Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/290

 24S POOD fiUFFLIES place.^ He was enlightened on the subject shortly afterwards by the arrival of a despatch from Dundas; and in August^ no storeship having arrived from England^ and, influenced by the probability that war might interfere with the movements ^« of the transports, Grose chartered the Britannia, Mr. William chartered. Ravon, commander, and sent her to Calcutta for provision8.t Towards the end of June it became necessary to cut down R»taon^ the ration. The arrival of the Boddingtons on the 7th August did not improve the condition of affairs, for she brought a number of convicts, but very little food — salt provisions for only fourteen weeks at the full ration. By the Boddingtons, information was received that a sister- vessel. Arrival of the Sugar-caue, might be expected almost at once, but as convicts, she was supposed to be no better freighted with provisions than the Boddingtons, the intelligence was not received with much satisfaction. The Sugar-cane arrived on the 17th September with stores, but the quantity, as had been supposed, was small. The voyages of this vessel and the Boddingtons were remarkable for the fact that only one death occurred among the convicts, and that there was scarcely any sickness on board.f The convicts who came out by the Boddingtons, according to Collins, bore testimony hu^e *^ *^® "humane treatment'* they had received from the twatament master, Captain Chalmers, and cheered him as they left the voyage. vessel for the shore. So far as can be ascertained, the convicts on board the Sugar-cane were treated with equal humanity ;§ but they were a disorderly lot of men, and • Ante, p. 213. t Grose had in his mind the impending war with France. War hetween England and the Bepublic was declared in February, 1793, but the fact was not known in the colony until the arrival of the Boddingtons in August. X See ante, p. 67. § Thej were certainly well fed and eai«d for. In reporting the aniTml of the Sugar-cane to Dnndaa, 12th October, 1793, Groae eays z—^ The con- tnotor, as weU in thia ship as the Boddingtons, appears to have perfoniMd hii engagement with great liberality ; and the prisoners they hare conreyed prove by their healthy appearance the extraordinary attention that must hibTe been paid by the naral agents." — Historical Beoordis, yoL ii» p. 69.
 * ^ supplies which it was expected would be sent from thalr