ACT 1. Arrival of the Ocean in Port Phillip Bay. Introduction by 1 Girl

The ship OCEAN arrived, in Port Phillip Bay 2 days before H.M.S. CALCUTTA.

The OCEAN did not even call in at Cape Town South Africa, so it was a straight sail to Australia, the Bass Strait, and arrival off Port Phillip Heads. A marvelous piece of Navigation. The CALCUTTA called at Cape Town South Africa, before sailing to PORT PHILLIP BAY.

Lt. Governor Collins in 1788 was working for Governor Arthur Phillip, and helped him draft a letter to the Colonial Secretary of the day saying that ”Free Settlers would help develop the Colony, saying that the Free Settlers would soon become successful and wealthy in providing the Convict Colony with essentials.” .

All Civil Officials, Free Settlers and crew would have been desperate to get ashore, and experience some relief from shipboard confinement. Who knew when the Calcutta would arrive ?.

PLAYERS. Mrs. Hezekiah Hartley wife of a influential Free Settler Mr. John Hartley. ( who was also looking after the son of Sir Charles Hamilton, and also travelling with a servant John Gravie) Mrs. .Judith Hopley, wife of Assistant Surgeon Hopley.. Adolarius Humphrey Mineralogist-scientist.

Mrs. Elizabeth Miller. Wife of a Free Settler

Captain Mertho. First Lieutenant.. .a Sailor in The Tops All of the merchant vessel Ocean

The Play ACT 1 Arrival of the Ocean in Port Phillip Bay

Commence the Slide or Picture show for ACT 1

MRS. HEZEKIAH HARTLEY. Captain Mertho, this is an impossible situation for us Mothers.

CAPTAIN MERTHO. In what way madam?

MRS. HEZEKIAH HARTLEY My Family and other Families have been stuck on this Ship, for at least 40 days. During the voyage we at least got some fresh air blowing. Now we have non existent air blowing and its extremely hot!

Mrs. JUDITH HOPLEY.. This is all your fault Captain. Why can’t the Ships boats just row us across to the shore? You have already been ashore!

CAPTAIN MERTHO. Ladies, ladies, I know its very hot and sticky but it could be worse on the land. Some of my Masthead Lookouts have spotted very black Indians on the shore.

MRS. HEZEKIAH HARTLEY So what Captain! You have 1 Officer. Lt. Sladden and 5 marines on board, given to you by Captain Woodriff of the Calcutta at Rio de Janeiro. They could go a shore and prevent the Indians from harming us.

CAPTAIN MERTHO. Those Marines are to support me in giving my orders, to my sailors and you Settlers.

Mrs. JUDITH HOPLEY. But Captain Mertho, you have sailed around this spot and gone ashore with some of your men, why can’t we go ashore ?

DOCTOR HOPLEY. Captain, I have a Lady who is going to give berth to a baby very soon. It would be better for her and for all if she was in an appropriate Tent on shore. It was bad enough when Mrs. Fletcher lost a child at Tenerriffe, but when we entered this bay she also lost her young child Sarah.

CAPTAIN MERTHO. Doctor, I will consult my Officers, and think it over. I will let you know my decision..

DOCTOR HOPLEY. Please hurry Captain. The conditions on this boat have deteriorated badly. Not only for the passengers but also the cattle and livestock. It is nearly intolerable. My wife Judith ans daughter Julia, have never been subjexted to these conditions!

MRS. HEZEKIAH HARTLEY We think you did a grand job in bringing us to this Settlement site , without sighting land since we left Rio de Janeiro, but You had better see if you can oblige us Captain. We are Free Settlers, not Convicts. We need fresh water and fresh meat or fish. Our servant drips the drinking water into a piece of cloth before it goes into our drinking jug. It still looks blacky brown, and the horrible things that remain in the cloth yuk!

FIRST LIETENANT. Hey Hey Madam, you cannot threaten the Captain like that.!

MRS. HEZEKIAH HARTLEY His obligation to us is finished. Furthermore, we did not get the chance to purchase replacement stock at Cape Town, because the Captain choose not to Sail to that part of South Africa. He has cost my husband and I and some of the other Free Settlers the chance to replace the stock that have died on this voyage.

FIRST LIETENANT . As you know Mrs. Hartley, we sailed along this eastern shore towards that very big Mountain over there. The captain and I and several of the crew went ashore to see if we could find water.

ADOLARIOUS HUMPHREY. Captain There must be some water catchments on that big mountain, because it is high enough to capture some clouds and it looks to me through my telescope that some of the land falls have exposed where water may have cascaded down into a pond.

FIRST LIETENANT I assure you Mr. Humphrey, we could not find water.

ADOLARIOUS HUMPHREY. Even those two headlands just over there that look like sisters, have rocky outlooks. Maybe there is water at their feet before it runs into this Bay. Looking about this Bay, it appears like a big bowl. Do not presume to tell me there is no water available. My academic training says you are wrong

MRS. ELIZABETH MILLER. Wife of a Free Settler. Captain, our seeds are starting to germinate, and our stock is getting restless because the Ship is comparatively still.

FIRST LIETENANT. All in good time Mam.

MRS. ELIZABETH MILLER. Not in good time Lieutenant! If our variety of seedlings do not get planted very soon, they will die. You know what that means. STARVATION, for our stock, because we will find it hard to get proper pasture. Then we would have to depend upon fish-birds and wild animals to exist.

ADOLARIOUS HUMPHREY. You see now Lieutenant, you and your Captain should expedite our landing.

SAILOR in the TOPS. Deck there!

FIRST LIETENANT What can you see ?.

SAILOR in the TOPS. . Seems to be a large body of Indians on the shore Sir !

CAPTAIN MERTHO. See Ladies what did I tell you! Its to dangerous to go ashore with the Indians waiting to kill you. We have to anchor some way off ashore, because our Ship needs 20 feet of water minimum under its keel so we can float. So it will be very difficult to unload and get on shore the Cattle, Livestock and Passengers.

SAILOR in the TOPS. Deck there! FIRST LIETENANT What can you see ?.

SAILOR in the TOPS. . Sail Ho Sir! about 3 miles to the south west of the Entrance!

CAPTAIN MERTHO.. If we can see a Ship, they can most certainly see us.! It is probably the Calcutta.