98 ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH COLONY 



9th was appointed for a public thankfgiving on occafion of his re- 

 covery. 



On the 6th, preparations were made for landing the convicts from, 

 the Lady Juliana; but in the diftrefTed fituation of the colony, it was> 

 not a little mortifying to find on board the firft (hip that arrived, a 

 cargo fb unneceffary and unprofitable as two hundred and twenty-two* 

 females, inftead of a cargo of provifions ; the 1110ft of them, however,, 

 appeared in good health, and to have been well treated during' their 

 long palTage. The fupply of provifions on board her was fo incon- 

 fiderable as to permit only an addition of one pound and a half of 

 flour being made in the weekly ration* Had the Guardian arrived,, 

 probably the fettlement would never more have experienced want- 

 When the women landed on the nth, many of them appeared to> 

 be loaded with the infirmities incident to old age, and to. be very im- 

 proper fubjects for any of the purpofes of an infant colony.. Inftead; 

 ©f being capable of labour, they feemed to require attendance them^ 

 felves, and were never likely to be any other than a burthen to the 

 fettlement, which muft fenfibly feel the hardfhip of having to fupport 

 by the labour of thofe who could toil,, and who at the beft were but 

 few, a defcription of people utterly incapable of ufing exertion, to- 

 ward their own maintenance. 



When the women were difem barked, and the provifions and (tores* 

 landed, it was found that twenty cafks of flour (from the unfitnefs of 

 the (hip to perform fuch a voyage, being, old and far from, tight) were 

 totally deftroyed. This was a ferious lofs to them when only four 

 pounds of flour conftituted the allowance of that article for a man 

 during feven days. 



From this fituation of dlftrefs,. however, they were (hortly after- 

 wards effectually relieved, and the colony might be pronounced to be 

 reftored to comfort, by the arrival (on the 20th) of the Juftinian 

 ftoremip, from England, after a (hort pafTage of only five months.. 

 This (hip was off the entrance of the harbour on the 2d of the 

 month, and would have arrived before the Lady Juliana, had not a. 



fuddea 



