t safely regained that port, from which
he had sailed but a short time, with every fair prospect of speedily and
happily executing the orders with which he was entrusted, and of
conveying to this colony the assistance of which it stood so much in
need. Unhappily for us, she was now lying a wreck, with difficulty and at
an immense expense preserved from sinking at her anchors.

Beside the common share which we all bore in this calamity, we had to
lament that the efforts of our several friends, in amply supplying the
wants that they concluded must have been occasioned by an absence of
three years, were all rendered ineffectual, the private articles having
been among the first things that were thrown overboard to lighten the
ship*.

[* The private property of the officers was all stowed, as the best and
safest place in the ship, in the gun-room. Some officers were great
losers.]

Government had sent out in the _Guardian_ twenty-five male convicts, who
were either farmers or artificers, together with seven persons engaged to
serve as superintendants of convicts, for three years from their landing,
at salaries of forty pounds per annum each. Of these, two, who were
professed gardeners, were supposed to be drowned, having left the ship
soon after she struck, with several other persons in boats, and not been
heard of when the _Lady Juliana_ left the Cape. The superintendants who
remained came on in the transport; but the convicts, of whose conduct
Lieutenant Riou spoke in the highest terms, were detained at the Cape.

A clergyman also was on board the _Guardian_, the Rev. Mr. Crowther, who
had been appointed, at a salary of eight shillings per diem, to divide
the religious duties of the settlement with Mr. Johnson. This gentleman
left the ship with the master and purser in the long-boat, taking
provisions and water with them; and of five boats which were launched on
the same perilous enterprise, this was the only one that conducted her
passengers into safety. They were fortunately, after many days sailing,
picked up by a French ship, which took them into the Cape, and thence to
Europe.

One-third of the stores and provisions intended for the colony were put
on board the transport, the remaining two-thirds were on board the
_Guardian_; none of which it was supposed would ever reach the
settlement, the small quantity excepted (seventy-five barrels of flour)
which was put on board the transport at the Cape. The Dutch at that