The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. Preparation of the feet ordered to Botany Bay.— Particulars of its arrangement.—Departure and pajjage to the Canary Ijles. nr H E fquadron defined to carry into execution the above defign, began to aflemble at its appointed rendezvous, the Mother Bank, within the Ifle of Wight, about, the i6th of March, 1787. This fmall fleet confifced of the following fhips : His Majcfty's frigate Sirius, Captain John Hunter, and his Majefty's armed tender Supply, commanded by Lieutenant H. L. Ball. Three ftore-fhips, the Golden Grove, Fifiburn, and Borrowdale, for carrying provifions and ftores for two years; including inftruments of huf- bandry, clothing for the troops and convicts, and other neceflaries; and laftly, fix tranfports, the Scarborough, and Lady Penrbyn, from Portf- mouth; the Friendjlnp, and Charlotte, from Plymouth j mouth ; the Prince of Wales, and the Alexander, from Woolwich. Thefe were to carry the convicts, with a detachment of Marines in each, proportioned to the nature of the fervice; the largeft where refiftance was moft to be expedited, namely, in thofe fhips which carried the greateft number of male convicts. Altogether they formed a little fquadron of eleven fail. They only who know the nature of fuch equipments, and confider the particular neceffity in the prefent inftance for a variety of articles not ufually provided, can judge properly of the time required for furnifhing out this fleet. Such perfons will doubtlefs be the leaft furprifed at being told that nearly two months had elapfcd before the fhips were enabled to quit this ftation, and proceed upon their voyage: and that even then fome few articles were either unprepared, or, through mif- apprehenfion, neglected. The former circum- ftance took place refpecting fome part of the clothing f...