Chapter XXIII

TRANSACTIONS AT PORT JACKSON

September 1791 to December 1791

-Arrival of the Gorgon, and several transports at Port Jackson.--The number of convicts brought out in these vessels.--A whale-fishery established on the Coast of New South Wales.-

On the 21st of September, 1791, the Gorgon, Captain John Parker, came into the harbour. She sailed from Spithead on the 15th of the preceding March, had stopped at Teneriff, St. Jago, and the Cape of Good Hope; and having received on board as much of the provisions and stores, which were of the Guardian's cargo, as the ship could stow, together with three bulls, twenty-three cows, four rams, sixty-two ewes, and one boar; she left the Cape on the 30th of July.

Captain King returned in this ship, his Majesty having been pleased to give him the rank of master and commander in the navy, with a commission as Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island, in consideration of his useful services.

The chaplain of the New South Wales corps, and several who were appointed to civil employments, came out likewise in the Gorgon, and as she was to bring out stores and provisions, her lower deck guns were left in England, and her complement reduced to one hundred men. Of the cattle received on board the Gorgon, at the Cape of Good Hope, three bulls, six cows, three rams, and nine ewes died on the passage; one cow died soon after landing, and the ewes were severely afflicted with the scab, but it was hoped they would soon recover: the bulls all dying was an unfortunate circumstance; however, our Colonists had a bull calf and patience still left. Seed and a variety of fruit-trees in good condition were likewise received by the Gorgon; and when she left the Cape, five transports were preparing to leave it for this colony.

Thirty male convicts were on board the Gorgon, and assisted in working the ship, her complement as a store-ship being only one hundred men, officers included. On the 26th of September, the Queen transport, having Lieutenant Blow on board as an agent, arrived from Ireland with provisions, and one hundred and twenty-six male, and twenty-one female convicts: seven male convicts and one female died on the passage.

The Active transport arrived the same day with provisions, and one hundred and fifty-four male convicts: both these ships brought a part of the Guardian's cargo from the Cape of Good Hope, and detachments from the New South Wales corps.

The weather still continued showery, and the gardens began to promise plenty of vegetables; the wheat also, which, it was feared, would have been lost by the long continuance of dry weather, improved greatly in appearance: nearly all the maize was put into the ground, and the greater part of it was up. The weather had lately been very unsettled, but better than what Governor Phillip ever found it in the Brazils at this season of the year.

The surgeon's return of sick was greatly increased since the arrival of the last vessels; for though the number of sick convicts were not considerable when landed from the ships, they were, in general, greatly emaciated, and appeared starved, and worn out with confinement. The return of sick on the 1st of October was three hundred and four convicts. One soldier, fifteen male, and one female convict, with three children, died in the last month; and two convicts were lost in the woods.

The Albemarle transport, Lieutenant R. P. Young as agent, arrived on the 13th, and the Britannia came in the next day: the Albemarle brought out twenty-three soldiers and one woman of the New South Wales corps, two hundred and fifty male, and six female convicts, one free woman, a convict's wife and one child. Thirty-two male convicts died on the passage, and forty-four were sick on their arrival. The Britannia brought out thirteen soldiers, one woman, and three children of the New South Wales corps, and one hundred and twenty-nine male convicts. One soldier and twenty-one convicts died on the passage, and thirty-eight were sick when landed.

When these vessels came in, the Admiral Barrington transport was off the port, but it blowing hard on the night of the 14th, that ship was not in sight the next day.

The convicts on board the Albemarle, during the passage, attempted to seize on the ship, and the ringleader, having knocked down a centinel, and seized his sword, got on the quarter-deck, and was going to kill the seaman at the helm; but the master of the ship, hearing a noise, took up a blunderbuss, which was loaded, and discharged it at the villain, who finding himself wounded, dropped the sword and ran away. Many of the convicts had got their irons off, and were rushing aft for the quarter-deck; but, on seeing their leader wounded, they ran forward and hid themselves, so that the whole business was put an end to in a few minutes.

After a short conversation amongst the officers, two of the ringleaders were hanged, and two seamen, who had furnished the convicts with knives, and who were to have conducted the ship to America after all the officers and ship's company, with the soldiers, had been put to death, were landed at Madeira, in order that they might be sent to England: they were both Americans, and one of them had a superficial knowledge of navigation.

The Admiral Barrington arrived on the 16th of October. This ship brought out a captain, three noncommissioned officers, and twenty-four privates of the New South Wales corps, with two hundred and sixty-four male convicts: four women came out with their husbands, who were convicts, and two children. Ninety-seven were sick on board this ship.

The whole number of convicts embarked on board the ten transports, including thirty in the Gorgon, were one thousand six hundred and ninety-five males, sixty-eight females, and eleven children; of whom, one hundred and ninety-four males, four females, and one child died on the passage.

What provisions were in the store, added to those which were brought out in these transports, would not furnish many months provisions for this colony; Governor Phillip, therefore, took the Atlantic into the service as a naval transport.

The Lieutenant-Governor of Norfolk Island, Captain Paterson, of the New South Wales corps, with part of his company, twenty-nine marines who had been discharged to become settlers; several convicts, whose time of transportation being expired, were admitted as settlers, with thirty-three male, and twelve female convicts, and a considerable quantity of stores and provisions were embarked on board the Atlantic, for Norfolk Island, under the direction of Lieutenant Bowen, as naval agent; who, after landing what he had on board for the island, had orders to proceed to Calcutta, where he was to load with provisions for the colony.

The great number of spermaceti whales that had been seen on the coast of New South Wales, induced the masters of those vessels which were fitted out for that fishery, and intended, after landing the convicts, to proceed to the north-west coast of America, to try for a cargo here: indeed, the master of the Britannia, a vessel belonging to Messieurs Enderbys, of London, who have the merit of being the first that adventured to the South Seas for whales, assured Governor Phillip, that he had seen more spermaceti whales in his passage from the south cape to Port Jackson, than he had ever seen on the Brazil coast, although he had been six years on that fishery.

No time was lost by the masters of these ships in getting ready for sea: the Britannia sailed on the 25th of October, in company with the William and Ann: the Mary Ann and the Matilda sailed the day before, and the Salamander sailed on the 1st of November. The Britannia returned from her cruize on the 10th of November, being the first ship which had ever fished for whales on the coast of New South Wales.

The following letter from the Master of the Britannia, to Messrs. Enderbys, his owners, we subjoin for the reader's satisfaction, because it shows the first introduction of a whale-fishery, on the coast of New South Wales.

-Ship Britannia, Sydney, Port-Jackson_,

-November 29, 1791_.

Messrs. Samuel Enderby and Sons,

Gentlemen,

I have the pleasure to inform you of our safe arrival in Port Jackson, in New South Wales, October 13, after a passage of fifty-five days from the Cape of Good Hope. We were only six weeks from the Cape to Van Diemen's Land, but met with contrary winds after we doubled Van Diemen's Land, which made our passage longer than I expected. We parted company with our agent the next day after we left the Cape of Good Hope, and never saw him again till we arrived at Port-Jackson, both in one day. The Albemarle and we sailed much alike. The Admiral Barrington arrived three days after us. I am very well myself, thank God, and all the crew are in high spirits. We lost in all on our passage from England twenty-one convicts and one soldier. We had one birth on our passage from the Cape. I tried to make and made the island of Amsterdam, and made it in the longitude of 76° 4' 14" east from Greenwich, by a good lunar observation: my intention was to run close to it to discover whether the sealing business might not have been carried on there; but the weather was so bad, and thick weather coming on, I did not think it prudent to attempt it, likewise to lose a night's run, and a fair wind blowing.

The day before we made it we saw two shoals of sperm-whales. After we doubled the south-west cape of Van Diemen's Land, we saw a large sperm whale off Maria's-Islands, but did not see any more, being very thick weather and blowing hard, till within fifteen leagues of the latitude of Port Jackson. Within three leagues of the shore, we saw sperm whales in great plenty: we sailed through different shoals of them from twelve o'clock in the day till after sun-set, all round the horizon, as far as I could see from the mast-head: in fact, I saw a very great prospect in making our fishery upon this coast and establishing a fishery here. Our people were in the highest spirits at so great a sight, and I was determined, as soon as I got in and got clear of my live lumber, to make all possible dispatch on the fishery on this coast.

On our arrival here, I waited upon his Excellency Governor Phillip, and delivered my letters to him. I had the mortification to find he wanted to dispatch me with my convicts to Norfolk-Island, and likewise wanted to purchase our vessel to stay in the country, which I refused to do. I immediately told him the secret of seeing the whales, thinking that would get me off going to Norfolk-Island, that there was a prospect of establishing a fishery here, and might be of service to the colony, and left him. I waited upon him two hours afterwards with a box directed to him: he took me into a private room, he told me he had read my letters, and that he would render me every service that lay in his power; that next morning he would dispatch every long-boat in the fleet to take our convicts out, and take our stores out immediately, which he did accordingly, and did every thing to dispatch us on the fishery. Captain King used all his interest in the business; he gave his kind respects to you.

The secret of seeing whales our sailors could not keep from the rest of the whalers here, the news put them all to the stir, but have the pleasure to say, we were the first ship ready for sea; notwithstanding they had been some of them a month arrived before us. We went out, in company with the William and Ann, the eleventh day after our arrival. The next day after we went out, we had very bad weather, and fell in with a very great number of sperm whales.

At sun-rising in the morning, we could see them all round the horizon. We run through them in different bodies till two o'clock in the afternoon, when the weather abated a little, but a very high sea running. I lowered away two boats, and Bunker followed the example; in less than two hours we had seven whales killed, but unfortunately a heavy gale came on from the south-west, and took the ship aback with a squall, that the ship could only fetch two of them, the rest we were obliged to cut from, and make the best of our way on board to save the boats and crew. The William and Ann saved one, and we took the other and rode by them all night with a heavy gale of wind. Next morning it moderated, and we took her in; she made us twelve barrels.

We saw large whales next day, but were not able to lower away our boats; we saw whales every day for a week after, but the weather being so bad, we could not attempt to lower a boat down: we cruized fifteen days in all, having left our sixty shakes of butts on shore with the Gorgon's cooper, to set up in our absence, which Captain Parker was so kind as to let us have, and wanting to purchase more casks of Mr. Calvert's ships, and having no prospect of getting any good weather, I thought it most prudent to come in and refit the ship, and compleat my casks and fill my water, and by that time the weather would be more moderate.

The day after we came in, the Mary-Ann came in off a cruize, having met with very bad weather, shipped a sea, and washed her try-works overboard. He informed me, he left the Matilda in a harbour to the northward, and that the Salamander had killed a forty barrel whale, and lost her by bad weather. There is nothing against making a voyage on this coast but the weather, which I expect will be better next month; I think to make another month's trial of it.

If a voyage can be got upon this coast, it will make it shorter than going to Peru; and the governor has been very attentive in sending greens for refreshment to our crew at different times. Captain Parker has been kind, and has given me every assistance that lay in his power; he carries our long-boat home, as we cannot sell her here: he will dispose of her for you, or leave her at Portsmouth: he will wait upon you on his arrival in London. Captain Ball, of the Supply, who is the bearer of this letter, has likewise been very kind, and rendered us every service that lay in his power; he will wait upon you likewise.

The colony is all alive, expecting there will be a rendezvous for the fishermen. We shall be ready to sail on Tuesday the 22d, on a cruize. The Matilda has since arrived here; she saw the Salamander four days ago: she had seen more whales, but durst not lower their boats down: she has been into harbour twice. We have the pleasure to say, we killed the first four whales on this coast.

I have enclosed you the certificates for the convicts, and receipts for the stores. Captain Nepean has paid every attention to me, and has been so kind as to let us have a cooper: he dines with me to-morrow. I am collecting you some beautiful birds, and land animals, and other curiosities for you. The ship remains tight and strong, and in good condition. I will write you by the Gorgon man of war; she sails in about a month or six week's time.

I am, Sirs,

Your humble servant,

THOMAS MELVILLE.

The Matilda and the Mary-Ann transports returned from their fishing-cruize on the 10th of November. These vessels had run to the southward in search of seals, and met with very bad weather, but saw no fish. The Matilda had put into Jervis-Bay, which, according to the master's account, is a very fine harbour, the anchorage very good, and capable of receiving the largest ships. These two vessels, after refitting, sailed again to try for fish on this coast.

Our colonists began to reap the barley on the 22d of November, and the wheat was getting ripe.

The Supply armed tender, after having been under repair from the time she returned from Norfolk-Island, was found, on a survey, to be in so bad a state, that the best repair which could be given her in this country, would only render her serviceable for six months longer; Governor Phillip, therefore, ordered her to England, and she sailed on the 26th of November.

From the debilitated state in which many of the convicts were landed from the last ships, the number of sick were greatly increased; the surgeon's returns on the 27th, being upwards of four hundred sick at Parramatta; and the same day medicines were distributed to one hundred and ninety-two at Sydney. To the number of sick at Parramatta, upwards of one hundred may be added, who were so weak that they could not be put to any kind of labour, not even to that of pulling grass for thatching the huts. Forty-two convicts died in the month of November, and in these people nature seemed fairly to be worn out; many of them were so thoroughly exhausted that they expired without a groan, and apparently without any kind of pain.

Showers of rain had been more frequent lately than for many months past, but not in the abundance which the ground required; and, from the extreme dryness of the weather, and from the ground not being sufficiently worked before the maize was put into it, a great number of acres were likely to be destroyed. This was one of the many inconveniencies the settlement laboured under, from the want of people to employ in agriculture, who would feel themselves interested in the labour of those that were under their direction, and who had some knowledge as farmers.

The following parcels of land were in cultivation at Parramatta, in November, 1791.

Acres./Roods./Perches. 351 2 5 in Maise. 44 1 8 Wheat. 6 1 30 Barley. 1 0 0 Oats. 2 0 3 Potatoes. 4 2 0 Not cultivated, but cleared. 4 2 15 Mostly planted with vines. 6 0 0 The governor's garden, partly sown with maize and wheat. 80 0 0 Garden-ground belonging to individuals. 17 0 0 Land in cultivation by the New South Wales corps. 150 0 0 Cleared, and to be sowed with turnips. 91 3 2 Ground in cultivation by settlers. 28 0 0 Ground in cultivation by officers of the civil and military. 134 0 0 Inclosed, and the timber thinned for feeding cattle.

The above grounds were measured by David Burton, the public gardener, who observes, that the soil in most places is remarkably good, and only wants cultivation to be fit for any use, for the ground that has been the longest in cultivation bears the best crops.

Of the convicts who were received by the last ships, there were great numbers of the worst of characters, particularly amongst those who came from Ireland, and whose great ignorance led them into schemes more destructive to themselves than they were likely to be to the settlement. Some of these people had formed an idea that they could go along the coast, and subsist on oysters and other shell-fish, till they reached some of the Chinese settlements: others had heard that there were a copper coloured people only one hundred and fifty miles to the northward, where they would be free. Full of these notions, three parties set off; but, after straggling about for many days, several of them were taken, and others returned to the settlement. Governor Phillip was less inclined to inflict any punishment on these people, than to punish those who had deceived them by the information of "not being far from some of the Chinese settlements, and near people who would receive them, and where they would have every thing they wanted, and live very happy:"

These reasons most of them assigned for going into the woods, and where some of them still remained, dreading a severe punishment if they returned: a general pardon was therefore promised to all those who came back within a certain time, as several were supposed to be lurking in the woods near the settlement; however, some of these wretches were so prepossessed with the idea of being able to live in the woods and on the sea-coast until they could reach a settlement, or find a people who would maintain them without labour, that several who were brought in when almost famished, and carried to the hospital, went away again as soon as they were judged able to return to their labour; and although what would be called a day's work in England is very seldom done by any convict in the settlement, yet some of them declared that they would sooner perish in the woods than be obliged to work; and forty were now absent.

In order to give those who might be still lurking near the settlement an opportunity of returning, all the convicts were assembled, and a pardon was promised to all who returned within five days; at the same time they were assured that very severe punishment would be inflicted on any who were taken after the expiration of that time, or who should in future attempt to leave the settlement.

Several appeared sensible of the lenity shown them when their irons were taken off, but some of them appeared capable of the most desperate attempts, and even talked of seizing on the soldiers arms; they were, however, informed, that no mercy would be shown to any who were even seen near those that might make an attempt of the kind.

All the whalers who came into the harbour to refit, sailed again by the 1st of December, and the Albemarle and the Active transports sailed on the 2d for Bombay, where they were to load with cotton for England.

A new store was now covered in at Sydney, which was the best that had been built in the colony; and was intended for the convicts cloathing and the implements of husbandry: it has a second floor, and is eighty feet in length by twenty-four feet in breadth. A building of fifty-six feet by twenty-four was likewise covered in at Parramatta, and was intended for a place of worship, until a church could be built.

The idea of finding a Chinese settlement at no great distance to the northward, still prevailed amongst the Irish convicts; and on the 4th of December, two of them stole the surgeon's boat, but they only got a few miles to the northward of the harbour when they were obliged to run her on shore. Some officers who were out a shooting, saw this boat on the beach, and stove a plank in her, that she might not be carried away; they also saw the two men, who ran into the woods; however, a convict who had been six weeks in the woods, and was scarcely able to walk, gave himself up to the officers, and, with their assistance, was able to return to Sydney.

Many of those convicts who left the settlement, as has already been related, came back; some were still missing, and several were said to be killed by the natives. The miserable situation of those who returned to the settlement, would, it was believed, most effectually prevent any more excursions of the like nature.

On the 5th of December, the Queen transport returned from Norfolk-Island, with the lieutenant-governor of the territory, who was relieved by Lieutenant-Governor King; a detachment of marines who had been doing duty on the island; a party of the New South Wale corps, who were relieved by Captain Paterson, and some convicts, whose times for which they had been sentenced were expired.

By the 7th, the Gorgon was nearly ready for sea, and the detachment of marines who came from England in the first ships was ordered to hold themselves ready to embark, except one captain, three lieutenants, eight non-commissioned officers, and fifty privates, who were to stay at Port Jackson until the remainder of the New South Wales corps should arrive: those marines who were desirous of becoming settlers, remained likewise, to the number of thirty-one.

Governor Phillip had frequently been solicited by Bannelong, to receive Ballederry, the native who wounded a convict in June, 1791, into favour again, but he always refused; however, on the 14th of December, he was informed that Ballederry was extremely