BY JAMES BACKHOUSE WALKER. 213 



that I cannot forbear quoting his reflections on leaving' 

 the Cape. " On our departure from the Cape," he 

 writes, " it was natural for us to indulge at this moment 

 a melancholy reflection which obtruded itself on the 

 minds of those who were settlers at Port Phillip, The 

 land behind us was the abode of a civilised people — that 

 before us was the residence of savages. When, if ever, 

 we might again enjoy the commerce of the world was 

 doubtful and uncertain. The refreshments and the 

 pleasures of which we had so liberally partaken at the 

 Cape and Simon's Bay were to be exchanged for coarse 

 fare and hard labour at Port Phillip, and we may truly 

 say, all communication with families and friends now cut 

 off, we were leaving the world behind us to enter on a 

 state unknown." After leaving the Cape the Calcutta 

 encountered a severe storm, and reached Port Phillip on 

 the 9th October, where she found the Ocean at anchor, 

 having arrived two days before her. 



From the Chaplain's diary it appears that the voyage 

 was uneventful, and that good order was preserved 

 throughout, for there are only two or three entries of 

 punishments, for trifling offences. The health of the con- 

 victs must have been fairly looked after, only four deaths 

 from illness being noted and one from drowning. This 

 presents a pleasing contrast to the mortality and ill usage 

 which had been too common in the transports to New 

 South Wales.* 



2. The Port Phillip P'ailure. 



Collins' ships anchored within Port Phillip Heads Collins to 



about a mile and a half to the eastward of the entrance. S^°^',Q*!i 

 Nov. 1803, 



* Lieut. Governor Collins in his despatch to GoTernoi- Xing' • -loi ' 

 reporting his arrival, states that he had brought with him 299 "' 

 male convicts and 16 married women. From this it would appear 

 that 8 convicts and 1 convict's wife had died on the voyage. It 

 is ditficult, if not impossible, to reconcile the varying statements 

 contained in different documents with regard to the number and 

 names of the free settlers. In a despatch to King, dated 16th 

 December, 1803, Collins says that he has eighteen free settlers with 

 their families, yet his official returns of 26th February and of July, 

 1804, show only thirteen at the Derwent. We have a list of thirteen 

 persons who had obtained permission from Lord Hobart to 

 accompany Collins' settlement, but upparently this list does not 

 contain the names of all who eventually sailed with him. Thus, 

 it omits the names of Messrs. Pitt, Nicholls, Ingle, Dacres, and Blink- 

 worth, who are known to have come out with Collins to the Derwent 

 as free settlers. The Calcutta's log records receiving on the 1 7th 

 October six passengers from the Ocean to proceed from Port 

 Phillip to Port Jackson. Deducting these from the total so far as 

 known, would leave the balance within one of the number given in 

 Collins' return. 



