INTRODUCTORY 5 



cart to Tyburn was a simpler and less expensive solution of the 

 difficulty than a voyage to the Antipodes. And yet, varying as 

 was the culpability of these unhappy creatures, Mr. Surgeon White 

 mentions incidentally that all the male convicts were ironed on 

 embarkation, and apparently the majority of them remained so 

 during the entire voyage. 



The Alexander and the Scarborough, the two largest transports, 

 carried each about 200 male convicts. The Lady Penrhyn and 

 the Prince of Wales were devoted exclusively to women, while the 

 Charlotte and the Friendship each carried about 100 persons, men 

 and women. To enforce the necessary discipline on board, and to 

 provide for the defence of the proposed colony abroad, a detach- 

 ment of about 200 royal marines was distributed throughout the 

 flotilla, and were accompanied by twenty-eight women and fourteen 

 children of their own, together with thirteen children belonging 

 to the convicts. 



The distribution of the more important official passengers was 

 as follows : David Collins, the judge-advocate and future historian 

 of the settlement, Major Kobert Eoss, commanding the marines 

 and designate Lieutenant- Governor of the colony, together with 

 the adjutant, the quarter-master and the commissary- general, were 

 provided with accommodation on board H.M. ship Sirius. The 

 surgeon-superintendent, John White, who also published his ac- 

 count of the voyage, took passage on the transport Charlotte, 

 whence he availed himself of every favourable opportunity for 

 visiting and inspecting the other transports, and appears to have 

 been animated by a benevolent desire to maintain the health of 

 the convicts, and to secure them every reasonable indulgence. The 

 Rev. Richard Johnson, the chaplain of the colony, accompanied 

 by his wife, secured their joint comfort by domiciling himself 

 on board one of the store-ships, the Golden Grove. Probably he 

 thought he might as well, for some months at least, escape the 

 unpleasantness of personal contact with a mass of wickedness such 

 as he had not much hope of his own ability to ameliorate. 



All arrangements were now completed, and the advent of the 

 commander, Captain Phillip, was anxiously awaited, and on the 

 7th of May he arrived from London and took command of the fleet. 



