The Life and Adventures of John Nicol, Mariner by Tim Flannery

Author:Tim Flannery [Tim Flannery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, General Fiction, General
ISBN: 9781847677556
Google: YaQzokgx68EC
Publisher: Canongate Books
Published: 2013-02-04T23:25:34.188950+00:00

9

Author Engaged as Steward of a

Convict Ship — Anecdotes of Female

Convicts — Sails for New South

Wales — Attaches Himself to Sarah

Whitlam — Singular Punishment —

Crossing the Line — Miscellaneous

Occurrences — Port Jackson — St

Helena.

I NOW RETURNED to Scotland with a sensation of joy only to be felt by those who have been absent for some time. Every remembrance was rendered more dear, every scene was increased in beauty. A piece of oaten cake tasted far sweeter in my mouth than the luxuries of eastern climes.

I was for a time reconciled to remain. The love of country overcame my wandering habits. I had some thought of settling for life, as I had saved a good deal of my pay. In the middle of these musings, and before I had made up my mind, a letter I received from Captain Portlock upset all my future plans and rekindled my wandering propensities with as great vigour as ever.

The letter requested me to come to London without delay, as there were two ships lying in the river bound for New South Wales: the Guardian and Lady Julian, in either of which I might have a berth.1 The Guardian was loaded with stores and necessaries for the settlement. There was a vine-dresser and a person to superintend the cultivation of hemp on board. She sailed long before us. The Lady Julian was to take out female convicts.

I would have chosen the Guardian, only she was a man-of-war, and as I meant to settle in Scotland upon our return I could not have left her when I chose. My only object was to see the country, not to remain at sea. I therefore chose the Lady Julian, as she was a transport, although I did not by any means like her cargo—yet to see the country I was resolved to submit to a great deal.

I was appointed steward of the Lady Julian, commanded by Captain Aitkin, who was an excellent humane man and did all in his power to make the convicts as comfortable as their circumstances would allow. The government agent, an old lieutenant, had been discharged a little before I arrived for cruelty to the convicts. He had even begun to flog them in the river. Government, the moment they learned the fact, appointed another in his place.

We lay six months in the river before we sailed, during which time all the jails in England were emptied to complete the cargo of the Lady Julian. When we sailed there were on board 245 female convicts.2 There were not a great many very bad characters. The greater number were for petty crimes, and a great proportion for only being disorderly, that is, street-walkers, the colony at the time being in great want of women.

One, a Scottish girl, broke her heart and died in the river. She was buried at Dartford. Four were pardoned on account of his Majesty’s recovery. The poor young Scottish girl I have never yet got out of my mind. She was young and beautiful, even in the convict dress, but pale as death, and her eyes red with weeping.

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