NARRATIVE

OF A

VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD,

&c. &c.

CHAPTER I.

Arrival at Sydney-Hobart Town-Departure for Batavia-Attempted Passage round Cape Leuwin unsuccessful-Bass's Straits-Wreck Reef-Eastern Fields-Murray's Island-The "Governor Ready" wrecked on a Coral Reef in Torres' Straits-The Crew take to the Boats, intending to proceed to Melville Island-The ship abandoned.

THE ship "Governor Ready," 512 tons, was, shortly after her arrival from Van Dieman's Land in 1828, chartered by the Commissioners of the Navy, to convey 200 male prisoners from Ireland to New South Wales; and being again appointed surgeon-superintendent, I joined her on the 22d of July in that year.

On the 17th of August the guard, consisting of 50 men of the 63d regiment having embarked, and all being ready for sea, we sailed from Deptford, and on the 27th arrived at the Cove of Cork.

B

29

ARRIVAL AT SYDNEY.

On the 18th of September 200 prisoners were received on board, on the 21st we took our departure, and on the 17th of January, 1829, we arrived at Sydney, after a very pleasant passage, during which the utmost harmony and quietness uninterruptedly prevailed.

On the 26th all the prisoners were landed in good health.

After having spent a few weeks in New South Wales, the greater part of which time I passed in excursions over the southern and western settled districts of the Colony, I prepared to return to England. There were several vessels in the harbour about to depart for London direct, laden with colonial produce; but, preferring the "Governor Ready," a ship in which I had spent many happy days, I obtained permission from the Colonial Government to return home in her, although she was to pursue rather a circuitous route.

Previous to leaving England, it had been arranged that this ship, after the debarkation of the prisoners at Sydney, should proceed to the Isle of France, to receive a cargo of sugar; but just as we were on the eve of leaving Sydney Cove, Captain Young (who commanded the vessel) received intelligence of the failure of the sugar crops there, which rendered it doubtful whether a cargo would be in readiness; but, as the owners of the ship (anxious to establish a direct commercial intercourse between the two ports,) had sent another vessel in ballast from Bristol to the Isle of France, with an intelligent supercargo, who had instruc

tions to purchase cargoes for both vessels, the hope that he had succeeded, although diminished, was not entirely destroyed.

To obtain more certain information relative to this matter, and also to land several passengers; and, as little inconvenience, expense, or delay, would be occasioned thereby, it was deemed advisable to touch at the Derwent.

In the afternoon of the 18th March, Capt. Young and myself bade adieu to our friends at Sydney, and after a protracted pull down the harbour, joined the ship, which, having been under weigh since daylight, was lying-to for us inside the heads of Port Jackson.

We had a favourable and pleasant passage to Hobart Town, where we arrived on the evening of the 25th. From information received there, the idea of proceeding to the Isle of France was abandoned; the sugar had not been purchased, and the wholesale London dealers in that commodity had written to prohibit their agents in that Island from shipping any freight by the "Governor Ready," in consequence, I believe, of the following circumstance :-During her passage home last year, from the Isle of France, deeply (perhaps too deeply) laden with sugar, the ship encountered a tremendous gale of wind off the Island of Madagascar, and from the immense quantity of water shipped, much of the cargo was damaged; and as great prejudice exists in London against vessels built at Prince Edward's Island, the

4

DEPARTURE FOR BATAVIA.

"Governor Ready" (built there) having spoiled her cargo was a circumstance not to be overlooked, and therefore she was unjustly singled out as an unsafe and unseaworthy vessel1.

Thus circumstanced, Captain Young made up his mind to proceed to Batavia. This change was not altogether agreeable to me, having on a former occasion suffered much both from shipwreck and disease, near and at the Island of Java; but I made up my mind. not to leave the ship, and it required some effort on my part to persevere in this resolution, as I was solicited to embark in the "Mermaid," (commanded by an old friend and mess-mate of mine, Captain Henniker,) which was on the point of sailing for England direct, via Cape Horn.

At daylight on the 2d of April we got under weigh, and gliding down the river, under the influence of a stiff breeze, Hobart Town and its singularly romantic environs soon receded from our view. As the wind was blowing strongly from the westward, we proposed going through D'Entrecasteaux's channel, so that, should

We were obliged to put in at the Cape of Good Hope to get the damage of the ship repaired. The day previous to our leaving Table Bay, two ships, (British built I believe,) the "Mellish" and "Ferguson,” reached there in a sad plight, having been dismasted on the same day, by the same gale, within a few miles of us. The ship "Woodlark" foundered this year in nearly the same place, lat. 28°. 8'. S. long. 52°. 40'. E. and within two days of the same time, February 11th, having encountered the same kind of weather that we did. Had the "Woodlark" been as staunch as the "Governor Ready," she might, in like manner, have weathered out the gale.

ATTEMPTED PASSAGE ROUND CAPE LEUWIN. 5

the wind continue to blow with undiminished force from the same quarter, we might anchor near the southern entrance, and there be in readiness for the first favourable slant to carry us round the south-west Cape of Van Dieman's Land. The wind, however, having shifted a little to the northward, and the barometer indicating moderate weather, we entered Storm Bay, and were soon once more on the mighty Southern Ocean.

The season was rather too far advanced for us to expect a favourable passage round Cape Leuwin; but as, according to Horsburgh's Directory, good passages had occasionally been effected as late, and even later, it was considered prudent to make the attempt, more especially as it was too early in the season for passing through Torres' Straits, a route, under the most favourable circumstances, beset with intricacy and danger.

Influenced by these considerations, we purposed to beat to windward; but the ship being very lighthardly in ballast trim-it was not expected that much progress could be made to the westward until the wind became more favourable. In anxious expectation of this wished-for event, we kept contending with adverse gales and tempestuous seas, being encouraged to persevere by an occasional northerly breeze, until the 23d of April, when, having only reached the 131st degree of east longitude, after having sustained much loss of canvas and other damage, our patience deserted us, more especially as the hope of obtaining a fair