第40章

In March 1792,when I arrived in the Gorgon,at the Cape of Good Hope,six of these people,including the woman and one child,were put on board of us to be carried to England.four had died,and one had jumped overboard at Batavia.The particulars of their voyage were briefly as follows.

They coasted the shore of New Holland,putting occasionally into different harbours which they found in going along.One of these harbours,in the latitude of 30degrees south,they described to be of superior excellence and capacity.Here they hauled their bark ashore,paid her seams with tallow,and repaired her.But it was with difficulty they could keep off the attacks of the Indians.These people continued to harras them so much that they quitted the mainland and retreated to a small island in the harbour,where they completed their design.Between the latitude of 26degrees and 27degrees,they were driven by a current 30leagues from the shore,among some islands,where they found plenty of large turtles.Soon after they closed again with the continent,when the boat got entangled in the surf and was driven on shore,and they had all well nigh perished.They passed rough the straits of Endeavour and,beyond the gulf of Carpentaria,found a large freshwater river,which they entered,and filled from it their empty casks.

Until they reached the gulf of Carpentaria,they saw no natives or canoes differing from those about Port Jackson.But now they were chased by large canoes,jitted with sails and fighting stages,and capable of holding thirty men each.They escaped by dint of rowing to windward.On the 5th of June 1791they reached Timor,and pretended that they had belonged to a ship which,on her passage from Port Jackson to India,had foundered;

and that they only had escaped.The Dutch received them with kindness and treated them with hospitality.But their behaviour giving rise to suspicion,they were watched;and one of them at last,in a moment of intoxication,betrayed the secret.They were immediately secured and committed to prison.Soon after Captain Edwards of the Pandora,who had been wrecked near Endeavour straits,arrived at Timor,and they were delivered up to him,by which means they became passengers in the Gorgon.

I confess that I never looked at these people without pity and astonishment.

They had miscarried in a heroic struggle for liberty after having combated every hardship and conquered every difficulty.

The woman,and one of the men,had gone out to Port Jackson in the ship which had transported me thither.They had both of them been always distinguished for good behaviour.And I could not but reflect with admiration at the strange combination of circumstances which had again brought us together,to baffle human foresight and confound human speculation.]

April,1791.Notwithstanding the supplies which had recently arrived from Batavia,short allowance was again proclaimed on the 2nd of April,on which day we were reduced to the following ration:

Three pounds of rice,three pounds of flour and three pounds of pork per week.

It was singularly unfortunate that these retrenchments should always happen when the gardens were most destitute of vegetables.A long drought had nearly exhausted them.The hardships which we in consequence suffered were great,but not comparable to what had been formerly experienced.Besides,now we made sure of ships arriving soon to dispel our distress.Whereas,heretofore,from having never heard from England,the hearts of men sunk and many had begun to doubt whether it had not been resolved to try how long misery might be endured with resignation.