1792

8 Dec.

STATE of the Settlements at Sydney, Parramatta, and Norfolk Island.

Numbers victuall'd from the Public Stores.

:

:

:

:

4203

:

:

:

:

1792 12 Dec.

The
Bodding-

tons.

Assistant

surgeon and superintendent.

Medicines.

Provisions.

The sick.

Directions from the Governor.

Pay.

Sir,

UNDER SECRETARY NEPEAN TO SURGEON KENT.

Whitehall, 12th Decr., 1792. Having, in pursuance of instructions from his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, engaged the ship Boddingtons to take on board some convicts at Cork and to convey them to New South Wales, and it having been thought necessary that a person of your profession should be sent out in the said ship in the capacity of superintendent, not only with a view of assisting the surgeon of that ship in the necessary attendance on the sick, but to enforce a compliance with the several stipulations made with the contractor, Mr. Richards, for the maintenance and supply of the convicts and guard during their continuance on board; and the Navy Board having granted you leave of absence for that purpose, I am to desire that you will as soon as possible repair on board the Boddingtons and execute the several duties attached to that situation.

Previously to your embarkation you will see that a proper proportion of medicines and necessaries be provided by the contractor, and that during the passage they are duly and properly administered to the said convicts, as well as to the troops intended to be put on board for their security, whenever their situation shall require it.

You will also be careful that the allowance of provisions specified in the contract, a copy of which I inclose, be regularly issued at sea, as well as in the several ports you may happen to touch at.

You will keep a regular return of the sick, and of such as may die during the passage, and transmit accounts thereof to me from time to time; and upon your return you will deliver into this office a general statement of your proceedings, together with your opinion how far the contractor shall have properly fulfilled his engagements.

Upon your arrival at New South Wales you will report to the Governor every occurrence which may have happened, and be governed by his advice as to the mode of your return, either in the ship in which you are to embark or by some more expeditious opportunity.

You will be allowed for your services at the rate of 12s. per diem from this date until the time of your return to England, unless that period shall be unnecessarily protracted by you. This allowance is to be looked upon by you as a satisfaction for your services and to cover all expenses, whatsoever, including your victualling to New South Wales and on your return from thence.

I have only to add that your care and attention in fulfilling the duties of your station will be a means of recommending you

in case any further service of the like nature should hereafter occur; and in expectation that you will fulfil it with satisfaction to your employer and credit to yourself.

[No signature]*

THE RIGHT HON. HENRY DUNDAS TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL
OF INDIA.

Whitehall, 19th Decemr., 1792.

1792

12 Dec.

19 Dec.

My Lord, Since Lord Grenville's letter to your Lordship of the 11th of October last respecting the supplying of New South Wales with Supplies live stock from Bengal, I have received from Messrs. Lambert, Ross, & Co. an account of the provisions shipped on board the Atlantic, transport, for that colony.

from India.

It appears from the contents of that letter that they have made proposals for supplying it with almost all the articles which are proposals. requisite, and that they have in consequence sent samples of such articles by Mr. Bowen, with the prices annexed, in order to decide upon the expediency of a future permanent and regular supply from Bengal, so long as the same shall be necessary. If, therefore, from the representation of his Majesty's Government of New South Wales it should be found that, agreeably to such samples, the articles themselves are such as are suitable to the nature of the settlement, it will probably be the ultimate determination of his Majesty's servants that the entire supply thereof shall be Stores from from Bengal. In that case, and in order to carry such a system Bengal. into effect, it will be necessary for the Presidency to consider of the best and cheapest mode of providing such supply, and that the same may keep pace with the progressive increase of the colonists, regular returns of their numbers, of the articles of provisions and stores in hand, and of such as they stand in need of, must be duly transmitted to Bengal.

In the meantime, I am to desire that in freighting a vessel with live stock, agreeably to the above-mentioned letter from Lord Grenville, your Lordship will take that opportunity of sending such a quantity of salted beef or pork, especially of the latter, as Salt meat. the vessel adopted for that service can conveniently carry, without too much interfering with the original purpose for which she is to be taken up.

I have more particularly instanced salted pork because I observe that two tons of it have already been sent as a sample by the Atlantic, and from the accounts transmitted I expect that it will succeed and become a regular article of supply.

Your Lordships will likewise take into consideration what mode of payment will be most in favor of Government, whether by Payment.

A letter similarly worded, but for the ship Sugarcane, was sent to Mr. Alexander Jamison, and signed "Evan Nepean."

1792

19 Dec.

Population

of the settle

ments.

29 Dec.

Shipping

stores.

More provisions required.

navy bills or by bills on his Majesty's treasury, either of which, as a channel of remittance to Europe, must, of course, bear a considerable premium.

The numbers now in New South Wales and Norfolk Island, on a rough calculation, may be estimated at about five thousand.

Sir,

I am, &c.,

HENRY DUNDAS.

CAPTAIN VANCOUVER TO GOVERNOR PHILLIP.

Discovery, Monterrey, 29th Dec'r, 1792.

Since writing my letter, dated 15th Oct'r,* which accompanies this, we have experienced a very tempestuous and boisterous passage to this place, which we reached about a month ago; and, agreable to my intentions as stated in that letter, I have taken on board the Discovery and Chatham a very considerable quantity of the stores and provisions which remained in the Dædalus on our departure from Nootka; the whole of which I had requested should be returned to me; that, however, in consequence of having made a material alteration in my engagement since that period, is by no means sufficient for the purpose of executing the remaining part of his Majesty's service entrusted to my care. I have, therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned remaining stores and provisions, sent your Excellency a list of such as will be necessary to complete our stock for the time I conceive we must yet be employed in prosecuting that part of my order which still remains unexecuted.

The lateness of my despatching the Dædalus, occasioned by adverse winds, &c., will, I fear, prevent the returning those stores and provisions, as I have before requested, by the month of August following; it may, however, so happen that I may not quit Nootka before September or probably late in that month; it will, therefore, Store-ship. be proper that the vessel so charged should be despatched so soon as possible for the purpose of meeting me at that place; but should I sail from Nootka before that should happen, I shall leave sufficient instructions for the guidance of the officer commanding such vessel, and in case there is a probability of his arriving very late on the coast, it would be necessary he should call at the Sandwich Rendezvous. Islands, where, though we should not meet, there is yet a great

Live stock for Sydney.

Spanish

sailors.

probability of gaining some information respecting us. The other object of the Dædalus accompanying me to this port, I have likewise been able to accomplish to my satisfaction by putting on board 12 cows and 6 bulls, with an equal number of male and female sheep; these are at present in good condition, in which state, I trust, they will arrive safe, and prove highly serviceable to his Majesty's colony under your Excellency's government.

The Dædalus, from accident and desertion, being short of complement, Sr. Quadra has made a promise of using his efforts to prevail on some of the people under his command to undertake this voyage

* Ante, pp. 667-669.