NORFOLK ISLAND NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 12524, 7 June 1905, Page 1

NORFOLK ISLAND NEWS

NOBFOLK ISLAND, May 31. (Eeoeived June 1, at 1.2 a.m.) The anchor of the Sirius, wrecked in 1790, has been recovered. The above telegram from the old convict settlement of Norfolk Island brings up reminiscences -of some of the very earliest incidents in Australian colonial history. In 1786 the English Government decided that a number of convicts should be sent to form a settlement at Botany Bay. The vessel selected for that, purpose was a storeship called the Berwick, the name of which was changed, to the Sirius when she was put under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip. Phil, lip’s commission appointed him Governor of New South Wales. ■ A tender was to accompany the. Sirius. It was at the very end of 1786 (December 11) when Phillip reported that with his command he had sailed from Deptford, to Long Beach to complete her cargo. As Phillip was to become Governor .of the now oniony, the Admiralty appointed a second captain (Captain John Hunter) to proceed with him. ■ This seoond captain, Hunter, later on (1795-1800) held the position of Governor of the new colony. It was not until May, 1787, that the Sirius left the shores of England. On the voyage out the fleet called at the Cape of Good Hope. After' leaving that port Phillip transhipoed from the Sirius to his armed tender the Supply, and left Captain Hunter in the Sirius, to remain with tho slower sailing vessels, while he accompanied some of the faster ones to Botany Bay. The change did not produce very great gain, because the ■Sirius, under Hunter, arrived only two days after the Governor.

along with Hunter, explored the coastline, and found tho advantages of Port Jackson over Botany Bay, tho expedition sailed round to that harbor, mooring there on the evening of 26th January, 1788. Before tho Sirius left Botany Bay the celebrated expedition under La Perouso (the Bonsole and the Astrolabe) arrived tnere. Communication was established with the British authorities, and letters sent to France by La Perouae. This was the last communication of the civilised world with that great French navigator. Towards the end of 1788 the shortage of supplies rendered it necessary for stores to be procured from the Cape of Good Hope, and on the 2nd of October, 1788, the Sirius sailed for that port. On being asked for directions of the route to bo taken, Phillip declined to give them, and Hunter elected to try the eastern route. To do this he sailed for tho South Cane of New Zealand, and passed it on 1110 12th of November, 1788. . Tin the first recorded notice of 'that cape after its discovery by (scl- in 1770, and the Sinus, -ds 1 vessel. The Cape of troorf Hope was reached on the Ist of January, 1789. The Sirius returned to Sydney Cove on the Bth of May, 1789, with a quantity of seed wheat and barley, and four months’ flour for the settlement. On her trip she was all but lost on the .southern coast of Tasmania. Phillip was disappointed at the small supply of stores brought back in the Sirius, and after she had been refitted decided on another course. The Norfolk Island settlement had been moVe successful from a food-producing point of view, and Phillip thought that the wants of Sydney oould be relieved by transhipping some of the convicts to that island. Accordingly, the Sirius and the Sunply were sent with 185 convicts and two companies of marines to Norfolk Island. This distribution of population left the settlements as follows :

On the 6th of March the Sirius sailed for Norfolk Island, and reached that place on the 13th. Going to leeward of 'the island, uunter landed the people on shone, and also their baggage, during a spell of two days’ fine weather. Bad weather came on, and it was the 19th before he oould do anything more. Ho made Sydney Bay, Norfolk Island, and the shone signals being commenced to discharge. Hunter had no sooner commenced than ho found his vessel drifting to leeward. Every effort was made to • get the vessel out of the bay, but in vain; she struck upon a pointed rock, and was instantly bulged. The masts were then cut away, and she drifted into shoal water. Lines were made fast to the shore, and through a heavy surf all were landed. So near was the Sirius to the shore that a hawser was fastened to one of the trees. On this hawser was a traveller, with a board slung to it. By means of this and a repo all were takerffcashore. The vessel formed a kind of breakwater from the heavy sea, and enabled boats to load under her lee with the flour, which was the chief part of her cargo. For some days aiterwards a heavy storm battered her, but she was preserved from absolute destruction by the fact that the anchor, which had been let go when she first struck, kept her bow to the surf This is probably the anchor which has just been discovered. ■ When the gale abated two convicts were sent aboard to get out the live cattle, which had been three days without food. Instead of attending to their mission, however, they landed upon some bqnor amongst the ship’s stores, and got drunk, to the great consternation of those on shore, who were terrified that the wreck would be fired, and great quantities of provisions thus be destroyed. Another , convict went aboard, and found that his drunken mates had set a light on the deck, a portion of which had been burnt. Had be-not got aboard the wreck would probably have been burnt to the water's edge.Captain Hunter and the men were en-' gaged r for some time in salvage operareturned to Sydney (February Governor Phillip contracted with a Dutch snow, which had come ftoin Batavia vvitn provisions, to take Hunter'and his men to England, and they ■ sailed _ on the 2 fth of March.' Salvage operations on the Sinus are reported by Lieutenant-Governor King as -late as On Hunter’s : arrival m England a court-martial was held in connection 'with the wreck; and “ Captain Hunter, bis officers; and crew, were honorably ■ acquitted.** Some' of . the

sailors and marines of the vessel' on at Norfolk Island. ■‘S K^® This is (be account oi (he the first ship employed in connection with ? J I 3S the settlement of Australia. , /^1 Bobkbi M'Nxb.

Sydney. Civil and military ... ... 141 Women and children ... .„ ~. 60 Male convicts ... 297 Female convicts ... 70 Children ... .„ ... 25 Total ... 591 Norfolk Island. Civil, military, and free ... 90 Male convicts ... ... ~ 191 Female convicts .„ 100 Children ... : ... 37 Total... ... 418