sions as to its termination. This fortunate
completion of it, however, afforded even to ourselves as much matter of
surprise as of general satisfaction; for in the above space of time we
had sailed five thousand and twenty-one leagues; had touched at the
American and African Continents; and had at last rested within a few days
sail of the antipodes of our native country, without meeting any accident
in a fleet of eleven sail, nine of which were merchantmen that had never
before sailed in that distant and imperfectly explored ocean: and when it
is considered, that there was on board a large body of convicts, many of
whom were embarked in a very sickly state, we might be deemed peculiarly
fortunate, that of the whole number of all descriptions of persons coming
to form the new settlement, only thirty-two had died since their leaving
England, among whom were to be included one or two deaths by accidents;
although previous to our departure it was generally conjectured, that
before we should have been a month at sea one of the transports would
have been converted into an hospital ship. But it fortunately happened
otherwise; the high health which was apparent in every countenance was to
be attributed not only to the refreshments we met with at Rio de Janeiro
and the Cape of Good Hope, but to the excellent quality of the provisions
with which we were supplied by Mr. Richards junior, the contractor; and
the spirits visible in every eye were to be ascribed to the general joy
and satisfaction which immediately took place on finding ourselves
arrived at that port which had been so much and so long the subject of
our most serious reflections, the constant theme of our conversations.

The governor, we found, had employed the time he had been here in
examining the bay, for the purpose of determining where he should
establish the settlement; but as yet he had not seen any spot to which
some strong objection did not apply. Indeed, very few places offered
themselves to his choice, and not one sufficiently extensive for a
thousand people to sit down on. The southern shore about Point Sutherland
seemed to possess the soil best adapted for cultivation, but it was
deficient in that grand essential fresh water, and was besides too
confined for our numbers. There was indeed a small run of water there;
but it appeared to be only a drain from a marsh, and by no means promised
that ample or certain supply which was requisite for such a settlement