Huts Soon, Or 'we Will All Be In Our Graves'
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday March 2, 1988
The 1788 diary was omitted from yesterday's Herald. That record, and today's entry, are published below.
March 1, 1788
Marine Lieut William Collins's condition was unchanged. (He was not expected to live, being very ill with dysentery and there were "upwards of 100 sick" in the lines.) Several people developed the flux, including the Rev Mr Johnston, who became seriously ill. Mr Bowes, the surgeon, called on him in the afternoon.
Marine Lieut Ralph Clark moved his marquee, as the old site appeared damp. He was "glad to see in today's orders that the Battalion is ordered to be hutted as soon as possible. I wish it was already done. If we don't get hutted soon we will all be in our graves."
The pardons for Williams, Lovell, Hall, Gordon and Freeman were formally recorded. Lovell, Hall and Gordon were pardoned "on condition of their residing during the term of their natural lives in some one or other of the islands dependent on this Territory."
Freeman was pardoned "on condition of his becoming the public executioner for and during the term for which he was transported to this country, and of his residing within the limits of this Government for and during the term of his natural life".
Lovell, Hall and Gordon "shall be landed near the South Cape, where, by their forming connections with the natives, some benefit may accrue to the public".
Captain Meredith and Mr Thomas Arndell (second assistant surgeon) went up the harbour shooting with one of the men. The man returned alone late in the evening, having waited till 9 o'clock for them.
Bowes regretted that there was still no news of Philip Scriven. (Scriven, a foremastman in the Lady Pearhyn, had not been seen since the previous evening.)
March 2
Lieut William Bradley wrote: "At daylight, the Governor with his cutter, accompanied by 1st Lieutenant of the Sirius (Bradley) in her longboat and the master in one of the transport's longboat, with a party of marines in addition to the boats' crews, for the purpose of examining Broken Bay, victualled for 7 days. The longboat, in which the master was, proved so very heavy and unhandy that ... the Governor took the master into his boat and sent back that longboat.
"We were met in (Spring) Cove by several of the natives. A woman who was fishing in a canoe landed with very little persuasion. She was excessively ugly and very big with child, there being many women fishing in their canoes about the cove. The Governor did not give any things to the men.
"The Governor here exchanged a straw hat for a spear which, when he was taking to our boat, another of them took hold of it, on which the man who had the hat ran to him and explained that it had been exchanged. He let it go and seemed pleased ...
"As we passed the sandy bay next the S head of Broken Bay, we were met by 3 canoes having one man and 5 women in them. They came alongside of our boats quite familiarly. The Governor pushed over to the North shore in the cutter...
"At 9 at night (we) moored the boats in a cove on the N side of the bay, off which the surf broke violently. When the cutter first landed, they were met by a great number of the natives, men, women and children. The men were all armed with spears, clubs, stone hatchets and wooden swords. They were all very friendly, and, when the longboat landed, were without arms. We passed the night in this cove - on board the boats - everybody."
Major Ross sent for Lieut Clark "at daylight to go and see if I could see or hear anything of Meredith or Arndell (who were missing) ... I returned to the camp about 1 o'clock, where I found that they had come in. They had lost their way in the woods".
Nothing had been heard of Philip Scriven.
© 1988 Sydney Morning Herald
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