An Historical Journal of the Transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island Part 9

That this opinion of a disposition in the natives to take advantage of a single person, particularly when unarmed, is not ill founded, we have had many instances to prove; one of which in this place may suffice, as it had happened very recently, and near to the place where Mr. Hill was lost. A man belonging to the Sirius, who had generally been employed in shooting for the officers, was, a few days previous to the supposed death of Mr.

Hill, in the woods looking for game, and had been seen by a party of the natives from the skirts of a wood; they had not been observed by him, and taking the advantage of that, threw a large stone at him, which very narrowly missed his head, at which it was very well aimed; had it hit him, it would have knocked him down and deprived him of his senses, which opportunity they would no doubt have availed themselves of to dispatch him; but as they did not succeed in their attempt, they stood their ground, and he fired a charge of small shot at them, which I suppose they felt no inconvenience from, as they laughed at him, and advanced with their lances; he was pretty quick in loading his gun again, into which he put a heavy charge of buck shot, and as they appeared to him to be determined on mischief, he resolved, for his own safety, to be before-hand with them; he took very good aim, and fired right amongst them; two of them fell, and the rest, with great precipitation, made off, but he believed they carried their wounded (probably dead) friends with them; he stood where he was and loaded his gun, then came towards the s.h.i.+p without seeing any more of them. They are exceedingly terrified by fire-arms.

There was one circ.u.mstance which disposed me to believe that Mr. Hill had been murdered by the people of the country, which was, that one of the boats which went down the harbour to look for him put a-sh.o.r.e in one of the coves in the north part of it; the young gentleman who had charge of this duty went up the beach, with five of the boat's crew, while two remained to take care of the boat; they had only been landed a few minutes, and were near the skirt of the wood, when two spears were launched from a rising ground; one of which struck the hat of one of the seamen; and as no fire-arms had appeared, the natives showed themselves, to the number of between twenty and thirty; the mids.h.i.+pman and the sailors returned to the boat, and brought up a musquet loaded with ball, which the natives observing, all disappeared, except two, and the ball was fired at them; whether with or without effect we knew not, but they also disappeared immediately.

These hostile appearances, I think, may have been the effect of their success, in having lately murdered some of our people; for as we have had several such accidents here, we have had an opportunity of remarking, that they have generally shown immediately after them, a more than ordinary degree of hostility.

The want of one of the people of this country, who, from a habit of living amongst us, might have been the means of preventing much of this hostile disposition in them towards us, was much to be lamented. If poor Ara-ba-noo had lived, he would have acquired enough of our language to have understood whatever we wished him to communicate to his countrymen; he could have made them perfectly understand, that we wished to live with them on the most friendly footing, and that we wished to promote, as much as might be in our power, their comfort and happiness.

The two children mentioned formerly, and who were very happy amongst us, were yet too young to be of use in reconciling the natives to us; they now understood almost every thing we said, and could make themselves very well understood; but the governor was desirous of having a man or two in our possession, to whom we might teach enough of our language without the danger of losing any part of their own, to render them useful to their countrymen; it had therefore for some time past been in agitation to endeavour, by force, to secure one or two.

For that purpose, on the 25th of November, Lieutenant Bradley, with some other officers, and a party of men, were sent down the harbour in an armed boat: they went to the north part of the harbour, where, upon one of the sandy beaches, they observed two native men walking; they immediately formed a scheme to entice them to a conversation; for that purpose, a few large fish were held up, and they were called to, which had the desired effect; the men with much confidence came forward unarmed, and with much chearfulness received the fish, and held a conversation with those who presented them.

At this time there were about five of our people upon the beach, and the boat lying afloat, with her stern close to the sh.o.r.e, and the sailors lying on their oars: Mr. Bradley, who was in the stern of the boat, seeing the opportunity good, gave the signal for securing them; in a moment their heels were knocked up, and they were tumbled into the boat, followed by those who secured them, and the boat pulled immediately off. They called out to their friends the moment they were taken hold of, but though a considerable number appeared in the skirt of the wood, on seeing arms in the hands of those in the boat, who stood up ready to fire, they did not venture an attack. The men were lashed to the thwarts of the boat, on their first being taken into her, but after having got to such a distance from the sh.o.r.e, as to prevent the possibility of an escape, their hands were loosed, and they were secured by only one leg; but until they were thus far liberated, their terror was considerable.

On their being landed at Sydney-Cove, they were immediately taken up to the governor's house, where they were very kindly treated; but to prevent any attempt to escape being at all probable, they had each an iron-shackle put on one of their legs, to which a piece of rope was spliced, and a man was ordered for each, who was to be answerable for their security; wherever they went those keepers accompanied them, holding one end of the rope.

When these two strangers landed in Sydney-Cove, many people, prompted by curiosity, went to see them; among that number were the boy and girl, natives, whose names, I think, when speaking of them, I have never yet mentioned; the girl was called _A-ba-roo_, and the boy _Nan-bar-ry_, or _Bal-der-ry:_ the moment they saw the men, they with raptures of joy called them both by their names; the children were also known to them, and it was not improbable but that their very comfortable appearance, after having lived so long amongst us, might, in some degree, calm that perturbation of mind, which we would naturally believe might attend them in such a state of captivity; for it should be recollected, that not one of those natives whom we have had amongst us, had ever returned to inform their friends, what kind of treatment they had met with from us; it was therefore not to be wondered at, if they supposed that such as fell into our hands were put to death.

The two old men who were picked up when very ill with the small-pox, at the time _A-ba-roo_ and _Nan-bar-ry_ were found, (and whom we believed to be the fathers of the children) died very soon. Poor _Ara-ba-noo_, who was at liberty to go where he pleased some time before he died, was so well reconciled to us, that he never showed the smallest inclination to go from us; he unfortunately did not survive the small-pox, and the girl and boy were now so accustomed to our manner of living, that it was not at all probable they would relish that of their own country.

We soon discovered, upon the arrival of these two strangers, whom the children called by name, that one was a chief, or distinguished person, among those of the tribe of -Ca-di-gal_; his name was _Co-al-by_; he was a man of about 35 years of age; the other was about 25 years old, and was called by several different names, such as _Ba-na-lang, Vogle-troo-ye_, or _Vo-la-ra-very_; the first we thought his proper name, the others we understood from himself were names by which some of his particular connections were distinguished, and which he had, upon their death, taken up: this man was a very good looking young fellow, of a pleasant lively disposition.

The presence of _Co-al-by_ seemed to be a check upon the chearful temper of _Ba-na-lang_, which inclined us to think that he paid a kind of deference to him; he was always very silent in his company.

Seventeen days after these people were taken, they appeared so well satisfied, that their keepers began to be less apprehensive of their attempting to make their escape, which they did not fail to notice, and had no doubt laid a plan to avail themselves of, for they were very far from being dest.i.tute of observation and cunning. One evening, when it was pretty dark, their keepers were sitting within the door of their house, eating their supper; _Ba-na-lang_ was within also, and employed in the same manner; _Co-al-by_ was at the door, sitting just on the outside, and had with him something for his supper, which he pretended to be employed about, the end of his rope was in the hand of his keeper; while they in the inside were thus amused, -Co-al-by_ drew the splice of his rope from the shackle, and in a moment was over the paling of the yard, and out of sight; an immediate search was made for him, but without effect, we saw him no more: however we heard afterwards that he joined his friends again, and will no doubt be careful how he confides hereafter in us: his friends would certainly be something surprized to see him so well cloathed, for he carried off his whole wardrobe. I suppose it would cost him some trouble to get the shackle from his leg, which was riveted on.

The other man was much more chearful after _Co-al-by-'s absence, which confirmed our conjecture, and the children's account, that he was a man more distinguished in his tribe than -Ba-na-lang_.

In the month of January, 1790, in every company, the conversation turned upon the long expected arrivals from England, which we had been for some past in daily expectation of, with a supply of provisions; our store here was now in a very exhausted state, much more so than we ever expected it would have been: for it was the general opinion, that I should the last year, on my arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, have there met with store-s.h.i.+ps bound to this country, as it was always understood that the settlement would never have been reduced lower than one year's provisions in store.

We landed in this country with two years provisions, at least with what was supposed, when we sailed from England, would be the case; that time was now elapsed, yet we had not been visited by any s.h.i.+ps from Europe, and we still had remaining provisions, at half allowance, to last until June. We all looked forward with hope for arrivals with a relief; and that every a.s.sistance necessary for strangers might be at hand, I offered, with a few men from the Sirius, to go down to the south head of the harbour, there to build a lookout-house, and erect a flag-staff upon the height, which might be seen from the sea; and which might also communicate information of s.h.i.+ps in the offing to the governor at Sydney-cove.

The governor approved my proposals. I went down with six men, and was accompanied by Mr. White and Mr. Worgan, the surgeons of the settlement and Sirius. We erected a flag-staff, and lived in a tent for ten days, in which time we compleated a tolerably good house. At the end of ten days, I was relieved by Mr. Bradley with a fresh party.

Chapter VII

TRANSACTIONS AT NORFOLK ISLAND

February 1790 to February 1791

-The Sirius and Supply sail for Norfolk Island.--Land the marines and convicts.--Wreck of the Sirius.--Some provisions saved.--Martial Law established.--Ratio of provisions settled.--Vast numbers of birds caught.--In distress for provisions.--Receive a supply from Port Jackson.--Officers and crew of the Sirius leave Norfolk Island, and arrive at Port Jackson.--Norfolk Island described.--Its situation and extent.--Soil.--Climate, etc.--Table of Winds, etc.-

In February, we began to look a little serious on our disappointment of arrivals: we had not now more than provisions till June, at the allowance I have already mentioned. The governor now saw a necessity for dividing the settlement, and signified his intention that such division should take place soon, by sending a certain number of marines and convicts, under the command of Major Ross, the lieutenant-governor, to Norfolk Island; at which place he understood there were many resources, which Port Jackson, or the country round it, did not afford; and the gardens and cultivated lands here also would then be more enjoyed by the remaining numbers.

Accordingly an arrangement took place, and on the 26th of February, I received an order to prepare the Sirius for sea, and to embark the lieutenant-governor, with one company of marines, and the officers, baggage, and also 186 convicts; in all, 221 persons; with such a proportion of the remaining provisions and other stores, as the settlement at that time could furnish; and I was directed to land them upon Norfolk Island: Lieutenant Ball, commander of his Majesty's armed tender Supply, was ordered under my command, and he also embarked a company of marines, and twenty convicts.

We sailed from Port Jackson on the 6th of March, and the wind being from the westward, we made Lord Howe's Island on the 9th, at four in the afternoon, bearing east-north-east, distant about 16 or 18 leagues. The south end of this island is two very high mountains, nearly perpendicular from the sea; those hills are the only land you see until you come within six or seven leagues, when the lower land begins to appear, extending from the foot of the mountains, northward: it was calm most of the night, with now and then a light air, with which, and an easterly set of current, which is generally found here, we were enabled to get in with the land by noon of the 10th. I made the Lat.i.tude of the southermost hill:

(Mount Gower) 31 35' S.

Longitude, by time-keeper, 159 10' 30" E. of Greenwich.

Longitude, by distance of the sun and moon, taken at 10, A. M.

159 08' 00" E.

There is a very remarkable rock, which lies about 12 or 14 miles to the southward of the island, and which is named Ball's-pyramid, and has much the appearance of a church steeple at a distance; but as you come near, it is exceedingly high and perpendicular: we pa.s.sed in the evening between the island and the pyramid, and had 26 fathoms within two miles of Mount Gower, over a rocky bottom. This island I judge to be about three miles and a half long, north-north-west and south-south-east; it is very narrow across. There is anchorage on both sides of it, but the bottom is foul. On the west side there is a bay, off which lies a reef parallel to the sh.o.r.e, with good swatches, or pa.s.sages through for boats; this reef breaks off the sea from the sh.o.r.e, which is a fine sandy beach, so that there is no difficulty in landing. I have observed before, that turtle are sometimes caught here, and that there are many birds upon the island.

On the 13th, at two o'clock in the morning, we made Norfolk Island, which I did not expect we should have done quite so soon, but the easterly current, which is commonly found here, had been strong: we brought to till day-light, and then, as the wind was fresh from the south-west, I well knew there could be no landing in Sydney-bay, where the settlement is fixed, on account of the high surf, which southerly winds occasion, I therefore bore away, and ran round to the north-east side of the island into a bay called Cascade-bay; where, after a few days of moderate weather, and an off-sh.o.r.e wind, it is possible to land; but that only on one spot, which is a rock that projects some distance into the sea, and has deep water to it: on that rock I landed, on the afternoon of the 13th, all the marines, and a considerable number of the convicts, but being set to the eastward in the night, I did not land the remainder until the 15th, when they were also put on sh.o.r.e on the same place.

These people were no sooner on sh.o.r.e than the wind s.h.i.+fted to the eastward, and the weather became hazy and blew strong, so that I had no prospect of being able to land any part of the provisions. We had put on sh.o.r.e from the Sirius and Supply 270 people, and had no opportunity of sending any stores with them, as we were now driven out of sight of the island. I knew the exhausted state of the stores there; I was also acquainted with the many difficulties which Lieutenant Ball, commander of the Supply, had met with in the different voyages he had made from Port Jackson to this island, with provisions; and the length of time he had, in some of these voyages, been obliged to cruize, before he could have any access to the sh.o.r.e; so continually does the surf break all round it: these considerations gave me much anxiety and uneasiness.

On the 19th, a slant wind from the south-east brought me again in with the island: the Supply had the preceding night parted company, but as they were better acquainted here than we were, I judged they had stood for the land in the night before I did. As we stood in, finding we could fetch the windward part of the island, I steered in for Sydney-bay; and as we drew near, I observed the Supply lying to in the bay, and the signal upon the sh.o.r.e was flying, that long-boats, or any other boats might land, without any danger from the surf. Anxious to avail myself of this favourable signal, I steered in as far as I judged safe, and brought to with the s.h.i.+p's head off sh.o.r.e, in the south-east or windward part of the bay, hoisted out the boats, loaded them with provisions, and sent them in; but observing that the s.h.i.+p settled fast to leeward, we made sail, and immediately hauled on board the fore and main tacks, the Supply had also made sail, and was to leeward of the Sirius.

There is a reef of sunken rocks, which lies off the west point of the bay, and which (as the wind freshened and the sea rose) broke a considerable way out; the Supply having drawn a-head, could not weather this reef: on this she tacked; and, as we drew near, I plainly perceived that we settled so fast to leeward that we should not be able to weather it: so, after standing as near as was safe, we put the s.h.i.+p in stays; she came up almost head to wind, but the wind just at that critical moment baffled her, and she fell off again: nothing could now be done, but to wear her round in as little room as possible, which was done, and the wind hauled upon the other tack, with every sail set as before; but, still perceiving that the s.h.i.+p settled into the bay, and that she shoaled the water, some hands were placed by one of the bower anchors, in five fathoms water; the helm was again put down, and she had now some additional after-sail, which I had no doubt would ensure her coming about; she came up almost head to wind, and there hung some time; but by her sails being all a back, had fresh stern way: the anchor was therefore cut away, and all the haulyards, sheets, and tacks let go, but before the cable could be brought to check her, she struck upon a reef of coral rocks which lies parallel to the sh.o.r.e, and in a few strokes was bulged.

When the carpenter reported to me, that the water flowed fast into the hold; I ordered the masts to be cut away, which was immediately done. There was some chance, when the s.h.i.+p was lightened of this weight, that by the surges of the sea, which were very heavy, she might be thrown so far in up the reef, as to afford some prospect of saving the lives of those on board, if she should prove strong enough to bear the shocks she received from every sea.

It was now about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and after the masts were gone, all hands were employed in getting out of the hold such provisions as could be come at, and securing them upon the gun-deck, that they might be at hand in case any opportunity offered of floating them on sh.o.r.e.

In the evening the wind freshened still more, and the surf was considerably increased; in consequence of which, it was strongly recommended by the gentlemen on sh.o.r.e, who knew the place much better than we could, that every person should quit the s.h.i.+p: for this purpose the end of a small rope was floated through the surf, and over the reef, to the sh.o.r.e, by an empty cask; and by that rope a seven inch hawser was hauled on sh.o.r.e, with a wooden heart upon it for a traveller, and the end was made fast to a tree.

By this traveller I corresponded with those on sh.o.r.e, and received their opinions. To the traveller three or four sailors at a time were made fast, and were hauled by the people on sh.o.r.e through the surf, and over a ragged reef to the land; another part this evening, and the remainder the next day. The whole crew were intended to have been landed that night, but when it became dark the hauling rope of the traveller got often foul of the rocks, which might have occasioned the drowning of those who were at such a time on the traveller: for the long scope of hawser (nearly the length of two hawsers) by the weight of three or four people, was more than two-thirds of the way in the surf, and the men on it under water.

The second day after the landing of the crew, the weather being more moderate, and the surf less dangerous, a few of the seamen, who could depend, in case of accident, upon their good swimming, were got on board by the hawser, and the utmost exertion used to get some part of the provisions sent on sh.o.r.e; but it was the fifth day before any could be landed.

We were now upon this little island 506 souls, upon half allowance of provisions; and that could, with our present numbers, last but a very short time; as the supply intended for the island was yet on board the Sirius; and consequently its safety very uncertain.

Providence was kind to us. We had for several days the weather fine, and the surf uncommonly smooth, for this place: for although there was a continual surf breaking upon the s.h.i.+p, and all the way between her and the sh.o.r.e, yet it was considered here as uncommonly smooth: each of those fine days we got on sh.o.r.e from twenty to thirty casks of provisions, with various other articles of both public and private property; such articles as would swim were entrusted to the chance of being thrown on sh.o.r.e by the surf: all that I or any other officer saved, was found was.h.i.+ng upon the beach; but as the sh.o.r.e was lined with the marines, to prevent the convicts from committing depredations, it was much, but not wholly prevented. Every thing which came on sh.o.r.e was placed under the care of centinels, until claimed by the proprietor, before certain officers.

But that success which attended those things that were committed to the sea, proved at last a misfortune; for it occasioned their trusting every thing promiscuously of private property to the surf; by which many valuable articles of mine and some of the officers were lost, being too heavy to float, a circ.u.mstance that those who threw them overboard had not considered. The provisions being the first object, nothing besides was allowed to be sent by the traveller; and notwithstanding it was all dragged through the sea, the damaged part was but trifling. Some casks were washed out of the slings, dashed to pieces upon the rocks, and of course lost; but, taking the whole together, we saved more provisions than we could have reasonably expected.

By the time we had landed the princ.i.p.al part of the provisions, the weather began to be rather unfavourable to our wishes and endeavours; the wind set in from the southward, the sea rose and occasioned a very high surf, which rendered it unsafe for any person to remain on board; the small bower cable, which had hitherto kept the s.h.i.+p's head to the sea, being cut by the rocks, and the s.h.i.+p being considerably lightened by what had been taken out of her, she was lifted so high by every sea, as to occasion her striking very heavily; and by those repeated shocks she was thrown for a short time broad-side to the sea: had she kept in that position, she would soon have gone to pieces; but from her being very light forward, the iron ballast having dropt out of her bottom, she was lifted fairly round, and was thrown more than her own length nearer to the sh.o.r.e, and was, by this change in her position, almost out of the reach of the break of the sea; that is, the surf, which before generally broke upon her, now broke outside, and its force was considerably spent, before it reached her; so that when the weather was moderate and the surf low, we got with more ease on board, and could remain there with less danger.

One of the bow ports was enlarged for the purpose of getting casks and other parcels out; the hauser and traveller were also fitted and hove taught from the bow, and various stores were sent on sh.o.r.e with more ease and certainty than before; but the knees of the beams, being many of them broke, and the ends of the beams being dislodged from the clamps, the orlop deck blown up, and the lower deck beams loose, and many of them broken, it was dangerous to attempt going into the hold; for by every stroke of the sea, the decks were all in motion: however, every thing that could be got at by the sailors on board was sent on sh.o.r.e.

A few days after the unfortunate loss of the Sirius, the s.h.i.+p's company being all on sh.o.r.e, with very little provisions on the island for so great a number of people, and the supply from the wreck being yet in a very precarious situation, the lieutenant-governor a.s.sembled all the officers in the settlement together; and in order that the description of people now among us in so considerable a number, (I mean the convicts, who I believe to have been some of the worst characters ever sent from Great-Britain) should fear the commission of any crime here, more than they had ever done under the laws. .h.i.therto established in this settlement, it was unanimously judged necessary for the general safety and good of the whole, that martial law be now established in this island until such time as we might be relieved from the distressing prospect that was now before us, by a supply of provisions, or until the governor in chief of his Majesty's territory in this part of the world might think fit, either to approve or disapprove of it.

The necessity of such a measure in the situation we were now reduced to, I apprehend, will be apparent to every considerate person. By the proclamation of the law martial, which was generally consented to, not by an oath, as I believe is commonly the case, where it is found necessary: but, the service we had to perform not admitting of the delay that such ceremony would have occasioned, the general approbation was taken by every individual pa.s.sing under the king's colours, which were displayed for that purpose; _that ceremony_ every person was previously informed would be considered as an a.s.sent, and which was done with a degree of solemnity, and at the same time an apparent chearfulness through the whole.

By this proclamation of the law martial, much mischief I am of opinion was prevented: hitherto, every convict, or any other person on this island, who had committed any crime which merited a trial by the criminal court, were to be sent the first opportunity to Port Jackson, with all the necessary evidence, and there to be tried. This, in our situation, would have been attended with innumerable inconveniences and many bad consequences, which, as I have already said, I confidently believe were prevented by this proclamation; which may be said to have been held out in terrorem only: for, during the whole time of its existence, we had but once occasion to put it in force; the fear of an immediate trial, and, if found guilty, immediate execution, kept every body tolerably honest and attentive to the necessary duties, which it became the whole of us now to look forward to.

As the Supply tender sailed from this island on the 24th of March, which was the fifth day after the loss of the Sirius, and we had not at that time been able to get any part of the provisions from the wreck; she could not carry to the governor any certain account, whether we should or should not be able to get any thing on sh.o.r.e, to help out the very scanty proportion of provisions which now remained in the store; we therefore entertained a glimmering of hope that she might, in the course of five or six weeks, return to us with the very comfortable news of arrivals from England.

However, after the expiration of that time, during which we looked anxiously to the sea, our situation began to wear a very alarming aspect. We now had no doubt, but that in consequence of a disappointment in the expected arrivals, the governor had found it necessary to dispatch Lieutenant Ball to some European settlement, and that he could not relieve us with provisions from Port Jackson. In consequence of this deplorable situation, on the 14th of May, the officers composing the council met the lieutenant-governor agreeable to appointment, and published the following orders:--

"At a meeting of the governor and council held to consider of the very exhausted state of the provisions in this settlement, and to consult upon what means are most proper to be pursued, in order to preserve life until such time as we may be relieved by some arrivals from England, of which we have been so long in expectation, but probably disappointed by some unfortunate accident having happened to the s.h.i.+ps intended for this country. The state of the provisions having been laid before the council, and the alarming situation of the settlement having been taken into the most serious consideration, the following ratio of provisions was unanimously resolved and ordered to take place on Sat.u.r.day the 15th instant, viz.

Flour--three pounds per week, for every grown person.

Beef--one pound and an half per ditto; or, in lieu of the beef.