would have been a vast relief to our anxiety.

After having determined to believe that he was from Port
Jackson, and that we should soon have something from thence, we
kept a very good look-out, and, to our great happiness, on the
7th, a ship was discovered in the offing, and towards the
evening, another appeared in sight; the surf being low, a boat
was sent immediately off to go on board the nearest: they proved
to be the Justinian and the Surprize, from Port Jackson, with
provisions for the relief of this island, and with an addition to
the number of convicts, of about 200. The masters informed us,
that five ships had arrived in New South Wales with 980 convicts,
and provisions for the settlement, and that they had been arrived
about two months; a delay of great length, when it is considered
that our situation, when the governor last heard from us, was
rather an alarming one: nothing had then been saved out of the
wreck of the Sirius, so that there was no certainty that we had
been able to exist. Such were the reflections which I made during
a moment of anxiety, and which, in a period of quiet, I do not
wish to repeat.

We received information, by these ships, of the unfortunate
accident which befel his Majesty's ship Guardian, in her passage
to this country, with provisions and stores; and also that the
Gorgon was fitting, to bring farther supplies, with another
lieutenant-governor, who commanded a corps that had been raised
for this particular service, the marines being ordered for
England.

The Justinian and Surprize, by the good fortune of an uncommon
time of fine weather, were cleared in little more than three
weeks, and proceeded upon their voyage to China on the 30th. If
these ships had been here two months before they did arrive, the
weather was such that they could not have been cleared two days
before the time that they were. We were now looking eagerly for
the arrival of the Gorgon, which ship, the governor informed me
by letter, was to take the Sirius's crew and marines off this
spot, which has cost me so much distress.

As soon as the above ships arrived, and we had communication
with them; for their safety, as well as for the more
expeditiously landing the provisions, I sent Lieutenant Bradley
on board the one, he being now perfectly acquainted with the set
of the tides, their uncertainty, and all the other dangers around
the island; I also sent Mr. Donovan, a midshipman, on board the
other, he