belonged to a
ship which, on her passage from Port Jackson to India, had foundered;
and that they only had escaped. The Dutch received them with kindness
and treated them with hospitality. But their behaviour giving rise to
suspicion, they were watched; and one of them at last, in a moment of
intoxication, betrayed the secret. They were immediately secured and
committed to prison. Soon after Captain Edwards of the Pandora, who had
been wrecked near Endeavour straits, arrived at Timor, and they were
delivered up to him, by which means they became passengers in the Gorgon.

I confess that I never looked at these people without pity and
astonishment. They had miscarried in a heroic struggle for liberty after
having combated every hardship and conquered every difficulty.

The woman, and one of the men, had gone out to Port Jackson in the ship
which had transported me thither. They had both of them been always
distinguished for good behaviour. And I could not but reflect with
admiration at the strange combination of circumstances which had again
brought us together, to baffle human foresight and confound human
speculation.]

April, 1791. Notwithstanding the supplies which had recently arrived from
Batavia, short allowance was again proclaimed on the 2nd of April, on which
day we were reduced to the following ration:

Three pounds of rice, three pounds of flour and three pounds of pork per
week.

It was singularly unfortunate that these retrenchments should always happen
when the gardens were most destitute of vegetables. A long drought had
nearly exhausted them. The hardships which we in consequence suffered were
great, but not comparable to what had been formerly experienced. Besides,
now we made sure of ships arriving soon to dispel our distress. Whereas,
heretofore, from having never heard from England, the hearts of men sunk
and many had begun to doubt whether it had not been resolved to try how
long misery might be endured with resignation.

Notwithstanding the incompetency of so diminished a pittance, the daily
task of the soldier and convict continued unaltered. I never contemplated
the labours of these men without finding abundant cause of reflection on
the miseries which our nature can overcome. Let me for a moment quit the
cold track of narrative. Let me not fritter away by servile adaptation
those reflections and the feelings they gave birth to. Let me transcribe
them fresh as they arose, ardent and genero