reach of attack, both by remoteness and insignificancy,
our only dread lay lest those supplies intended for our consumption should
be captured. Not, however, to be found totally unprovided in case an enemy
should appear, a battery was planned near the entrance of Sydney Cove, and
other formidable preparations set on foot.
The commencement of the year 1791, though marked by no circumstances
particularly favourable, beamed far less inauspicious than that of 1790 had
done.
January, 1791. No circumstance, however apparently trivial, which can
tend to throw light on a new country, either in respect of its present
situation, or its future promise, should pass unregarded. On the 24th of
January, two bunches of grapes were cut in the governor's garden, from
cuttings of vines brought three years before from the Cape of Good Hope.
The bunches were handsome, the fruit of a moderate size, but well filled
out and the flavour high and delicious.
The first step after unloading the Dutch snow was to dispatch the 'Supply'
to Norfolk Island for captain Hunter, and the crew of the 'Sirius' who had
remained there ever since the loss of that ship. It had always been the
governor's wish to hire the Dutchman, for the purpose of transporting them
to England. But the frantic extravagant behaviour of the master of her, for
a long time frustrated the conclusion of a contract. He was so totally
lost to a sense of reason and propriety, as to ask eleven pounds per ton,
monthly, for her use, until she should arrive from England, at Batavia.
This was treated with proper contempt; and he was at last induced to accept
twenty shillings a ton, per month (rating her at three hundred tons) until
she should arrive in England--being about the twenty-fifth part of his
original demand. And even at this price she was, perhaps, the dearest
vessel ever hired on a similar service, being totally destitute of every
accommodation and every good quality which could promise to render so long
a voyage either comfortable or expeditious.
February, 1791. On the 26th, Captain Hunter, his officers and ship's
company joined us; and on the 28th of March the snow sailed with them for
England, intending to make a northern passage by Timor and Batavia, the
season being too far advanced to render the southern route by Cape Horn
practicable*.
[*They did not arrive in England until April, 1792.]
Six days previous to the departure of captain Hunter, the indefatigable
'Supply' again sailed for Norfolk Island, carrying thither captain Hill
and a detachment of the New South Wales corps. A little native boy named
Bondel, who had long particularly attached himself to captain Hill,
accompanied him, at his own earnest request. His father had been killed in
battle and his mother bitten in two by a shark: so that he was an orphan,
dependant on the humanity of his tribe for protection*. His disappearance
seemed to make no impression on the rest of his countrymen, who were
apprized of his resolution to go. On the return of the 'Supply' they
inquired eagerly for him, and on being told that the place he was gone
to afforded plenty of birds and other good fare, innumerable volunteers
presented themselves to follow him, so great was their confidence in us and
so little hold of them had the amor patriae.
[*I am of opinion that such protection is always extended to children who
may be left destitute.]
March, 1791. The snow had but just sailed, when a very daring manoeuvre was
carried into execution, with complete success, by a set of convicts, eleven
in number, including a woman, wife of one of the party, and two little
children. They seized the governor's cutter and putting into her a
seine, fishing-lines, and hooks, firearms, a quadrant, compass, and some
provisions, boldly pushed out to sea, determined to brave every danger and
combat every hardship, rather than remain longer in a captive state. Most
of these people had been brought out in the first fleet, and the terms of
transportation of some of them were expired. Among them were a fisherman,
a carpenter, and some competent navigators, so that little doubt was
entertained that a scheme so admirably planned would be adequately
executed*. When their elopement was discovered, a pursuit was ordered
by the governor. But the fugitives had made too good an use of the
intermediate time to be even seen by their pursuers. After the escape of
Captain Bligh, which was well known to us, no length of passage or hazard
of navigation seemed above human accomplishment. However to prevent future
attempts of a like nature, the governor directed that boats only of stated
dimensions should be built. Indeed an order of this sort had been issued
on the escape of the first party, and it was now repeated with additional
restrictions.
[*It was my fate to fall in again with part of this little band of
adventurers. In March 1792, when I arrived in the Gorgon, at the Cape of
Good Hope, six of these people, including the woman and one child, were put
on board of us to be carried to England. Four had died, and one had jumped
overboard at Batavia. The particulars of their voyage were briefly as
follows. They coasted the shore of New Holland, putting occasionally into
different harbours which they found in going along. One of these harbours,
in the latitude of 30 degrees south, they described to be of superior
excellence and capacity. Here they hauled their bark ashore, paid her seams
with tallow, and repaired her. But it was with difficulty they could keep
off the attacks of the Indians. These people continued to harras them so
much that they quitted the mainland and retreated to a small island in
the harbour, where they completed their design. Between the latitude of 26
degrees and 27 degrees, they were driven by a current 30 leagues from the
shore, among some islands, where they found plenty of large turtles. Soon
after they closed again with the continent, when the boat got entangled in
the surf and was driven on shore, and they had all well nigh perished. They
passed rough the straits of Endeavour and, beyond the gulf of Carpentaria,
found a large freshwater river, which they entered, and filled from it
their empty casks.
Until they reached the gulf of Carpentaria, they saw no natives or canoes
differing from those about Port Jackson. But now they were chased by large
canoes, jitted with sails and fighting stages, and capable of holding
thirty men each. They escaped by dint of rowing to windward. On the 5th
of June 1791 they reached Timor, and pretended that they had belonged to a
ship which, on her passage from Port Jackson to India, had foundered;
and that they only had escaped. The Dutch received them with kindness
and treated them with hospitality. But their behaviour giving rise to
suspicion, they were watched; and one of them at last, in a moment of
intoxication, betrayed the secret. They were immediately secured and
committed to prison. Soon after Captain Edwards of the Pandora, who had
been wrecked near Endeavour straits, arrived at Timor, and they were
delivered up to him, by which means they became passengers in the Gorgon.
I confess that I never looked at these people without pity and
astonishment. They had miscarried in a heroic struggle for liberty after
having combated every hardship and conquered every difficulty.
The woman, and one of the men, had gone out to Port Jackson in the ship
which had transported me thither. They had both of them been always
distinguished for good behaviour. And I could not but reflect with
admiration at the strange combination of circumstances which had again
brought us together, to baffle human foresight and confound human
speculation.]
April, 1791. Notwithstanding the supplies which had recently arrived from
Batavia, short allowance was again proclaimed on the 2nd of April, on which
day we were reduced to the following ration:
Three pounds of rice, three pounds of flour and three pounds of pork per
week.
It was singularly unfortunate that these retrenchments should always happen
when the gardens were most destitute of vegetables. A long drought had
nearly exhausted them. The hardships which we in consequence suffered were
great, but not comparable to what had been formerly experienced. Besides,
now we made sure of ships arriving soon to dispel our distress. Whereas,
heretofore, from having never heard from England, the hearts of men sunk
and many had begun to doubt whether it had not been resolved to try how
long misery might be endured with resignation.
Notwithstanding the incompetency of so diminished a pittance, the daily
task of the soldier and convict continued unaltered. I never contemplated
the labours of these men without finding abundant cause of reflection on
the miseries which our nature can overcome. Let me for a moment quit the
cold track of narrative. Let me not fritter away by servile adaptation
those reflections and the feelings they gave birth to. Let me transcribe
them fresh as they arose, ardent and generous, though hopeless and
romantic. I every day see wretches pale with disease and wasted with
famine, struggle against the horror's of their situation. How striking is
the effect of subordination; how dreadful is the fear of punishment! The
allotted task is still performed, even on the present reduced subsistence.
The blacksmith sweats at the sultry forge, the sawyer labours pent-up in
his pit and the husbandman turns up the sterile glebe. Shall I again hear
arguments multiplied to violate truth, and insult humanity! Shall I again
be told that the sufferings of the wretched Africans are indispensable
for the culture of our sugar colonies; that white men are incapable of
sustaining the heat of the climate! I have been in the West Indies. I
have lived there. I know that it is a rare instance for the mercury in the
thermometer to mount there above 90 degrees; and here I scarcely pass a
week in summer without seeing it rise to 100 degrees; sometimes to 105;
nay, beyond even that burning altitude.
But toil cannot be long supported without adequate refreshment. The first
step in every community which wishes to preserve honesty should be to set
the people above want. The throes of hunger will ever prove too
powerful for integrity to withstand. Hence arose a repetition of petty
delinquencies, which no vigilance could detect, and no justice reach.
Gardens were plundered, provisions pilfered, and the Indian corn stolen
from the fields where it grew for public use. Various were the measures
adopted to check this depredatory spirit. Criminal courts, either from the
tediousness of their process, or from the frequent escape of culprits from
their decision, were seldomer convened than formerly. The governor ordered
convict offenders either to be chained together or to wear singly a large
iron collar with two spikes projecting from it, which effectually hindered
the party from concealing it under his shirt; and thus shackled, they were
compelled to perform their quota of work.
May, 1791. Had their marauding career terminated here, humanity would
have been anxious to plead in their defence; but the natives continued to
complain of being robbed of spears and fishing tackle. A convict was at
length taken in the fact of stealing fishing-tackle from Daringa, the wife
of Colbee. The governor ordered that he should be severely flogged in the
presence of as many natives as could be assembled, to whom the cause of
punishment should be explained. Many of them, of both sexes, accordingly
attended. Arabanoo's aversion to a similar sight has been noticed; and if
the behaviour of those now collected be found to correspond with it, it
is, I think, fair to conclude that these people are not of a sanguinary
and implacable temper. Quick indeed of resentment, but not unforgiving of
injury. There was not one of them that did not testify strong abhorrence
of the punishment and equal sympathy with the sufferer. The women were
particularly affected; Daringa shed tears, and Barangaroo, kindling into
anger, snatched a stick and menaced the executioner. The conduct of these
women, on this occasion, was exactly descriptive of their characters. The
former was ever meek and feminine, the latter fierce and unsubmissive.
On the first of May, many allotments of ground were parcelled out by the
governor to convicts whose periods of transportation were expired, and who
voluntarily offered to become settlers in the country. The terms on which
they settled, and their progress in agriculture, will be hereafter set
forth.