An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island Part 6

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 s.h.i.+p. 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 s...o...b..tic 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 s.h.i.+ps.

This must be allowed to be very improper oeconomy in the owners of those s.h.i.+ps, 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 s.h.i.+ps 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 s.h.i.+ps 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 pa.s.sages, are, at the very idea of being without the a.s.sistance 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 s.h.i.+p arrived here from Rio de Janeiro: by this s.h.i.+p 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 circ.u.mstance, 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-s.h.i.+p.

The officers of this India s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+ps, 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 pa.s.sing 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 pa.s.sage to Europe, they would have been more conveniently situated at the Cape of Good Hope, than at Rio de Janeiro, for making that pa.s.sage 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 lat.i.tude 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 pa.s.sage 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 s.h.i.+p, about the beginning of December, in a very distressed condition; that he had buried the greatest part of the s.h.i.+p's company, and was a.s.sisted by the officers and company of the above frigate to secure his vessel and hand the sails, which he could not have done without a.s.sistance; 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 s.h.i.+ps 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 alt.i.tudes 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 pa.s.sed, 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 sh.o.r.e, when I discovered the s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+ps 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 pa.s.sage to Batavia.

On the 20th of February, I sailed from Table-Bay, after having taken on board twelve months provisions for the s.h.i.+p'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 s.h.i.+p'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 s.h.i.+p, 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 s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p's bottom. All were closed, as far as we examined, and the s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p 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 pa.s.sage. In lat.i.tude 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 lat.i.tude 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 lat.i.tude 41 50'

south, and longitude 28 09' east, the wind s.h.i.+fted 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 lat.i.tude 43 00' south, and longitude 37 30' east, we found the variation of the compa.s.s had encreased as high as 32 20' west, before we had reached as much east longitude as we found that variation in last pa.s.sage; but we were now in a higher lat.i.tude, 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 s.h.i.+p in the trough of the sea, which occasioned our s.h.i.+pping 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 s.h.i.+p to, under a balanced mizzen, for about four hours; when the wind s.h.i.+fting 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 s.h.i.+pt much water, but the s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p now made about as much water as she did on the former pa.s.sage.

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 lat.i.tude 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 lat.i.tude 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 astonis.h.i.+ng 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 pa.s.sing 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 lat.i.tude; but as every allowance had been made for the drifting of the s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p immediately, and stood to the westward.

The wind had now got to south-south-east, but continued to blow with great violence, the s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p 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 canva.s.s the s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p'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 sh.o.r.e; and in our way, we had every moment reason to fear that the next might, by the s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p 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 sh.o.r.e, that little hope could be entertained of our weathering the land. We stood on to the eastward, and the s.h.i.+p, 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 s.h.i.+fting 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 pa.s.s 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 s.h.i.+p 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 sh.o.r.e, 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 pa.s.sing 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 pa.s.sed 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 s.h.i.+p 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 ingrat.i.tude 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 a.s.sistance!

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 s.h.i.+p 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 b.u.mkins 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 cut.w.a.ter.

We were no sooner to the eastward of Maria's Islands, than the wind s.h.i.+fted round to south-east and east-south-east, which brought us again upon a lee sh.o.r.e, 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 lat.i.tude 33 30' south; and at noon Cape Three Points bore west by south, distant off sh.o.r.e 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 alt.i.tudes 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 s.h.i.+p 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 cus.h.i.+ons, 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 s.h.i.+p, 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 sh.o.r.e, 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 anch.o.r.ed 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 lat.i.tudes we sailed in, we shall find our track nearly in lat.i.tude 45 south. We found in the cove the Supply armed tender.

Our pa.s.sage, 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 pa.s.sage convinced me of the necessity, when s.h.i.+ps 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 pa.s.sing (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 s.p.a.ce 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 pa.s.sage from the Cape of Good Hope to Port Jackson in His Majesty's s.h.i.+p Sirius, 1789.]

[An Account of Observations for finding the variation of the compa.s.s...]

[The tables are included in the HTML version]

Chapter VI

TRANSACTIONS AT PORT JACKSON

May 1789 to January 1790

-The small-pox makes its appearance among the natives.--Its fatal effects.--A criminal court held.--Six marines tried and convicted.--Governor Phillip visits Broken-bay.--Explores its various inlets.--Returns to Port Jackson. Broken-bay surveyed.--Botany-bay surveyed.--Two natives brought to the settlement, and kindly treated.--One of them makes his escape.-

As soon as the s.h.i.+p was secured, I went on sh.o.r.e to wait on the governor, whom I found in good health; he was sitting by the fire, drinking tea with a few friends; among whom I observed a native man of this country, who was decently cloathed, and seemed to be as much at his ease at the tea-table as any person there; he managed his cup and saucer as well, as though he had been long accustomed to such entertainment.

This man was taken from his friends, by force, by Lieutenant Ball, of the Supply, and Lieutenant George Johnston, of the marines, who were sent down the harbour with two boats for that purpose; the governor having found that no encouragement he could give the natives, would dispose them to visit the settlement of their own accord: this method he had therefore determined upon, to get one man into his possession, who, by kind treatment, might hereafter be the means of disposing his countrymen to place more confidence in us. This man, whose name was _Ara-ba-noo_, was taken, as I have already said, by force, and in the following manner.