Ships off Table Bay |
After leaving the Cape on board HMS Calcutta James Caithness would have
been able to do some whale-watching – perhaps his first opportunity.
Lieutenant Tuckey remarked:
In these
southern seas, we were continually surrounded by whales, and were even
sometimes obliged to alter our course to avoid striking on them.
The stormy
seas which wash the southern promontory of Africa … are despised by the British
seaman, whose vessel flies in security before the tempest, and while she rides
on the billows and defies the storm, he carelessly sings as if unconscious of
the warring elements around him.
Despite this boast, the effects of the wet and cold
weather soon made themselves felt especially among the convicts who lacked
sufficient clothing. Jackets and trousers were made up and distributed to those
in need. Some cases of dysentery were reported but due to the surgeon’s care
and the attention to cleanliness, only one man died. The animals taken on board
at Simon’s Bay were less fortunate, three heifers dying at sea.
The tedium of the following weeks was occasionally enlivened by performances from the African American violinist William Thomas.
The tedium of the following weeks was occasionally enlivened by performances from the African American violinist William Thomas.
To say the remainder of the voyage was plain sailing
would be to ignore the fact that it took Calcutta until 10 October to arrive at
King Island in the entrance of the Bass Straits (she had departed Simon’s Bay on 25
August). The lookouts aloft had been anxiously scanning the horizon for land for two
days before the island was sighted and then because of an increasing breeze the
ship had to stand three miles off shore.
Off the coast of New Holland |
A ‘perfect hurricane’ commenced to blow, but had
spent itself by the following morning, the day dawning beautifully serene. It was a
totally unknown coast and Calcutta
approached cautiously till the break in the land forming the entrance of Port
Phillip was observed.
A shout from the man at the mast-head alerted all to a
ship at anchor within this entrance, soon identified as the Ocean, the
companion vessel from which Calcutta
had parted at Tristan da Cunha many weeks
before. This was a welcome and cheering sight after so long at sea. Lieutenant
Tuckey was unable to refrain from another fanciful passage of prose:
... an expanse of water ... unruffled as the bosom of unpolluted
innocence, presented itself to the charmed eye, which roamed over it in
silent admiration.The nearer shores … afforded the most exquisite
scenery, and recalled the idea of ‘Nature in the world's first spring.’ In short,
every circumstance combined to impress our minds with the highest satisfaction for
our safe arrival.
After a week spent searching for a suitable spot for the settlement, it was decided to land the marines and convicts on the shores of a small bay eight miles from the harbour mouth. Camp was pitched and the crews of the two ships began unloading cargo.
Lieut Col David Collins, leader of the expedition; Lieut Gov of Van Diemen's Land |
On the first days of our landing, previous to the
general debarkation,Capt. Woodriff, Colonel Collins and the First Lieutenant
of the Calcutta had some interviews with the natives who came to the
boats entirely unarmed, and without the smallest symptom of
apprehension.
So far so good.
Scrimshaw on whale tooth |
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