The houses built for the Europeans were on larger blocks of land than those in England and had larger windows and doors with flourishing front gardens of green shrubs and multi-coloured varied flowers. No doubt the sunny climate and a generous rainfall helped make this cascade of colour.
They returned to the barracks in time to freshen up for dinner and were in the mess prior to the commandant arriving. They were introduced to the other officers and Captain Walters was invited to propose the Royal Toast. They were well received by the other officers. Lively and stimulating conversation continued throughout the evening. They obviously enjoyed meeting new acquaintances.
During the evening John listened to the conversation about merino sheep being sent to Australia for breeding. It appeared that a Scot, Colonel Robert Jacob Gordon, had commanded the Dutch garrison and owned merino sheep.
Captain John Macarthur, a retired British Army officer and now a New South Wales farmer, had asked two sea captains to buy him some sheep in Cape Town. They bought some from Gordon’s widow. The origin of the sheep flock had an interesting history. They had originally been bred from a flock presented to the Dutch Government by the King of Spain. The Dutch Government sent them to South Africa but the farmers were not interested in the wool, only the mutton.
John paid particular attention to this conversation as he would write to his father about these sheep the first opportunity he had. Although he wondered if they would be suitable to breed in the damp English climate.
At 2200 hours the commandant bade goodnight. This signalled an end to the evening with a mass exodus of officers from the mess — George and John included. They were shown to their rooms by the duty steward who advised he would wake them at 0600 hours.
They slept soundly and were asleep when the rap on their doors occurred. After their toilets, in particular, a warm fresh water bath, they went for a half hour walk before breakfast and climbed to the signal tower to see the view.
The morning was clear with no clouds and the ships in the harbour were riding gently at anchor, casting early morning shadows on the water.
John suddenly said, “Am I seeing things? Is our ship flying the ‘Blue Peter’?”
“You’re right. Let’s have a quick breakfast and head to the docks,” George replied. At the earliest the ship would not leave for at least another six or seven hours.
Breakfast was better than any meal that they had had on board since they had left Ireland. They complimented the cook accordingly.
It would be several months before they would have breakfast ashore again. After the morning assembly of the regiment they paid their respects to Colonel Winslow and thanked him for his hospitality. They asked if they could provide him with any service. He handed over a parcel which he requested to be delivered to a friend at an inn in Melbourne. John replied that he would be pleased to assist in this task.
After shaking their hands and bidding them a safe voyage he presented them with a souvenir regimental mug as a memento of their visit. The colonel then provided a carriage to take them to the ship.
The dock was a hive of activity and it took over an hour to find the ship’s crew of the SS Ventnor, who were loading the last of the supplies en route for Australia. They waited for the second whaler going to the ship before they embarked, sharing the whaler with several sheep.
They were pleased to be on board the ship again. They paid their respects to the captain and adjourned to their cabins with their reading material. Their fellow passengers had all returned aboard and all looked refreshed. No doubt they had all enjoyed the luxury of a bath. The ship even smelt better as the crew had swabbed all the decks above and below. What a difference it made!
Mrs Marshall had prepared tea and sandwiches for lunch and the passengers exchanged the stories of what they had done and seen in Cape Town.
The first officer had carried out a roll call of the ship’s crew and was pleased to be able to report to Captain Marshall, “All present and correct.” This was unusual — most ships lost a few crew at transit ports.
The captain nodded and continued to watch the flags on the tall buildings to the west of Table Bay. They showed a weak south westerly breeze. He judged that would be sufficiently strong enough for steerage towards Robben Island. Once clear of the harbour he would turn and tack south down the Cape Peninsula. The ship would then head east around the Cape of Good Hope and then out into and across the Indian Ocean. He finally called to raise the mainsails and the anchor to be weighed. The ship then slowly gained momentum heading across the bay and, after steerage was obtained, it then headed towards Robben Island.
All the passengers and sailors were on deck for the departure. The day was sunny with only a few clouds drifting over Table Mountain. It was a picture card scene. Table Mountain was definitely unique. Its flat top slowly vanished into the distance. The ship turned to port and continued south down past Hout Bay thence to Cape Point. As the ship turned east at the Cape of Good Hope, the vast False Bay appeared on their port side. Table Bay was only five miles wide whereas False Bay was over twenty miles wide. It obviously did not provide the weather shelter that the Table Bay harbour could.
The ship now had all sails raised and was clipping along at a good rate. They would eventually be a month away from any major land mass in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The closest they would be to land would be Mauritius or Reunion Island. These two islands were often replenishment ports of call for vessels on the way heading west back to Europe. The head winds incurred much slower and longer voyages.
Two days out of Cape Town it was Christmas Day, 1853. The captain held a small religious service on the main deck for the crew and the passengers. They held a separate service in the convict quarters. This was followed by dinner as arranged by Mrs Marshall for the passengers and ship’s officers. While it was a most pleasant meal it was rather subdued. The diners’ thoughts were of their loved ones far away.
John stood up on the bow and wondered what Maeve was doing at this very moment. His mind wandered to his family in England and Maeve’s family in Ireland. What was happening in their counties? No doubt it was snowing, whereas he was sitting in sunlight with a sea breeze in his face.
Christmas was not Christmas without family and the day was soon forgotten.
Below deck Michael was having similar thoughts of his family in Ireland. Momentarily, for some unknown reason, John Hall flashed into his mind.
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A month out of Cape Town the winds abated. The sails were flapping and the rigging slapping against the masts. It was difficult sleeping with the noise. The captain decided to head south to see if he could locate some better wind streams. This was a usual tactic employed by many captains in this situation. Over dinner he advised the passengers that the temperature would drop considerably and to unpack any warm clothing to air it. If the clothing had been packed since departing Ireland it would probably be damp and musty by now. Particularly after the storm two months ago.
After five days sailing south east, the temperature dropped suddenly and the waves began to rise. White caps appeared in the distance and the wind increased. The sails filled and the ship leaned into the seas.
The ship was making way again. The sea had developed a long deep swell making the ship pitch up the face of the wave and come crashing down the other side. This swell continued for two days and made sailing decidedly uncomfortable. Only the sailors ventured onto the open decks. The spray made the deck too slippery for the passengers and the marines with their leather shoes. The sailors wore coir rope soled slippers which provided some traction on the wooden deck planks but even so, they still had to hang onto the handrails and ropes for security. The captain ordered the ship change direction and head due east, sailing across the swell. It was less violent but the ship was still bucking around on its axis.
The temperature during the nights approached close to freezing. One morning John opened the lower quarter deck door and looked out onto the main deck to see a light coverin
g of ice on the rigging. He did not venture out and closed the door. If there was ice on the rigging, probably the deck had some ice on it as well.
The convict quarters had their coal heater lit for two weeks now and the area was comfortable except for the motion of the ship in the swells. The continued good health of the convicts had been a pleasant surprise for the doctor. He had identified only a few cases of mild scurvy in convicts who had not taken their daily issue of lime juice due to its sour taste, and also two cases of boils. One marine had a bad case of stomach cramps while the ship’s crew and passengers enjoyed good health.
The captain made another navigation correction to intercept forty-two degrees south latitude and followed that track continuing east. The weather gradually improved. The waves were more settled with the wind astern. The sails filled and the ship was making good time again.
When the new course was set, heading due east, the sea life appeared again. Shoals of sleek bonito fish between one and two feet long appeared around the ship for days at a time. The sailors caught some on baited hooks. They had the appearance of a mackerel with a bluish shimmering colour, their outer surface covering was smooth with the dorsal fin stowing into their spine. The sailors found them very difficult to land on the deck when the baited hook had been taken. The fish fought strongly and often jumped up clear of the water. They were a bloody fish and needed to be bled before cooking. Turtles were often seen floating near the ship and had been captured by the sailors by throwing a net from the ship. They were duly cooked but had only an average taste. The diners were of the opinion they would not go out of their way to eat one in the future.
When the weather was predictable, the sea calm with the ship steady, Mrs Marshall introduced the passengers to a game of shovelboard. This consisted of a three foot square divided into nine smaller squares marked one to nine. Each competitor had two wooden discs measuring four inches by one inch and called ‘boards’. These boards were slid along the deck aiming to stop in the highest numbered square. The other competitors then tried to move a board into the next highest numbered square from that square, that is, shovel it out.
John and George were both eager competitors and enjoyed many close games. They also spent time reading the books they had purchased in Cape Town and exchanged them with each other. Time was passing quickly and there was a certain excitement in the air, although they still had several weeks of sailing to reach Hobart.
The captain advised his passengers that they were now south of and level with the west coast of Australia and that they were entering the Great Australian Bight but they would still not see land until they reached the west coast of Van Diemen’s Land. This would be around another three weeks at their current rate of progress, if the winds continued with their same strength and direction.
Early one morning, the cry from the lookout, “Whales ho, on the port bow”, brought both passengers and crew onto the main deck.
John and George went to the bow and saw immediately the spectacular sight of a large pod of whales heading east on the same course as the ship. They lay only slightly to the port and the captain had altered course slightly to starboard to ensure he was not sailing into their path. He counted twenty and called to the lookout to go to the topmast crow’s nest and keep a sharp lookout for any whales removed from the main section of the pod. He was concerned about the possibility of a collision. The body mass of a whale could cause major damage to the ship.
The whales were sounding and blowing spumes of water high into the air, diving then surfacing with a large part of their bodies rising from the sea, twisting sideways and then crashing back into the water. The observers watched them for several hours as they slowly out-distanced them.
It was the talk of the dinner table that evening. Only the Marshall’s were unimpressed. They had seen whales many times before.
Even the convicts were impressed. They were taking turns to view them from the scuttles.
The weather was deteriorating rapidly. The glass had fallen and John could see that the ship was heading into a rain squall. A large water spout formed to port and appeared to be tracking the same direction as the ship. The captain ordered the ship to batten down. All loose cargo on the main deck was tied down and the animal pens covered. Cupboards were locked. The passengers remembered the previous storm and made sure that they did this time what they did not do then.
When the wind increased John lay on his bunk on his back and tried to concentrate on his reading. Then the rain and wind struck. The rain could be heard above his cabin, striking the quarter deck, such was the volume. The wind was howling through the rigging and even though the sails had been furled the yardarms were swinging and swaying with the strength of the wind. Suddenly an enormous gust of wind struck the ship. It rolled violently and stayed over for fully twenty seconds before righting and heaving itself out of the sea.
All the passengers and marines were thrown from their bunks and the convicts all ended up on the floor against the port bulkhead. The ship steadied and kept its head. The wind had dropped but the dense rain continued for two more hours before ceasing completely.
Almost immediately the sun resumed and they sailed on into a sunny day.
The ship had survived the squall without any damage but many of the convicts, a surveyor and a marine were injured. The convicts fared the worst, suffering broken ribs, a broken nose and one broken arm. The surveyor had been knocked unconscious and the marine had a broken arm.
The doctor was kept busy for several hours and was ably assisted by the farmer’s wife. John, George and, ironically, Michael each had their bunks on the port side. Consequently when the ship rolled they only rolled over towards the bulkhead and had been uninjured. The galley was a mess rather than a disaster. Food was everywhere. The main cupboard door had sprung open and allowed all the perishables to be released. However, it was small price to pay for the potential damage that could have occurred.
At dinner that night the captain explained what happened leading to the violent roll incident. The helmsman had been struck in the face by a loose halyard through the open wheel house window. It had temporarily blinded him and he was unable to see when to turn into the seas so the seas struck the ship beam on. The captain said he saw what had happened and grabbed the wheel. He managed to work the wheel to turn the ship into the seas.
¶
The ship sailed on and on, nearing the coast of Van Diemen’s land. The captain suggested that it would be in view within the next day or so. The bow now became very popular with the passengers, each hoping to be the first to see the coastline. No doubt the sailor who was the duty lookout, would be the first to see land, as he sat high up on the main mast.
John and George started to discuss their futures; John in particular thinking of his application to Lieutenant Colonel Robert Nickle of the British Regiment, hoping it had been successful. George would not know of his next assignment until he reported to the Marine Regiment in Hobart. He reiterated his thoughts of settling in the colonies in the next year or so. Although he was unsure in what capacity. He felt he could obtain an administrative role with the new Government; George did not really want to continue his military career. He needed a new direction. They both agreed to keep in contact and hopefully their paths would cross again. George’s immediate responsibility would cease when he transferred the convicts to the Port Arthur authorities. He hoped that he would have a few days free to see Hobart, its surrounding district and its unusual animals. He might even write a book about the voyage.
Their voyage was nearing its end with a new life on the horizon, for not only John Hall and George Walters, but also for Michael Keogh and his fellow convicts.
CHAPTER FOUR
Van Diemen’s Land
A cry finally came from the lookout. “Land ho — Port bow!” At long last — Van Diemen’s Land. All eyes on the main deck scanned the horizon, while the convicts retreated into their own thoughts.
What did their futures hold? They’d all
heard stories of the brutality of the jailors and the privations that they might expect. Although for most of them, the worst part of their sentences was the distance from their kith and kin. However, one thing was sure, at least they would not be locked in the hold of a ship for much longer. Any freedom would be better than what they had endured over the last four months. Eventual freedom and possibly a better life was their hope.
The cliffs were getting closer. A small village could be seen through Captain Marshall’s telescope. Several small fishing boats were visible off shore, no doubt earning a pittance. Elder Mountain was identifiable with Mount Zeehan at its western end. Captain Marshall judged his landfall was north of Macquarie Harbour. It was the entrance to the waterway where the notorious convict settlement of Sarah Island had been until 1823. He turned his ship due south to sail parallel to the coast down past Port Davey, eventually turning due east. Port Davey was an estuary with dozens of islands surrounded by a shoreline with several beaches. The land was green for as far as one could see. It ranged from grasslands to forests and rugged seaside cliff with a few sandy beaches.
After passing Macquarie Harbour no sign of habitation was seen — neither boats nor people.
A strong south-easterly wind with rough seas and a long deep swell greeted their turn east towards Maatsuyker Island. There were several islands close to their set course requiring the captain to post three lookouts, one at each mast head. The ship was pitching violently, causing most on board to suffer seasickness. Once he reached longitude one hundred and forty-seven degrees he altered his ship’s heading to the north east. The ship entered the D’Entrecasteaux Channel at first light sailing between the mainland and Bruny Island. This course provided some shelter from the gusty winds and turbulent seas. They could see land on both sides of the ship and with the improved weather the deck was full of sightseers. The convicts pushed and shoved to have a look out of the scuttles at their new land.
The Convict and the Soldier Page 12
