Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/149

 FOR THE EXPEDITION. 61 the servant to the Judge- Advocate ; likewise for victualling the 1787 forty marines' wiyes, and to desire that sour krout and portable April, soup may be ordered for the convicts that may be sick. There is some krout in store at the victualling offica P.S. — By some mistake one hundred and nine women and Too many children are put on board the Lady Penrhyn, though that ship onboard. was only intended to carry one hundred and two and with propriety should not have more than two-thirds of that number. Phillip was tbus under the necessity of imploring the Government from day to day to supply the actual neces- saries which experience had shown to be indispensable for the preservation of health on long voyages. The indifference MiniBteriai shown by his Majesty's Ministers evidently tried his temper, and he had at last become very uneasy, if not alarmed, at the prospect before him. Not only were the marines as well as the convicts likely to suffer from the want of ordinary supplies, but the women had been put on board in such a state — '^almost naked and so very filthy" — that sickness and disease were tolerably certain to break out among them. The state of things on board his ships may be judged by captain comparing his accounts of it with Captain Cook's description cquiimient. of the equipment of the Resolution and Adventure in 1772. No expense was spared on that occasion. The ships were fitted in the most complete manner, and supplied with every extra article that was suggested to be necessary. Lord Sandwich* paid an extraordinary attention to this equipment, by visiting the ships from time to time, to satisfy himself that the whole was completed to his wish, and to the satisfaction of those who were to embark in them. Nor were the Navy and Victualling Boards wanting in providing them with the very best of stores and pro- "Thever visions^ and whatever else was necessary for so long a voyaga ^i^* We were supplied with wheat in lieu of so much oatmeal, and sugar in lieu of so much oil ; we had, besides, many extra articles, such as malt, sour krout, salted cabbage, portable broth, saloup, mustard, marmalade of carrots, and inspissated juice of wort and beer.t • First Lord of the Admiralty in Lord North's Administration of 1770-1782. t Cook's Voyage towards the South Pole ; Introduction, p. xxz. Digitized by Google