PHILLIP to STEPHENS. 253 Payment of His Warehouses and Other Incidental Expences, Which, 1791
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PHILLIP TO STEPHENS. 253 payment of his warehouses and other incidental expences, which, 1791. with removals, packages, sorting, washing, drying, &c, have 12 March- already made his bad commodities double, treble, the price of The Guardian's what might have been sent out from England. I think he should put Government to no farther charge, as the stores, &c, become hardly worth saving, and certainly not worth the expense that attends them here, through the various imposi tions and frauds that are practised. The increasing jealousy of this Government of their colonists has served to stop the usual communication by ships, and the taxes and other fines levied for the maintenance of the military and the carrying on the new works has caused everything to become very dear and the people very dissatisfied, but having increased the military force, things cannot yet come to any ouvert declaration of their sentiments. I should not have scrupled to have interfered had I seen any mode of conveying these stores to Port Jackson, nor even in the advising the whole to be sold, but for the fear of embarrassing Mr. Eiou; for here there is nothing but paper currency, nor could he get a bill worth accepting, and you may add to this that Government, disposition, and practice all concur to form a most perfect monopoly, so that they are as much masters of the price when they buy as when they sell. Lieut. King, who will be with you before this, will have informed you fully of the situation of your colony, and as this comes by a French frigate I forbear to speak of that or myself. The accounts here are positive that we have entered into the war with Tippoo, that General Merdon had marched from Madrass, and that Genl. Abercrombie had embarked from Bombay. I could not authenticate the report sufficiently satisfactorily to myself, from the accounts I received from the Governor here, to mention it in a public letter, so that I give it you as a report only. Make my most affectionate compliments acceptable to Mrs. Nepean, and let me repeat my sincerest wishes for all possible health and happiness to attend you. Yours, &c, J. BLANKETT. GOVERNOR PHILLIP TO SECRETARY STEPHENS. (Per Dutch snow Waaksamheyd; acknowledged by Secretary Stephens, 20th July, 1792.) Sydney, New South Wales, Sir, 14th March, 1791. I have the honor to acquaint you, for the information of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that the return of the 254 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. Supply, armed tender, from Batavia, having put it in my power 14 March. to send for the officers and seamen who had remained on Norfolk The crew of Island after the loss of his Majesty's ship Sirius, they were sent the Sirius. for accordingly; and as so many months had passed since I had reason to expect the Gorgon to arrive, that I concluded the destination of that ship had been changed, or that some accident Waaksamheyd had befallen her, the Dutch vessel that brought the provisions hired. from Batavia was hired to carry them to England. She was taken into the service as a transport the 7th of February, 1791. Deaths on The Supply lost five men in the voyage, and left six in the Supply. hospital at Batavia. Mr. Newton Fowell, who I had appointed second lieutenant of the Sirius (when Lieutenant King was sent to Norfolk Island), and the gunner of the Sirius, likewise died on the voyage. Both these officers were to have been landed at Norfolk Island had the Supply made it in her passage to Batavia. The gunner had been left sick when the Sirius sailed. The crew of Since the loss of the Sirius, the purser, Mr. John Palmer, has the Sirius. been appointed Commissary, and Mr. Thomas Jamison, who was surgeon's first mate of the Sirius, to be an assistant surgeon to the colony. Two petty officers* remain, the one as provost- marshal, the other as a storekeeper; two marines and ten seamen have been received as settlers, and two remain employed in the colony. They are all discharged from that ship's books. Lieut. George William Maxwell, who my former letters mention having been superceded as being insane, and in which state he still con tinues, returns to England in the transport; and I beg leave to recommend to their Lordships for a confirmation of the commis sion he has received, Mr. Henry Waterhouse, who was appointed to act as third lieutenant of the Sirius, when Lieut. Maxwell was discharged from that ship. Officers return Lieutenant Thomas Edgar and Mr. Eichard Ayley [Alley], who ing to England. were sent out in the Lady Juliana, transport, and Mr. John Turnpenny Altree, who came out as surgeon in one of the trans ports that left England in May, 1787, and who has been since employed at Norfolk Island, f returns to England in this trans port. Their Lordships will, I presume, have ordered the Sirius to Ships required. be replaced, and as from the carpenter's report of the Supply's defect, which is inclosed, it is probable that vessel will be ordered to England, I beg leave to observe that two ships will be requisite for the service of this colony, and that the most useful would be ships of from three to four hundred tons burthen, with flush decks. * Note 158. t Note 11. PHILLIP TO STEPHENS. 255 I have in my former letters mentioned how very useful two 1791. small schooners would be in this country. 14 Marc Lieutenant Bradley has surveyed Norfolk Island, and will Lieutenant deliver a copy of his survey to the Board. That officer left Svices.'8 England as first lieutenant of the Sirius, and as the first lieu tenants on the different stations have been promoted to the rank of master and commander, I hope their Lordships will be pleased to think his services in this country deserving that favour which has been shewn to others. Captain Hunter will be able to give their Lordships any information they may desire respecting this and the adjacent harbours or Norfolk Island. The state and condition of his Majesty's armed tender Supply, Returns. and returns of the detachment of marines doing duty in this colony, are enclosed. Those marines who had belonged to the Sirius are added to the Marines. strength of the detachment (the two excepted who had become settlers), by which means the number of non-commissioned officers and drummers which were fixed when the detachment left England is increased by one sergeant, one corporal, and one drummer; but which I was under the necessity of doing, as the commanding officer of the detachment thought they would not otherwise be amenable to a court-martial. j have &c. A. PHILLIP. [Enclosure No. 1.] A report of the state of his Majesty's armed tender, Supply, Lieutenant H. L. Ball, Commander. Port Jackson, New South Wales, 11 March, 1791. The main deck decayed, and to be made new fore and aft. The head of the main piece of the main mast decayed, and will require to be shifted in a very short time. The large cutter and jolly boats very much worn, and not fit to repair. Several of the timber-heads forward and abaft decayed and wanting to be replaced. A new fore cap. The knees of the main-deck beams wanting to be new bolted. Several of the chain-plates wanting to be shifted. It is my opinion his Majesty's armed tender Supply, will want, in the course of another year, a total repair, and which can not be done in this country conveniently. Approved—H. L. Ball. E. EEID, Carpenter. 256 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF AUSTRALIA. 1791. •5iO!S .So 14 March. '§ o. -p cu •panbaqo 'pturop %BV\ uaq^vi o a '£ to •paJSlsnH Or25 as 3 O C !zi +3 'rC s. OJ 'eu-iog s- ea ft e3 « •aiqesoiAiasuft •drqs sq? jo tioj^ipnoQ CD o 3 . •a .go 50 "to •sdtqs jaq^o o;ar <M +3 _ a <D o .0 o o w fl % M 'aopuas aq? moiji a a ' 1101613000 SI •paja^aa r-l * -^nasqv a fi CO . t •sauuiem o f pq o __ a Shor o ment "aanreag •t3,aa}n8dJB0 Comple u 99 •rH •SO^CEAUJ CC t- rO c to to T3 •sjommiua O •s^rananf) „ c o •srBjodjoo cc cS fl •S!(U-C3f.I3g ti C3 ~ .9 'S,ure,«s^-co{T M HI . is £rH s a a 0,05 'japMtY P «">! © "5. CO OT3 •ivSanw .-i a O •no TH •Jaqnmtf 43 -P •osaaqo 'uanrpmsfT S o •ja^ng - "a a EC* CD to '.Craarpio M CD •ay '.mou cS (-, CD •s •oiqy pare ^aj <tf o •* © t-t TeanrrBO £ .a 'B^ITBAJOB puB sraogjo to X) u Tt" a c6 'aSBa<j += g.& o a •3[J0J rK •ejoqs uo J4 p£-£ o M 33 .25 CO •jaag Tf w I r-l •pxBoq uo •sjijids o .2 0 •OABOI ?noq}i^ > •jaag 13 o o I-I a •OA^ai mijii •pisiMH 00 a) Si T3 3 fl cr '^aaq 'pj-m^oiA aeqranu IB^OX CO o o O CO •uoui s.Avop;^ "~ CD O '510!S c •pai8!(snn[ CO 1 IS 'panbaqo CD m H •^ 'aiuoa: LQ s •paja^snH <l p o En •jaamaidraoo aioq^ (-< •au.iog CD ft 3 OO PHILLIP TO STEPHENS AND GRENVILLE. 257 [Enclosure No. 2.] 1791 [A copy of the Return of Marines has not yet been found.] GOVERNOR PHILLIP TO SECRETARY STEPHENS.