1792 21 April. Short passage. St. Cather ine's. 23 April. Survey of Norfolk Island. Admiralty, with his Maj's armed tender Supply under my command, which place I lef on the 27th of Nov., 1791, as will appear from the inclose jurnal. I have the pleasure to observe to there Lordships our very extraordinary and very short passage from that. There Lordships will likewise see by the inclosed of my puting into St. Catherine's (for refreshments) and that my stay there was only ten days, and which place I lef on the 1st of Feby., 1792. The officers and ship's company are all well. I hope to make my excuse to there Lordships for not inclosing a weekely account, as I gave two to Admiral Corby. I have, &c., H. L. BALL. LIEUTENANT BRADLEY TO UNDER SECRETARY NEPEAN. Sir, Monday, 23d April, 1792, Waaksamheyd, Portsmouth Harbour. Having had an opportunity of making a more accurate survey of Norfolk Island during my stay there after the ship was cast away, I am desired by Governor Phillip to transmit the same for their Lordships' information, which I have done by Lieutenant Edgar, who is charged with the dispatches from New South Wales. I beg leave to assure their Lordships that it would be highly flattering to me could I be thought useful in any way to that colony, and am with the greatest respect, &c., Sir, WM. BRADLEY, 1 Lieut. of his Majesty's late ship Sirius. SECRETARY STEPHENS TO CAPTAIN HUNTER. 23rd April, 1792. Mr. Aust, secretary to Lord Grenville, one of his Maj's Principal Secretaries of State, having in his letter of the 18th inst. transmitted to my Lords Comm'rs of the Adm'y a copy of a paper received from Lord Gower, his Maj.'s ambassador at the La Perouse. Court of France, relative to Monsr. de la Peyrouse, I am commanded by their Lordships to send you herewith the said paper,† and to desire you will let me know whether there is any foundation for the report therein contain'd, or any other information upon the subject you may be in possession of, in order that it may be transmitted to Lord Grenville. I am, &c., 23 April. Sir, CAPTAIN HUNTER TO SECRETARY STEPHENS. P.S. Portsmouth, 23rd April, 1792. You will be pleased to inform their Lordships that upon my arrival from Norfolk Island at Port Jackson (26th February, * First Lieutenant of the Sirius. †This paper is not available. 1792 A Dutch chartered. the Sirius on reach Norfolk Island. ern passage. 1791) I found that Governor Phillip had contracted with the master of a Dutch snow, which had arrived at that port from 23 April. Batavia with a cargo of provisions purchased there for the use of the settlement, for a passage to England for the remaining officers vessel and company of his Majestie's late ship the Sirius, under my command, in consequence of which agreement I was directed to The crew of embark, and we sail'd from Port Jackson on the 27th March, board. victuall'd for sixteen weeks, and with fifty tons of water on board. We were, in all, on board 123 people, including those belonging to the vessel. The master was directed, in his last instructions, to call at Norfolk Island, and there to receive on board the dispatches Unable to of Lieutenant-Governor Ross; but from the prevailence of easterly winds he was unable to execute that part of his orders. We steer'd to the northward, and made New Caledonia 23rd April, and passed to the westward of it, as the master did not feel himself qualified to navigate a ship in these unknown seas. He had, upon our leaving Port Jackson, requested my assistance, which he had. In sailing to the northward we fell in with several islands and shoals, the situations of which we determin'd, and which, as it is my intention, if their Lordships will permit me, to lay a short account of this northern passage before the Board*, those discoverys will be The northparticularly mention'd. No ship that I have heard of having sail'd between New Britain and New Ireland since that passage was discovered by Captain Carteret in his Maj. sloop Swallow, I was the more desirous to take that rout from his having found two very accessable harbours in New Ireland, where we hoped to New Ireland. get a supply of water; for the particulars of our passage thro' that chanel I must refer their Lordships to the narrative, which shall be delivered as soon as I can reach town; it will therefore be unnecessary to trouble their Lordships farther at present than to say that we passed thro' the Strait of Macassar, and arrived at Batavia on the 27th of September, after a most tedious and distressing passage of twenty-six weeks, during a great part of which Adistressing time we had been upon a very small ration of provision. We buried on the passage, Lt. George William Maxwell and one seaman of the Sirius, with one belonging to the snow. My transactions at Batavia will be fully seen in the narrative. I left that place on the 20th October, and arrived at the Cape on the 17th Troubles at December, but being unable to reach the proper anchorage, I was on the 20th driven to sea again, with the loss of two anchors and cables. On the 22nd we again reach'd the bay, with a signal of distress flying, and thro' the exertions of Capt. Bligh who was there in H.M. ship Providence, we were got into safety, and receiv'd anchors and cables from the shore. My people being very sickly, the effects of that destructive place Batavia, their slow The Bataprogress in recovery detained me at the Cape longer than I intended to have staid. I sailed from Table Bay 18th January, but * The Navy Board. passage. the Cape. vian fever. 1792 Courtmartial on the loss of left five sick behind me, anchored at St. Helena 4th February, to 23 April. complete our water, left that island the 13th, and arriv'd here late last night. I have now, sir, to request that you will be pleas'd to move their Lordships for an order, that the usual court-martial be assembled to enquire into cause of the loss of his Majestie's late ship the Sirius*, as soon as it may be convenient to their Lordships. I am, &c., the Sirius. 24 April. JNO. HUNTER. P.S. Enclos'd I have sent for their Lordships' perusal a copy of the order from C. [Captain] Phillip, by which I embarked in this transport. Sir, SECRETARY STEPHENS TO CAPTAIN HUNTER. 24th April, 1792. I have received your letter of yesterday's date, giving an account of your arrival at Portsmouth with the remaining officers The Sirius. and company of his Majesty's late ship the Sirius in the Waak Court martial. Sandwich. samheyd, Dutch transport, of your proceedings during the voyage, and enclosing copy of the order given you by Governor Phillip for your return to England in the said transport; and I have communicated the same to my Lords Comm'rs of the Adm'y. Their Lordships command me to acquaint you that the order for assembling a court-martial to enquire into the loss of the Sirius was sent to Vice-Admiral Roddam, commander-in-chief of his Majesty's ships at Portsmouth, by this last post. Sir, I am, &c., CAPTAIN HUNTER TO SECRETARY STEPHENS. Waaksamheyd, transport, P.S. Portsmouth, April 24th, 1792. Be pleas'd to inform their Lordships that soon after my arrival at the Cape of Good Hope the master of an English ship employed on the southern whale fishery made application to me to be relieved from the burthen of a ship's company whom he had taken up at Delagoa Bay in very great distress from shipwreck. The wrecked ship belong'd to the port of London, was called the Wreck of the Sandwich, and owned by Saml. Enderby and Sons, merchants there. The master of the unfortunate ship informed me that a certain number of his men were in a very deplorable situation from sickness, and that he was at a loss what to do with them. The only assistance which in my situation I cou'd give this poor man in his distress was, that as there were several English whalers in the bay, to desire the men in health might distribute themselves amongst those ships if they cou'd receive them, such as remained I wou'd take with me to England, and with respect *A court-martial was held in due course. According to the Naval Chronicle, vol. VI, p. 365, "Captain Hunter, his officers and crew, were honourably acquitted." 1792 24 April. to the sick, I gave an order to Mr. P. J. De Wit of that place to provide them with quarters and food and such other assistance as their miserable condition might require, and that immediately on Assistance their recovery they should be embark'd in the first English ship given. which might touch at the Cape, and cou'd receive them on board either as a part of their crew or for a passage to England. prison. I must farther beg leave to mention to their Lordships, that having received information that there were a few British seamen confin'd in the prison of the Cape Town, who had been taken up Seamen in by the Fiscal's people without having been accus'd of the commission of any crime whatever, and as I thought this method of smugling his Majesty's subjects from the service of their country was unjustifiable, and highly oppressive to the individual, I wrote a letter to the Lieut.-Governor who commanded at that time, of which the following is a copy : "Sir, I am inform'd that there are several British seamen confin'd in the prison of this town, and that they were taken up and secur'd by order of the Fiscal without having trespassed against the peace, or in any other way offended the establish'd rules and regulations of the settlement; that unless either Capt. Elphinstone (who was in the bay in the Swan), or me will pay the debt which has been incurr'd by this extraordinary and unjustifiable imprisonment, it is intended the men shall be sent to Batavia. Wrongful imprisonThis debt, I must beg leave to observe to you, sir, is not a debt ment. voluntarily contracted by the men themselves; it is a debt forced upon them, and appears design'd as a pretext for the intention of sending them to Batavia. I have to request that you will be pleas'd to give directions that the men be immediately set at liberty, in order that they may have it in their power to provide Demand for for themselves in case his Maj.'s ship in this road or the transport I am embark'd in shall have no occasion for them. I am much inclined to think, sir, that the Fiscal's people have in this instance exceeded and abus'd their powers, and that you have not been made acquainted with the particulars of this strange and unaccountable attack upon the liberty of a few inoffensive people, who, from Liberty being strangers here, may be suppos'd to be ignorant of those rules attacked. which the police of this place may have judged it necessary to establish. I have, &c." release. To this letter I received a verbal answer by the Govr's. Private Secretary (for those gentm. do not always give written answers to letters on public service), assuring me that the men having deserted an English ship in Saldanah Bay had come to the Cape Town and were found without any visible means of subsistence. They were therefore consider'd as vagrants, a description of people Seamen not permitted to remain at liberty in the town, but that if C. Elphinstone or I would receive them they should be sent on board; that I had been misinformed in the account I had receiv'd of an detained as vagrants. 1792 24 April. To be sent on board ship. intention of sending them to Batavia; that as I disapproved of their being confined in prison, they shou'd be put on board a ship which was to remain in the road, and that they shou'd be offer'd to every English ship which might touch at the Cape. This the secretary assur'd me he was authorised by the Lt.-Governor to give me his word of honor should be done. I cou'd therefore do no more at that time for the men. I desir'd the secretary would assure the Lt.-Govr. that I had the most perfect confidence in his promise that the men shou'd not be forc'd to Batavia, but be dispos'd of in the manner he had mention'd. This business I was the more particular in, from knowing that the Dutch Compy's. Men wanted ships when I left Batavia had buried most of their European seamen and were in want of men; and the men above mentioned, in my own private opinion, were designed for their use. for Batavia. Seamen entrapped. 25 April. Stores for officers. Shipping facilities. 28 April. I have troubled their Lordships with these particulars merely to shew what means are frequently made use of to force or betray British seamen into a service which when they once enter and reach this part of the world they may be consider'd as lost to their country, for they are seldom, if ever, permitted to return. C. Elphinstone received some of the men before he left the bay, and such as he cou'd not take I have brought home with me. I am, &c., JNO. HUNTER. ALEX. DAVISON, ESQ., TO THE RIGHT HON. HENRY DUNDAS. The friends and relations of the officers serving in New South Wales having repeatedly applied to me to ship for them a few necessaries and clothing for their private use, I beg leave to humbly submit to your consideration the expediency of allotting a proportionable quantity of tonnage for that purpose on board of the Royal Admiral. The officers in that quarter having no means of being supplied but in ships from hence, it is strongly solicited by their relations and connections that permission be granted and direction given to the Royal Admiral to appropriate the tonnage necessary, and I have reason to suppose about fifteen tons will be sufficient for the whole. The agent of Governor Phillip is one of the number who has applied to me. I have, &c., Sir, ALEXR. DAVISON. SECRETARY STEPHENS TO CAPTAIN HUNTER. Admiralty, 28th April, 1792. Having laid before my Lords Comm'rs of the Adm'y your letter of the 24th instant, informing them that soon after your arrival at the Cape of Good Hope application was made to you by the master of an English ship employed in the southern whale |
