Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/69

 THE SECOND FLEET. 53 of Phillip can be easily imagined. He tad impressed upon ^'^ Lord Sydney* and Evan Nepeant the necessity of restrict- ™S|^ ing the transportation of convicts for a year or so, to car- ^K^oroi penters, masons, bricklayers, and farmers, who could support themselves and help to support others. His request was answered by a shipload of helpless women, many of them '' loaded with the infirmities incident to old age.^J But although the Lady Juliana was a sore disappointment. News from the intelligence she brought of the illness and recovery of King George III, and the outbreak of the French Revolution, excited the keenest interest, and caused some of the com- munity at all events to forget for a time their hardships and their fears. And while the loss of the Guardian, which the Lady Juliana reported, was a great calamity, it was some consolation to find that an attempt had been made to pro- vide for the wants of the colony, and that but for an unfor- tunate accident relief would have arrived early in the year.§ If want had not ceased to knock at the door, the hungry people could yet rejoice at the King's restoration to health. The officers drew up an address to his Majesty, which was to^^^Sg, handed to Phillip for transmission to England, and a day of thanksgiving was appointed, on which occasion the convicts were excused from work, and a full ration was issued to everyone in the settlement. || X CoUins, vol. i, p. 119. § *' We now heard for the first time of our Sovereign's illness, and his happy restoration to health. The French Revolution of 1789, with all the attendant circumstances of that wonderful and unexpected event, succeeded to amaze us. Kow, too, the disaster which had befallen the G-uardian, and the liberal and enlarged plan on which she had been stored and fitted out by Government for our use, was promulged. It served aJso, in some measure, to account why we had not sooner beard from England. For had not the Guardian struck on an island of ice, she would probably have reached us three months before, and in this case have prevented the loss of the Sinus, although she had Bailed from England three months after the Lady Juliana." — Tench, Complete Account^ pp. 46, 47. II " A general thanksgiving to Almighty G-od, for his Majesty's recovery, and happy restoration to his family and subjects, was ordered to be offered up on the following Wednesday, when all public labour was suspended, and every person in the settlement attended at church, where a sermon suited to an occasion at once so full of gratitude and solemnity, was preached by the
 * Historical Becords, yol. i, part 2, p. 147. f lb., p. 153.