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1787

5 June.

Butter.

No

cartridges or repairing

tools.

ment as possible, I have ordered bread to be issued to the marines and convicts from the store-ships, for it could not be got here but at a very high price. The butter intended for the use of the garrison will be good for very little, and much wasted before we land, from being in single firkins. A proportion of butter I have therefore ordered also to be served while we remain here, and by which means the marines and convicts will have fresh provisions at a less expense to Government (including the value of the biscuit and butter) than if they had continued on salt provisions.

As we have sailed without either musquet cartridges for the use of the garrison, or paper or ball to make them, we shall have none but what little the Sirius can supply. This I have mentioned in my letter to Lord Sydney. Nor have we any tools to keep the small arms in repair, the want of which will put us to many inconveniences.

In my letters by the Hyæna I mentioned the apprehensions the officers on board the Scarborough were under, and tho' I did not then think they had reason to be seriously alarmed. As some of the convicts had behaved very ill, two of the supposed ringleaders were ordered on board the Sirius, punished, and then sent on board the Prince of Wales, where they still remain. In general, the convicts have behaved well. I saw them all yesterbehaviour of day for the first time. They are quiet and contented, tho' there are amongst them some compleat villains.

Good

the convicts.

10 June.

A week's fresh provisions.

I shall sail the moment the transports have compleated their water, and hope that will be done by Saturday or Sunday. The Spanish packet that sails this afternoon gives me this opportunity of writing, and I shall leave duplicates to be forwarded by the next conveyance, as it will be a very considerable time after this before I shall have an opportunity of writing again.

As the store-ships cannot receive any more wine for the garrison, spirits will be procured for them at Rio de Janeiro.

Sir,

I have, &c.,

A. PHILLIP.

GOVERNOR PHILLIP TO UNDER SECRETARY NEPEAN.

Sta. Crux, 10th June, 1787.

I enclose duplicates of my letters of the 5th inst., since which nothing has occurred that merits notice. The marines and convicts have had six days' fresh provisions, and a bill has been drawn on the Lords of the Treasury for the expence, which amounted to seventy-six pounds one shilling and nine-pence. The marines received every day one pound of bread, one pound of beef, and a pint of wine. The convicts every day three-quarters of a pound of beef and three-quarters of a pound of bread.

The list enclosed will show the numbers victualled.

As the transports will have all their water compleat this evening, I shall sail in the morning, and have the honour to be with great esteem, A. PHILLIP. P.S.-Three firkins of butter were issued in the six days to the marines and convicts.

STATE of the Garrison and Convicts that are on board the

[Enclosure.]

transports, June 10th, 1787.

Marines, including officers

Marines' wives

1787

10 June.

Do. children

...

Chaplain and wife
Surveyor-General
Surgeon and assistants
Servants

Men convicts

Women convicts

Children

Number victualled

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Recd..H.M.'s pardon before the ship left England

LIEUTENANT BLIGH TO SIR JOSEPH BANKS.-(Banks Papers.)
No. 4, Broad-street, St. George's, East,
August 6, 1787.

6 Aug.

Sir, I arrived yesterday from Jamaica, and should have instantly paid my respects to you had not Mr. Campbell told me you were not to return from the country untill Thursday. I have heard the flattering news of your great goodness to me, intending to honor me with the command of the vessel which you propose to go Captain to the South Seas,* for which, after offering you my most grateful the Bounty. thanks, I can only assure you I shall endeavour, and I hope succeed, in deserving such a trust. I await your commands, and am, with the sincerest respect,

My Lord,

Yours, &c.,

WM. BLIGH.

GOVERNOR PHILLIP to LORD SYDNEY.

Rio de Janeiro, 2d September, 1787.

Bligh and

2 Sept.

Having sailed from Teneriffe the 10th of June, I anchored The Fleet off this harbour the 5th of this month,† of which I had the honour at Rio. of informing your Lordship by a ship that past us, and the 6th in the evening anchored in the harbour with the tender, storeships, and transports.

I inclose returns of the detachment and of the convicts, who, as well as the officers and seamen belonging to the ship, continue very healthy.

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1787

2 Sept.

Kindness of the Vice

King.

In my letter to Mr. Nepean I have mentioned particulars respecting the provisions, spirits, &c., procured here, and I have the honour of assuring your Lordship that every little assistance we have wanted in this port has been most readily granted by the ViceKing,* and to whom I feel myself under particular obligations for the attention he has shown to me and the officers under my command. The convicts have been very plentifully supply'd with fresh provisions, and that at a small expense, three-pence three-farths. a head pr. day, all expenses included. The allowance of meat to The convicts the convicts has been twenty ounces every day, and they are much healthier than when we left England. Only fifteen convicts and one marine's child have died since we sailed from Spithead. I hope to sail to-morrow, and have the honour to be, &c.,

more

healthy.

1 Sept.

Marines.

[Enclosure.]

A. PHILLIP.

GENERAL Return of the four Companies of Marines detach'd to serve in the settlement in New South Wales, September the 1st, 1787:

Fit for Duty:-1 Major-Commandant, 2 Captains, 2 CaptainLieutenants, 9 First Lieutenants, 3 Second Lieutenants, 1 Qr.master, 1 Judge-Advocate, 12 Serjeants, 12 Corporals, 8 Drummers, 160 Privates.

Major-Commandant :-Robert Ross.

Captains: James Campbell and John Shea.

Captain-Lieutenants:-James Meredith, Watkin Tench, James
Maxwell, George Johnstone, John Cresswell, and Robert Kellow.
First Lieutenants :-John Poulden, John Johnstone, James
Maitland Shairp, Thomas Davey, Thomas Timins.

Second Lieutenants :-William Faddy and William Collins.
Assistant Second Lieutenant :-John Long.

Qr.-master First Lieutenant :-James Furzer.
Judge-Advocate:-David Collins.

Convicts.

[Enclosure.]

R. Ross, Major.

RETURN of the male and female convicts and their children,
September the 1st, 1787-

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tion.

By my letters of the 5th and 10th of June from Sta. Recapitula Crux I had the honor of informing you of the impossibility of receiving any wine on board for the use of the garrison, that the marines and convicts received six days' fresh provisions, and that the Commissary had drawn for £76 1s. 9d., the expences at that port. I likewise mentioned the slops for the women not being sent down before we sailed, and the want of musket-balls Ammuni and paper cartridges for the use of the garrison, as likewise tools tools. to keep the small arms in repair; those articles will, I hope, be sent out in the ship that goes for the bread-fruit.*

tion and

Marshal,

The Provost-Martial having remained in England, I recom- Provostmended Mr. Henry Brewer as a proper person to fill that post, and I shall order him to do the duty till I receive instructions on that head.

With respect to the women's cloathing, it was made of very Defective slight material, most too small, and in general came to pieces in a clothing.

*The Bounty.

1787

2 Sept.

Port Präyä avoided.

Rio.

Purchase of

rum.

Fresh provisions plentiful.

Spirits.

Cheap victualling.

The price of spirits.

Wine.

A substitute for bread.

Musket-balls purchased.

few weeks. If materials are sent out, it will be much cheaper to Government, and the cloaths will be better made.

A few vegetables could be procured at Sta. Crux. I should have stop'd for twenty-four hours at Port Präyä, but when off that port light airs of wind and a strong current making it probable some of the ships might not get in, I did not think it prudent to attempt it.

We anchored off Rio Janeiro the 5th of this month [August], of which I had an opportunity of informing you by a ship that past us, and the 6th in the evening got into the harbour with the Supply tender, store-ships, and transports.

I have the pleasure of saying that every assistance we have wanted in this port has been most readily granted.

One hundred and fifteen pipes of rum has been purchased for the use of the garrison, when landed, and for the use of the detachment at this port.

The marines and convicts have had fresh provisions since in port, and as I found at Teneriffe that three-quarters of a pound of beef was not sufficient for a convict for the day, and that no butter or cheese could be procured here, the beef being exceeding good and very cheap, I ordered each person victualled by the Commissary a pound and a quarter of beef and a pound of rice, and to the children of the marines and convicts three-quarters of a pound of meat and a pound of rice, with vegetables, every day. The marines and their wives have had the usual quantity of spirits. The allowance for the convicts when at sea being so small was the reason I ordered them while in port the same allowance as the officers and men belonging to the garrison, spirits excepted. The victualling all those who are under the inspection of the Commissary, including fixing and every other expense, amounts to no more than 33d. a head per day.

Wine is not to be bought at present but from those who retail it, there being none in store, consequently is dearer than in general; and the rum on our coming in, there being little in the place, rose more than five-and-twenty per cent.

Thirty pipes of wine is the quantity that was ordered for the hospital, but for the above reasons only 15 pipes have been purchased.

One hundred sacks of casada has been purchased, which will be issued to the convicts when the bread is expended, and will be cheaper to Government; it costs only 1 ff 0 20 -5s. 8d., and the sacks being of strong Russia, will be used hereafter in cloathing the convicts, many of whom are nearly naked.

As the Vice-King offered anything the King's stores furnished that might be wanted, ten thousand musquet-balls has been purchased from the arsenal, the Sirius not being able to supply the garrison with a sufficient quantity to serve till ball might be sent from England.

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