A VOYAGE TO CAPE OF GOOD HOPE AND VOYAGE TO PORT JACKSON
January 1789 to May 1789
-Depart from Robin's Island, and anchor in Table
Bay.--The sick sent on shore.--Arrival of the Alexander
transport.--Provisions procured for the settlement at Port
Jackson.--Departure of the Sirius.--In great danger from a
violent tempest.--Arrives safe at Port Jackson.--Tables of the
winds, weather, variation of the compass,
etc.-
As soon as the ship was anchored, we sent a boat with the
first lieutenant on shore to the island, for such news from
Europe as the commanding officer there might be able to give; I
wished also to know if Governor Van de Graaff was still at the
Cape, and if Colonel Gordon was still commander in chief of the
troops in garrison there.
The officer commanding at the island was exceedingly civil to
the lieutenant who went on shore, and gave him every information
he could; but it was unfortunate that the one could not speak a
word of English, nor the other understand a word of Dutch:
however, it was observed, that he wore a large orange cockade in
his hat, and although he could not converse, he made the officer
sufficiently understand, by broken expressions of half English
and half Dutch, that the English and Dutch were very good friends
again, and that the French had no connection at all with Holland:
from all which I conjectured, that some considerable changes had
taken place in the affairs of the republic, since our departure
from England, and that the Stadtholder had been reinstated in all
his rights.
On hearing what a long voyage we had come, the officer was so
kind as to send a basket of such fruit as his garden afforded;
which, (to make the dejected sick well assured we were really in
port,) were sent down and divided among them, for until then some
of them very much doubted.
In the morning of the 2d of January, with a fine breeze from
the northward, we got under way, and sailed up to Table Bay. I
had generally understood, that the depth of water between this
island and the anchorage in Table Bay, was so very considerable
as to be unsafe for anchorage, in case of being becalmed, or
otherwise not able to reach the proper anchoring ground. I was
the more inclined to believe that to be the case, from never
having seen the soundings laid down in any chart of this bay,
except where ships commonly anchor: I therefore, to ascertain
whether that were the case or not, determined to go up under an
easy sail, and to keep the lead going; the soundings were
regular, and the deepest water was 15 fathoms; the ground was
hard and probably not very clear, but still there is anchorage,
which I did not before know.
At ten o'clock in the morning, we anchored in Table Bay, in
seven and a half fathoms, and moored a cable each way. As soon as
the ship was secured, I sent an officer to wait on the governor,
and to inform him of the business I was come upon: he very
politely informed the officer, that there was great abundance of
every thing to be had, and that I had nothing to do but to
signify in writing the quantity of each article wanted, and
directions would be immediately given respecting it. His
excellency also took that opportunity of sending me information,
that he should in a few days, send a ship for Amsterdam; and,
that if I had any dispatches to forward, and would send them to
his house, he would answer for their being delivered into the
custody of the British ambassador, at the Hague, as far as the
safety of the ship could be depended on.
The governor also confirmed the political accounts we had
(though imperfectly,) received at the island: he sent me the
treaty of alliance formed between the Kings of Great-Britain and
Prussia, and also that between the States-General and these two
sovereigns, which was a very pleasing piece of intelligence.
Every person here, either military or civil, wore a mark of their
attachment to the Orange party and the old constitution; the
former by an orange cockade, the latter, by a bit of ribbon of
that colour, either at the breast, button-hole, or sleeve.
Immediately after our arrival, I directed that sick-quarters
should be provided for the sick, which was done; and the
invalids, to the number of forty, were landed under the care of
Mr. Worgan, the surgeon of the ship. Their expeditious recovery
was of much consequence to the service upon which I was at that
time employed; and it was also of consequence to that service,
that they should be perfectly recovered before they were taken on
board again; as we had yet a very long voyage to perform before
we could arrive at any port, after leaving the Cape. When we
arrived in this bay, we had just twelve men in each watch, and
half that number, from scorbutic contractions in their limbs,
were not able to go aloft.
Every person here, with whom any of the officers fell in
company, spoke of our voyage from the east coast of New Holland,
by Cape Horn, to the Cape of Good Hope, with great surprise, not
having touched at any port in our way, and having sailed that
distance in ninety-one days.
I was now very anxious to get some account of the transports,
which, under the command of Lieutenant Shortland, the agent, had
left Port Jackson on the 14th of July, 1788, and which I was
sorry to understand had not been in this bay: for I thought it
highly probable, that as their route was to the northward, by the
Molucca Islands and Batavia, they would certainly touch here in
their way home. It being now seven months since they sailed, I
was apprehensive for their safety; particularly when I considered
the very weakly condition of some of their crews, by the scurvy,
when they left us, and not a surgeon in any one of the ships.
This must be allowed to be very improper oeconomy in the owners
of those ships, when the extent of the voyage they had undertaken
is considered, together with the well known impossibility of
their being able to procure seamen, or any recruit of strength to
their ships companies, in that inhospitable and far distant part
of the world.
I cannot help here taking the liberty of saying, that it is
much to be lamented, when ships are hired for the service of
government, to perform such long and trying voyages to the health
of those employed in them, that it is not made a part of the
contract and practice, that they carry a surgeon; for I know
well, that seamen, when taken ill upon such long passages, are,
at the very idea of being without the assistance of a surgeon,
(although careless and void of thought at other times, when in
perfect health,) apt to give way to melancholy, and a total
dejection of spirits; and that many a valuable subject has been
lost to the country by such a trifling saving. Out of the nine
transports which were employed on this service, one only had a
surgeon; and that one, had she not been bound upon some other
service, after leaving Port Jackson, would in all probability
have been without one also.
On the 5th, a Dutch India ship arrived here from Rio de
Janeiro: by this ship I received information of the arrival at
that place of two vessels from the east coast of New Holland;
that they arrived singly, and in very great distress, from
sickness, and the death of many of their people; that the first
which arrived, had her name on her stern, (-Prince of Wales, of
London_;) from which circumstance, there could be no doubt of
its being one of our transports: the other vessel was also so
well described, that I knew it to be the Borrowdale store-ship.
The officers of this India ship observed farther, that they were
so weak, that had they not been boarded by boats without the
harbour, they had been unable to bring their vessels into
safety.
These ships, I apprehended, had parted company with Lieutenant
Shortland, soon after sailing from Port Jackson, and had then
determined to go to the eastward by Cape Horn; but they were
wrong in my opinion, (and I judge from my own experience,) after
passing Cape Horn, in preferring a port at Rio de Janeiro to the
Cape of Good Hope, which last place, I have no doubt, they would
have reached in less time, and with considerable less fatigue to
their sickly crews; beside the advantage of being able to procure
more seamen, if they were in want; which I apprehend they will
find much difficulty in obtaining at Rio de Janeiro.
As westerly winds are prevalent between Cape Horn and the Cape
of Good Hope, if it should so happen that these winds blow more
from the north-west than the south-west quarters, their progress
to the northward would be but slow along the coast of South
America; but from both these quarters it is fair, if bound over
to the coast of Africa: and farther, with respect to a passage to
Europe, they would have been more conveniently situated at the
Cape of Good Hope, than at Rio de Janeiro, for making that
passage with expedition; for at Rio you are within the limits of
the south-east trade, and upon that coast are consequently to
leeward; so that you may be obliged to stretch as far from thence
to the southward as the latitude of 30° 00' south, and
sometimes 32° 00' along that coast, before you can tack and
stand to the north-east, in order to be able to cross the equator
far enough to the eastward, to ensure a tolerable passage across
the north-east trade; but at the Cape, you are far to windward,
and steer to the northward with a large wind.
On the 19th, a small Dutch frigate arrived here from Batavia;
from which I learned, that Lieutenant Shortland had arrived at
that port with a single ship, about the beginning of December, in
a very distressed condition; that he had buried the greatest part
of the ship's company, and was assisted by the officers and
company of the above frigate to secure his vessel and hand the
sails, which he could not have done without assistance; and that
he had been reduced to the necessity, some time before he
arrived, to sink the other vessel which was in company with him,
for the purpose of manning one out of the remaining part of the
two ships companies; without which, he never could have reached
Batavia with either: for when he arrived there, he had only four
men out of the two crews, who were capable of standing on the
deck. I was now particularly anxious for the arrival of Mr.
Shortland at the Cape, that I might have something more authentic
than these reports to give Governor Phillip, on my return to Port
Jackson.
By altitudes taken for the time-keeper, since we had been
here, we found its error to be 1° 31' easterly, and
Brockbank's watch erred 3° 01' easterly also; from which I
conjecture, that the very cold weather which we experienced some
time before we reached, and for a considerable time after we
passed, Cape Horn, had affected the watch's going: when we made
Terra del Fuego, it appeared to be about 1° 00' to the
eastward. I made a present of a dog from New South Wales, to a
gentleman who came on board, and thought it a curiosity: it was
taken by many who visited the Sirius for a jackall, as it was
much of that make and colour.
On the 18th of February, to my no small satisfaction, (for I
was preparing to sail the next day,) Mr. Shortland arrived in the
Alexander transport. I was going off from the shore, when I
discovered the ship coming round Green Point; I rowed directly on
board, and his people were so happy to see their old friends in
Table-Bay, that they cheered us as we came alongside. I now
received from Mr. Shortland an exact confirmation of all the
intelligence which I had received concerning him from the
officers of the Dutch frigate. The two ships which I had
collected some accounts of from Rio de Janeiro, he told me, had
parted company with him two days after he left Port Jackson; and
that he was nineteen weeks and four days on his passage to
Batavia.
On the 20th of February, I sailed from Table-Bay, after having
taken on board twelve months provisions for the ship's company;
and, in addition, about six months flour for the whole
settlement; together with various stores for the colony, and many
private articles for the different officers, etc. etc. in
short, the ship's hold, between decks, every officer's apartment,
and all the store-rooms were completely filled.
During the time we lay in Table-Bay, I received many
civilities, indeed many marks of the most polite and friendly
attention from Governor Van de Graaf, Colonel Gordon, and many
other officers of this settlement.
Before we embarked any of the provisions, we heeled the ship,
to endeavour to stop the leak, which had kept the pumps so much
employed during the voyage, and which I mentioned before, I was
in hopes of being able, in fine weather, to get at, and stop at
sea; but, after several attempts, we found it impracticable: we
were now so fortunate as to get at it; it proceeded from an iron
bolt, which had been corroded by the copper, and by the working
of the ship had dropt out, and left a hole of more than an inch
in diameter. A wooden plug was put in, and covered again with
copper. But beside this leak, there were many other smaller
holes, which were occasioned by the decay of long spikenails with
which the skirting-board (which secures the upper edge of the
copper) had been fastened on, and had gone quite through the main
plank of the ship's bottom. All were closed, as far as we
examined, and the ship for the present made less water, but was
not so tight as formerly; it was therefore my intention, upon my
arrival at Port Jackson, to represent to Governor Phillip the
necessity there was to lighten and examine the ship some distance
below the wales; that such defects as we might find might be
remedied while they were trifling.
The time-keeper, which I have already mentioned to have had
upon our arrival here an error of 1° 31', seemed, during the
time we lay in Table-Bay, to have gradually recovered its
original rate, (viz. 4"-77,) it was now losing 4"-78; this served
to convince me of the justice of my conjecture, that it had been
considerably affected by the very cold weather we had near Cape
Horn.
After we left the Cape of Good Hope, we had, for three weeks,
strong gales from the southward, with squally disagreeable
weather, which sometimes reduced our sails as low as courses; we
did not meet with westerly winds quite so soon as I expected, or
as we had done the last time we made this passage. In latitude
38° 30' and in the meridian of the Cape, we had, for two
days, a current to the northward of 44 miles each day; and in
latitude 40°, and longitude 22° east, we were, in two
days, set 68 miles to the southward, and by the watch, 60 miles
to the eastward, more than the log gave. In latitude 41° 50'
south, and longitude 28° 09' east, the wind shifted from the
southward to the north-north-east, and blew a very strong gale
for two days; it then settled in the north-west quarter.
At that time, being in latitude 43° 00' south, and
longitude 37° 30' east, we found the variation of the compass
had encreased as high as 32° 20' west, before we had reached
as much east longitude as we found that variation in last
passage; but we were now in a higher latitude, as will appear by
the variation table which is annexed at the end of this
chapter.
On the 20th of March, having sprung the trussle trees of the
main-top-mast, we struck and unrigged them, and fitted new ones.
On the 22d, we had a very heavy gale of wind from
north-north-east and north, with a prodigious high broken sea;
our course (east-south-east) being at right angles to the wind,
we kept the ship in the trough of the sea, which occasioned our
shipping several heavy seas, and made me very apprehensive for
the safety of the boats and booms; I was therefore under the
necessity of laying the ship to, under a balanced mizzen, for
about four hours; when the wind shifting suddenly to north-west,
enabled me to bear away and set the reefed fore-sail.
It continued to blow very hard all night, and we shipt much
water, but the ship having a flush deck, no weight could lay on
it, the only danger was that of filling the boats; to prevent
which, I, after this gale, had them turned bottom up; the ship
now made about as much water as she did on the former passage.
The wind continued in the north-west quarter, and blew strong
until the 8th of April, when it inclined a little to the eastward
of north for two or three days, but it had not so much easting in
it as to be unfavourable for our course. On the 16th, we were in
latitude 44° 45' south, and in longitude 135° 30' east;
and at night we perceived the sea spread over with luminous
spots, resembling lanthorns floating on its surface; when nearly
about the same longitude on the last voyage we discovered the
same appearance upon the sea: this observation may have its use,
and serve as a hint for your being at no great distance from Van
Diemen's Land. On the 20th, we had a strong gale from
west-north-west to north-north-west, which suddenly moderated in
the night, and veered round to the westward, with a light air at
south-west by south, by which we were encouraged to make all the
sail possible; but we had no sooner got every thing set, than the
wind veered round to the southward, and began to blow; in a few
hours it increased to a very violent gale of wind.
We were now in latitude 44° 29' south, by account, and
longitude 144° 30' east, being so near Van Diemen's Land, and
so well to the southward as I supposed we were, I had no doubt of
being able to cross it, and, availing myself of this southerly
wind, to run along the coast to the northward, and reach Port
Jackson in a few days; but as we drew near the meridian of the
south cape, the gale increased to a mere tempest, attended with
thick hazy weather, and a most astonishing high sea; this brought
us under a reefed fore-sail, balanced mizzen, and the three storm
stay-sails.
At day-light on the morning of the 21st, the fore, main, and
mizzen stay-sails were all split by the violence of the wind; by
this accident we were reduced to the reefed fore-sail and
balanced mizzen; and for some time we were under the necessity of
handing the fore-sail, the gale still continuing to increase
rather than abate; and inclining to the eastward of south, was in
our situation at this time particularly unfortunate: for we were
now so far advanced to the eastward as to hope that in a few
hours we should have been able to have made a fair wind of it, if
it had continued to the southward.
I still flattered myself, that we were so far to the
southward, as not to have a doubt of passing some distance to the
southward of Rock Swilley, and consequently at a sufficient
distance from the south cape, which is the southern point or
extremity of this promontory; for this rock, or ledge of rocks,
is not less than fifteen miles from the south cape, and we were
now about its meridian, both by the longitude carried on from the
last lunar observations, which were taken five days before, and
by our time-keeper, from which our situation had been determined
since these observations, as long as the sun was to be seen in
any part of the day: it now blew a most violent gale of wind,
with thick hazy weather.
It may not be improper here to observe, that three days had
now elapsed without a sight of the sun during the day, or a star
during the night, from which we could _exactly_ determine
our latitude; but as every allowance had been made for the
drifting of the ship to leeward, under a very low sail, and an
exceeding heavy sea, and for every other disadvantage attending
such a situation; there remained not a doubt with me, or any
officer on board, but that we were near half a degree to the
southward of the south cape, and as the distance from west to
east, across this promontory, is not more than a degree and a
half of longitude, or about twenty or twenty-two leagues in
distance, (that is, from the south-west cape to Tasman's Head) we
had every reason to think we were near round it; but at half past
three in the afternoon it cleared a little in the horizon, and we
saw the land bearing east; the haze was such that we could not
well guess the distance, but it was very near; on this we wore
the ship immediately, and stood to the westward.
The wind had now got to south-south-east, but continued to
blow with great violence, the ship upon this tack lying up
south-west, we set the reefed main-sail, and at half past six we
saw the land again, through the haze close under our lee bow, and
the sea breaking with prodigious force upon it it, was impossible
to weather it; therefore we wore the ship immediately, while
there was a chance of having room for doing so. I now found that
we were embayed, and the gale not in the least likely to abate,
and the sea running mountain high, with very thick weather, a
long dark night just coming on, and an unknown coast I may call
it, (for although it has been seen by several navigators, it is
not yet known) close under our lee; nothing was now left to be
done but to carry every yard of canvass the ship was capable of
bearing, and for every person on board to constantly keep the
deck, and attentively to look out under the lee for the land, and
as often as it might be discovered, to wear, and lay the ship's
head the other way: but as we knew not what bay, or part of the
coast we were upon, nor what dangerous ledges of rocks might be
detached some distance from the shore; and in our way, we had
every moment reason to fear that the next might, by the ship
striking, launch the whole of us into eternity.
Our situation was such that not a man could have escaped to
have told where the rest suffered: however, whatever might have
been the private feelings of each individual, I never saw orders
executed with more alacrity in any situation; every officer and
man took his station for the look-out; and, the ship being wore
to the eastward, notwithstanding the strength of the gale, the
close reefed fore and main top-sails were set over the reefed
courses.
Fortunately at this instant the wind favoured us near two
points, and the ship lay better up upon this tack, than her
course upon the other had promised, but still the weather was so
thick, the sea so high, the gale so strong, and so dead upon the
shore, that little hope could be entertained of our weathering
the land. We stood on to the eastward, and the ship, to my
astonishment, as well as to that of every person on board, bore
such a press of sail wonderfully. We had, about midnight, run
back the distance made from the first land we saw to the second,
and perceived, through the haze, the looming of that land under
our lee, nearly on the beam; this advantage we had gained by the
shifting of the wind two points. We now stood on, and I had hopes
that this might be the most projecting land; but at two in the
afternoon, as I was looking from the quarter deck very anxiously
to leeward, I observed the looming of a high and very steep point
of rocky land, and the sea foaming with frightful violence
against it. I made no mention of it; but just at that instant it
was discovered by the sailors stationed forward, and they called
out, "Land, close under our lee;" I replied it was very well, I
had seen it some time, and that as it was now upon our beam
(which it really was, for I discovered it through the main
shrouds) there could be no danger from it, we should soon pass
it: if this land had been seen a little sooner, the fear of not
being able to weather it might have occasioned our wearing, which
would have been unfortunate, as the weather just cleared up at a
time when we could see that no danger was to be apprehended from
it.
The ship was at this time half buried in the sea by the press
of sail, since she was going through it (for she could not be
said to be going over it) at the rate of four knots.
We soon shot past this head, and from the course we had made,
I was convinced it was Tasman's Head, which is the eastern point
of a bay, of which the south cape is the western, and was called
by Tasman, _Storm-Bay_. The first land we had seen was
within the bay, on the east shore, not so far out as Tasman's
Head; and the western land, under which we wore at half past six,
was the south cape.
After passing Tasman's Head, we kept our wind still, and
carried sail, in order, if possible, to weather Maria's Islands,
which lay about six leagues to the north-east, for we had no
sooner got round the last head, than the wind headed us, and we
fell off from east by south to east by north; had this change
taken place a little sooner, it must have proved fatal to us.
At eight the next morning, we passed to the windward of
Maria's Islands, which, from the haziness of the weather, we did
not see until they were upon the lee quarter. If I had found it
impossible to have got round those islands, it was my intention
to have stood back to the westward, and have got sight of the
land, between Tasman's Head and Adventure-Bay; to have run along
the coast, close in, until I found the opening of that road, and
there to have depended upon our anchors.
In this trying situation, the ship being leaky, our pumps
during such a night were a distressing tax upon us; as they were
kept constantly at work.
I do not recollect to have heard of a more wonderful escape.
Every thing which depended upon us, I believe, was done; but it
would be the highest presumption and ingratitude to Divine
Providence, were we to attribute our preservation wholly to our
best endeavours: his interference in our favour was so very
conspicuously manifested in various instances, in the course of
that night, as I believe not to leave a shadow of doubt, even in
the minds of the most profligate on board, of his immediate
assistance!
After having weathered Maria's Islands, we continued to stand
on with a press of sail to the eastward, for I was anxious to
gain an offing from the coast, the ship being exceedingly
disabled. All the rails of the head, round houses, and figure of
the head, were washed entirely away; and the rails to which the
bumkins were secured were so much weakened as to require to be
frapped down to the knee of the head; the jibboom, the
sprit-sail-yard, and the fore-top-gallant mast were necessarily
kept down upon deck to ease the bow-sprit, in case any of its
securities should be in danger from the shattered condition of
the cutwater.
We were no sooner to the eastward of Maria's Islands, than the
wind shifted round to south-east and east-south-east, which
brought us again upon a lee shore, for we could not weather
Maria's Islands upon one tack, nor Shooten's Isles and Bay of
Shoals upon the other; however, as it did not now blow so hard,
and the land was near 20 leagues distant, I was not under any
apprehensions from it.
On the 26th, the wind set in from the northward, and blew
fresh, frequently attended with the most violent squalls; it
continued northerly until the 2d of May, when it inclined to the
southward, and from that to the eastward: I had on this day
several distances of the sun and moon, the result of which was
155° 25' east longitude, which was little more than one
degree to the eastward of the time-keeper. On the 6th, in the
morning, we made the land in latitude 33° 30' south; and at
noon Cape Three Points bore west by south, distant off shore four
leagues. Here, upon a rough examination of the error of the
time-keeper, it appeared to be a degree or little more to the
westward of the Truth, but we expected, upon our arrival at Port
Jackson, to examine its error more particularly.
On recurring back to the last altitudes taken for the
time-keeper before our making Van Diemen's Land, and carrying it
on by the log, we found that the error on making that land was
but a very few miles of longitude, and that error most probably
was in the carrying on the log; so that there was every reason to
think, that the violent agitation of the ship during that time,
was the cause of that change in the watch, and which I own I was
not at all surprised at, but think it highly probable, as the
watch lay in a box upon soft cushions, and that box screwed down
to a place securely and firmly fixed for that purpose: I cannot
help thinking but that so very valuable a piece of watch-work
(for I do really think, from the experience I have had of it,
that a superior piece of work was never made) would be better
fixed upon a small horizontal table, made on purpose, and well
secured; and under the box which contains the watch, a kind of
spiral spring or worm, which, with every jerk or pitch of the
ship, would yield a little with the weight of the watch, and
thereby take off much of that shock which must in some degree
affect its going.
The winds now (rather unfortunately for us), after 24 hours
calm, inclined again to the southward, and we kept plying to
windward with all the sail we could carry. Right off Cape Three
Points, at six leagues distance from the shore, we sounded in 75
fathoms, over a bottom of fine grey sand.
On the 8th, a light air from the northward in the night,
carried us by day-light in sight of the entrance of Port Jackson;
and in the evening of the 9th, we entered between the heads of
the harbour, and worked up to Sydney Cove, where we anchored
before dark, after an absence of 219 days, 51 of which we lay in
Table-Bay, Cape of Good Hope: so that, although during this
voyage we had fairly gone round the world, we had only been 168
days in describing that circle; and, by taking a mean of the
highest and lowest latitudes we sailed in, we shall find our
track nearly in latitude 45° south. We found in the cove the
Supply armed tender.
Our passage, since we came round Van Diemen's Land, had been
attended with much bad weather, very violent squalls, and a thick
haze; particularly with the wind from the eastward: I had before
observed, that in the winter-time, upon this coast, we were
subject to much bad weather; and this passage convinced me of the
necessity, when ships are intended to be sent to this settlement,
that the season should be considered and attended to. During the
summer months we were sometimes subject to thunder, lightning,
and strong squalls; but in general the weather is fine. If in the
fairest weather you observe it to lighten in the lee part of the
horizon, you should prepare for a squall from that quarter, which
is in general pretty severe.
In passing (at a distance from the coast) between the islands
of Schooten and Furneaux, and Point Hicks; the former being the
northermost of Captain Furneaux's observations here, and the
latter the southermost part, which Captain Cook saw when he
sailed along the coast, there has been no land seen, and from our
having felt an easterly set of current, when the wind was from
that quarter (north-west) we had an uncommon large sea, there is
reason thence to believe, that there is in that space either a
very deep gulf, or a straight, which may separate Van Diemen's
Land from New Holland: there have _no_ discoveries been made
on the western side of this land in the parallel I allude to,
between 39° 00' and 42° 00' south, the land there having
never been seen.
[A Table of the winds and weather etc. on a passage from the Cape of
Good Hope to Port Jackson in His Majesty's ship Sirius, 1789.]
[An Account of Observations for finding the variation of the compass...]
[The tables are included in the HTML version]