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RESEARCHED BY PETER KILLACKEY
A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay
by Watkin Tench
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CHAPTER II.
From the Departure, to the Arrival of the Fleet at Teneriffe.
Governor Phillip having at length reached Portsmouth, and all things
deemed necessary for the expedition being put on board, at daylight
on the morning of the 13th, the signal to weigh anchor was made in the
Commanding Officer's ship the Sirius. Before six o'clock the whole fleet
were under sail; and, the weather being fine and wind easterly, proceeded
through the Needles with a fresh leading breeze. In addition to our
little armament, the Hyena frigate was ordered to accompany us a certain
distance to the westward, by which means our number was increased to
twelve sail: His Majesty's ships 'Sirius', 'Hyena', and 'Supply', three Victuallers
with two years stores and provisions on board for the Settlement,
and six Transports, with troops and convicts. In the transports were embarked
four captains, twelve subalterns, twenty-four serjeants and corporals,
eight drummers, and one hundred and sixty private marines, making the whole
of the military force, including the Major Commandant and Staff on board
the Sirius, to consist of two hundred and twelve persons, of whom
two hundred and ten were volunteers. The number of convicts was
five hundred and sixty-five men, one hundred and ninety-two women,
and eighteen children; the major part of the prisoners were mechanics
and husbandmen, selected on purpose by order of Government.
By ten o'clock we had got clear of the Isle of Wight, at which time,
having very little pleasure in conversing with my own thoughts, I strolled
down among the convicts, to observe their sentiments at this juncture.
A very few excepted, their countenances indicated a high degree
of satisfaction, though in some, the pang of being severed, perhaps for ever,
from their native land, could not be wholly suppressed; in general,
marks of distress were more perceptible among the men than the women;
for I recollect to have seen but one of those affected on the occasion,
"Some natural tears she dropp'd, but wip'd them soon." After this the accent
of sorrow was no longer heard; more genial skies and change of scene
banished repining and discontent, and introduced in their stead cheerfulness
and acquiescence in a lot, now not to be altered.
To add to the good disposition which was beginning to manifest itself,
on the morning of the 20th, in consequence of some favorable representations
made by the officers commanding detachments, they were hailed and told
from the Sirius, that in those cases where they judged it proper,
they were at liberty to release the convicts from the fetters in which
they had been hitherto confined. In complying with these directions,
I had great pleasure in being able to extend this humane order to the whole
of those under my charge, without a single exception. It is hardly necessary
for me to say, that the precaution of ironing the convicts at any time
reached to the men only.
In the evening of the same day, the Hyena left us for England, which afforded
an early opportunity of writing to our friends, and easing their apprehensions
by a communication of the favourable accounts it was in our power to send them.
From this time to the day of our making the land, little occurred
worthy of remark. I cannot, however, help noticing the propriety of employing
the marines on a service which requires activity and exertion at sea,
in preference to other troops. Had a regiment recruited since the war
been sent out, sea-sickness would have incapacitated half the men
from performing the duties immediately and indispensably necessary;
whereas the marines, from being accustomed to serve on board ship,
accommodated themselves with ease to every exigency, and surmounted
every difficulty.
At daybreak, on the morning of the 30th of May we saw the rocks named
the Deserters, which lie off the south-east end of Madeira; and found
the south-east extremity of the most southerly of them, to be in the latitude
of 32 deg 28 min north, longitude 16 deg 17 1/2 min west of Greenwich.
The following day we saw the Salvages, a cluster of rocks which are placed
between the Madeiras and Canary Islands, and determined the latitude
of the middle of the Great Salvage to be 30 deg 12 min north, and the longitude
of its eastern side to be 15 deg 39 min west. It is no less extraordinary
than unpardonable, that in some very modern charts of the Atlantic,
published in London, the Salvages are totally omitted.
We made the island of Teneriffe on the 3d of June, and in the evening
anchored in the road of Santa Cruz, after an excellent passage
of three weeks from the day we left England.
A Narrative of the Expedition
to Botany Bay
by Watkin Tench |
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