4 



ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY 



The pafTage of the fleet to Rio de Janeiro was performed without 

 any material accident in eight weeks, and had fortunately been un- 

 attended with any difeafe, the Surgeon,- reporting- that they had brought 

 in only 95 fick, comprehending every defcription of perfons in the fleet. 

 Many, however, of this number were bending only under the prefTure 

 of age and attendant infirmities, having no other complaints among 

 them.. 



During their flay in this port, which was about a month, the con*, 

 vi&s were each ferved daily with* a pound of rice, and a pound and an? 

 half of frefh meat (beef), together with a fuitable proportion of vege^- 

 tables. Great numbers of oranges (a fruit with which the place 

 abounded) were at different times diftributed among them ; and every 

 poflible care was taken to refrefh and put them into a flat a of health 

 and condition to refill the attacks of the fcurvy, fhould it make its 

 appearance in the long palTage over the ocean which was yet between 

 them, and New South Wales. Their morals- had been alfo attended to 

 by the reverend Mr. Johnfon, the chaplain of the colony, who per^ 

 formed divine fervice on board of two of the tranfports every Sun* 

 day while they remained- here. 



The next and laft port of refrefhment at which the fleet was to flop, 

 was the Cape of Good Hope. Thither it bent its courfe, on quitting 

 Rio de Janeiro ; and in the fhort fpace of five weeks and four days 

 :roffed over from one continent to the other,, a diftance of upwards of 

 eleven hundred leagues, fortunately without feparation,. or any accir 

 dent having happened.. 



Here it was intended to lay in fuch articles of flores- and provifions 

 as had not been purchafed: in England; under the idea that, from their 

 being a lefs time at fea, they would arrive in higher prefervation 

 than they would have done had they been put on board in the river. 



With a requifition made by Captain Phillip, of a certain quantity of 

 flour and corn, the governor, M. Van de Graaf, expreffed his appre- 

 henfions of being unable to comply, as the Cape had been lately vi- 

 fited by that word of fcourges, a famine, which had been mod feverely 



felt 



