276 
A VOYAGE TO 
[East Coast „ 
isos. without incurring a heavy expense to government, was to employ 
the armed vessel Porpoise ; and as this ship was too small to carry 
all my complement, with the necessary provisions, to put the re- 
mainder into the Lady Jslelson, under the command of my second 
lieutenant. Both vessels were at this time required for a few weeks 
colonial service to Van Diemen’s Land ; and my people not being 
in a state to fit out a new ship immediately, our final arrangements 
were deferred until their return. I took this opportunity of making 
an excursion to the Hawkesbury settlement, near the foot of the 
back mountains ; and the fresh air there, with a vegetable diet and 
medical care, soon made a great alteration in the scorbutic sores which: 
July. had disabled me for four months ; and in the beginning of July I 
returned to the ship, nearly recovered. The sick in the hospital 
were also convalescent, and some had quitted it;, but one or two 
cases still remained doubtful. 
On the 4th, the Porpoise arrived from Van Diemen’s Land, 
and I requested the governor would order her to be surveyed, that 
it might be duly known whether she were, or could be in a short 
time made, capable of executing the service which remained to be 
done. I had heard some reports of her being unsound ; and it 
seemed worse than folly to be at the trouble and expense of fitting 
out a ship which, besides causing a repetition of the risk we had 
incurrred in the Investigator, might still leave the voyage unfinished. 
His Excellency, with that prompt zeal for His Majesty’s service 
\fchich characterised him, and was eminently shown in every thing 
wherein my voyage was concerned, immediately ordered the sur- 
vey to be made ; and it appeared that, besides having lost part of 
the copper which could .not be replaced, the repairs necessary to 
make her fit for completing what remained of the voyage, could not 
be done in less than twelve months ;» and even then this ship was* 
from her small size and sharp construction, very ill adapted to this 
service. Other arrangements were therefore suggested ; and I 
received the following letter of propositions from the governor. 
