9 6 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY [Jun*, 



garden deftroyed, and the fhip herfelf faved only by the interpofition 

 of Providence, and the admirable condud of the commander. 



The Guardian was a faft-failing fhip, and would probably have 

 reached her deftined port in the latter end of January or the begin- 

 ning of February. At that period the large quantity of live dock in 

 the colony was daily increafing ; the people required for labour were, 

 comparatively with their prefent ftate, ftrong and healthy; the necef- 

 fity for dividing the convids, and lending the Sirius to Norfolk Ifland, 

 would not have exifted ; the ration of provifions, inftead of the di- 

 minutions which had been neceflarily direded, would have been in- 

 creafed to the full allowance ; and the tillage of the ground conse- 

 quently proceeded in with that fpirit which muft be exerted to the 

 utmoft before the fettlement could render itfelf independent of the 

 mother country for fubfiftence. 



But to what a diftance was that period now thrown by this raoft 

 unfortunate accident, and by the delay which took place in the voyage 

 of the Lady Juliana ! Government had placed a naval officer in 

 that tranfport, Lieutenant Thomas Edgar, for the purpofe of feeing 

 juftice done to the convids with regard to their provifions, clean- 

 linefs, &c. and to guard againft any delays on the voyage. Being 

 direded to follow the route of the Sirius and her convoy, he called 

 at TeneriiTe and St. Jago, flayed feven weeks at Rio de Janeiro, and 

 one month at the Cape of Good Hope, completing his circuitous 

 voyage of ten months by arriving at Port Jackfon on the third day 

 of June 1790. 



On Lieutenant Edgar's arrival at the Cape, he had found the Guar- 

 dian lying there, Lieutenant Riou having juft fafely regained that 

 port, from which he had failed but a fhort time before, with every 

 fair profped of fpeedily and happily executing the orders with which 

 he was entrufled, and of conveying to the colony the affiftance of 

 which it ftood fo much in need. Unhappily for them, me was now 

 lying a wreck, with difficulty, and at an immenfe expence, preferved 

 from finking at her anchors. 



x Govern- 



