1792 11 Oct. Minor matters. Official recognition. What relates to live stock and the culture of the ground will be seen in my letter marked No. 2. The master carpenter and miller are landed, as is the person sent out to become a settler, or to be otherwise employed in the colony. The port wine, spirits, and tobacco which are to be furnished the officers and others at prime cost, will be a matter of great conveniency to those persons. You are, sir, pleased to express your regret at my being obliged to return to England on account of my health,* and I feel much satisfaction from the manner in which that circumstance is mentioned. How far that part of your letter to which the above alludes An obscure may have been intended to convey to me his Majesty's permission despatch. to return, I am doubtful, and although I am inclined to think it has been written with that intention, and feel how necessary it is for me to give up, at least for a time, the charge of this Government, which is very far from what I wish to do at the moment the colony is approaching to that state in which I have so long and anxiously wished to see it; still, sir, I fear there is a possibility of its being expected that I should remain until permission to quit the Government is more fully and clearly expressed; and as return post there appears to be a wish that I should remain in this country some time longer, I shall wait the arrival of the next ships. † Phillip's poned. Supplies from India. Live stock from India. Mode of supply. I have, &c., A. PHILLIP. LORD GRENVILLE TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA. The supplying his Majesty's colony of New South Wales as well with live stock as with Indian corn and the seeds of vegetables from Bengal is conceived to be a measure which must be highly advantageous to that colony, and I have in consequence received his Majesty's commands to desire that your Lordship will take such steps for carrying the same into execution as shall appear to you to be most adviseable. It is deemed expedient for the present to confine the live stock which may be sent to sheep and a proportionate number of cows and bulls, as being best adapted to the present state of cultivation there. I forbear to mention any precise number, as that must depend on the size of the vessel best adapted for such service, as well as on other local circumstances. The Governor of New South Wales will be made acquainted by the first opportunity with the mode of supply herein adopted, in order that he may make such preparation for its reception as may be necessary. Grenville. * Ante, p. 625. Phillip sailed for England in the Atlantic transport on the 11th December, 1792. On the 23rd July, 1793, shortly after his arrival in London, he wrote to Mr. Dundas resigning the governorship on account of ill-health. GENERAL RETURNS of the Marines doing duty at Sydney, New 1792 12 Oct. 1st Lieutenants: John Poulden, Thomas Davey, Thomas Timnis. Judge Advocate: David Collins, Esq. A. PHILLIP. CAPTAIN VANCOUVER TO GOVERNOR PHILLIP. Discovery, at sea, 15th Oct'r, 1792. 15 Oct. Sir, Agreable to the order and directions transmitted to me from my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, I herewith dispatch the Dædalus, hired transport, under the command of The Lieutenant James Hanson, by whom your Excellency will Dædalus. receive this, and who is directed to put himself under your command, and to follow your orders for his farther proceedings. You will also herewith receive a list of the remaining part of the said transport's cargo, which his Majesty's ship Discovery and armed tender the Chatham, under my command, have not in the present instance been able to take on board; as likewise a list of Her cargo. such part of the said cargo as under the present circumstances I do not deem essential to me in putting into execution his Majesty's commands entrusted to my care. The remaining part is, however, absolutely necessary for that purpose, and, agreable to their Lordships' directions, I am to request your Excellency will cause the same to be forwarded to my address, and to arrive at the port of Nootka about the month of August following, Stores for where, on my return from pursuing my examination of the coast of N.W. America, I shall call in order to take the said stores and provisions on board. We are now on our passage to some of the Spanish ports on the south part of the coast of New Albion, where I intend putting on board the Dædalus, for the use of his Majesty's colony under your Excellency's government, so many breeding cattle and sheep as she can conveniently take, which Cattle and breed, inur'd to countries but slightly cultivated, have at Nootka sheep for succeeded to a very high degree with scarce the smallest care and Wales attention. I therefore trust they will be found useful in New * The marines had been replaced by the New South Wales Corps. Only a small detachment of the former remained on duty. Nootka. New South 1792 15 Oct. Supplies for the expedi tion to be kept up. De Fuca's South Wales. Lieutenant Hanson, as you will observe by his orders, has likewise directions to pay attention to lose no opportunity of procuring such live stock and refreshments as may be useful at Port Jackson, from the different places he may fall in with during his passage across the Pacific Ocean. And as there is a probability on my arrival with the storeship at some of the Spanish ports aforesaid I may find it convenient to take on board some further supply of provisions, I beg leave to inform your Excellency that in that case it will be necessary for the deficiency so occasioned to be made up, as likewise any that may be caused by leakage, decay, or other unforeseen accidents, that quantity being absolutely necessary to enable me to perform that part of my orders which still remain unexecuted. Lieutenant Hanson will, I trust, be able to satisfy your Excellency's curiosity respecting the general proceedings of our voyage, so far as it is at present extended; under which circumstances I shall not intrude on your leisure further than observing that we New Albion, fell in with the coast of New Albion on the 17th of April, and passed Cape Mendocino in lat. 40° 28′ N. and 235° 50′ E. longitude; from whence we traced the shores at the distance of one, two, or three leagues, circumstances so concerning, without finding any port or opening in the land until we reached, on the 29th of April, the south entrance of De Fuca's Straits, situate in 48° 23′ N. lat. and 235° 38′ E. long., which inlet we pursued up several arms of the sea, determining the extent of each, and keeping the continental shore always in boats, as far east as the long. 238° O' 2", in the lat. of 48° 0′ 0′′ N., from which station we coasted the continent in an irregular N.-westerly direction to the lat. of 51° 45' N. and 232° 0′ 4′′ E. long., whence it again winds to the eastward to the long. of 235° 0′ 5′′, in the lat. of 52° 15′ N., which station ended our present northern campaign, on the 18th of August, and where we shall recommence an examination in the ensuing spring. The direction of the continent here pointed out leaves the land in which Nootka is situated, an island, or rather a cluster of islands, of considerable extent, caused by the A cluster of junction of Queen Charlotte's Sound and De Fuca's entrance, not very badly delineated in Arrowsmith's charts, leaving a very disagreeable and intricate navigation between them and the continent. islands. King George's On my passage into this ocean I visited a small part of the S.W. coast of New Holland, and there discovered one very excellent port, which I have honored with the name of King George the Third's Sound. As I think from its situation, the fertility of the country, with Oyster Bay Harbour, seas, &c., it may be worthy some further attention, I have sent you my survey thereof with the adjacent coast, and some views of the surrounding country, which, though not executed with any degree of neatness, the positions of the different harbours, &c., as also the different head-lands, &c., as also their appearance [are given], without, I believe, any material error. 1792 15 Oct. rocks. We likewise, made two other discoveries, which, belonging to your neighbourhood, I shall beg leave to communicate, the first being a very dangerous cluster of barren rocks, being seven in Dangerous number, extending in a direction about N. 70' E. and S. 70' W. true, occupying the space of about 3 leagues, which, from their situation, I have called the Snares; the largest, which is the N.- The Snares. easternmost, and about a league in circumference, is in the lat. 48° 03' S. and 166° 20' E. longitude, bearing from S. Cape of New Zealand S. 40′ W. true, 19 leagues distant, and from the southermost part of the Traps S. 621 W. true, 20 leagues distant; the largest, which is the highest, may be seen in clear weather about 8 or 9 leagues, the other is an island discovered by the Chatham, after being separated from us the morning we discovered the Snares, by a very violent storm, and which, in honor of His Lordship who presides at the Admiralty Board, obtained the name of Chatham Island; along the N. side of which he sailed about 12 Chatham leagues; it is situated in lat. 43° 48′ S. and 183° 02′ E. long., its inhabitants much resembling the indians of New Zealand, who were found on the N. side, which was the only part they saw, and where they anchored and took possession; they, however, discovered no port. Knowing of no other information that can be worthy your present attention, I beg leave to assure you I have the honor to be with best wishes for your welfare, and that of his Majesty's colony under your Excellency's government. Yours, &c., GEO. VANCOUVER. GOVERNOR PHILLIP TO UNDER SECRETARY NEPEAN.* The Britannia going to the Cape, although very much against my inclination, gives me an opportunity of forwarding the despatches, and of saying that I most sincerely hope your voyage has restored your health. Island. 16 Oct. return The Atlantic will sail about the middle of next month, and Phillip's most probably my letters by that ship will be the first you'll necessary. receive. As to myself, I have still to wait the arrival of another ship, and every day tells me that my return to England, for a time at least, is more and more necessary. The manner in which Mr. Dundas speaks of my leaving this country is very handsome†; but I do not well understand that part of his letter. I fear that it may have been supposed I would remain until His Majesty's permission was clearly expressed; and I should be sorry, after all my labours, to have it said on my return that I was not expected. The ship which was to follow the Royal Admiral * A private letter. † Ante, p. 625. 1792 16 Oct. Awaits definite instructions. Carriage of convicts. Terms. will, I hope, clear up the doubt, and not only leave me at liberty to quit the Government, but also put the means of doing it in my power; otherwise I do not see how I am to get home after the Atlantic has sailed, unless it is by the way of China or the northwest coast of America, neither of which would be very agreeable to a man going in search of health. That you may long enjoy yours is the wish of a very sincere and faithful friend. A. PHILLIP. I suppose you'll hear from your brother, but as he has some doubts of writing by this ship, he is well and much better than he has been for some time. MR. W. RICHARDS, JUNR., TO UNDER SECRETARY NEPEAN.* To lay in eight mo's provision for the passage. To be victualed every day in one port in the passage with fresh provisions, &c., and to be paid as usual. To have three pounds p. ton for all stores, &c., put on board after the convicts, &c., are accomodated. Twenty-six pounds p. head for each convict landed. Twenty pounds p. head for each convict embarked and not landed which is the cost of ship hire, cloaths, bed and bedding, surgeon, medicine, &c., and sixpence p. head p. day for every day victual'd till the day of death. The remaining provision of the eight mo's lain in together with the cloathing, bed and bedding of such convict to be deliver'd into his Majestie's stores free from charge, which are the only articles by which a contractor can be benefitted in the case of the death of any one. N.B.-In the above charge is £2 14s. p. head alowed for an aditional number of seamen which the contractor must have as a guard for the convicts. Dangers of the seas and mutinies excepted. *Nepean, who went to the West Indies for the benefit of his health in December, 1791, had now resumed duty as Under Secretary at the Home Office. |