1.6. Wreck of the Sirius...Lt' Governor Ross......survival...flying sheep....return to Sydney....

        The Sirius and Supply hove to, in the bay now called Sydney Bay. They could not stay because of the bad weather, lots of surf crashing on the reef, and lots of gusty wind. The ship's managed to send us some signals. Lt. King and others had telescopes trained on the ships. I had a flurry of orders. Put this one up! Quick! Pull that down and raise this one, and so on. I didn't know what all the flags meant.

        It appeared that the warship Sirius had on board Major Ross, who was in charge of all Marines, and was also Lieutenant Governor, second in charge of the colony at Port Jackson. Governor Phillip in Sydney had sent him to relieve Lt. King of being Commandant of the Island. Lt. King was then to go back to Sydney Cove, then sail to England and update the English Government regarding the settlements progress and situation. I think that information caught Lt. King by surprise, he seemed a little unsettled by it.

        Because the wind and tides were not suitable to anchor in the bay, both ships were going to sail to the eastern coast of the island, either Ball Bay or Cascade Bay, anchor and put on shore people and stores. All people ashore would then make their way to Kingstown, what we called our village, that was named after Lt. King.

        Some of our people were sent to Cascade Bay to assist in carrying some of the stores back to Kingston. Lt. Governor Major Ross was one of the party that walked to Kingston. He was very unhappy and angry. It appeared he had lost a lot of his possessions during disembarking from the Sirius.

        I remained at my post on signal hill. A marine was also present to ensure it was guarded at all times. Because ships were at the island I also had to tend to fires on either side of the mast to act as beacons in the dark.

        The next day the Supply sailed into Sydney Bay, in moderate weather. Lt. King ordered that I signal that anchoring was very good, and she could unload in boats her remaining cargo. Both Lt. King, and Major Ross with another Marine Officer and a Private with Mr. Altree and a seaman were present.

The Sirius then came into the bay, and with the signals going back and forth between us and the ship, we realized that because of the weather and tide she was having a great difficulty in positioning herself to anchor safely.

        "This is terrible Major Ross, a catastrophe will occur," Lt. King cried out. "Look the tide is turning the ship towards the reef, and the wind is backing, not giving sail power."

        "Quickly put up the anchor now flag!" I quickly put up the flag. Even without a telescope I could see that the stern of the Sirius was getting closer to the waves smashing onto the reef.

The ships boats had desperately towed two bow anchors away from the ship towards the south and sunk them trying to stop the ship dragging towards the reef, but it didn't seem to stop the ships drift.

        "Lieutenant King, it looks like men are cutting down some of the masts," Major Ross suddenly spoke.

        "Captain Hunter is trying to reduce the wind effect on the ship so that the anchors can hold. But I think it's too late to stop her foundering on the reef. What's that signal she's flying?"

Lt. King asked the people around him speaking aloud. I think he already knew.

        Captain Hunter was asking with the weather as it was, should he abandon ship!

Pointing to the Marine Officers Lt. King spoke out very loudly. "Quickly now, you go down and get every man down to the beach, opposite where the Sirius looks like smashing onto the reef. Signal Captain Hunter to let out long ropes from the Sirius, the tide will stream them towards the beach where they can be held by the people on shore. Then the Sirius people can rig up harnesses to slide people or stores along the streamed ropes over the reef onto the beach."

        "You stay here Mr. Altree with that Seaman and that Marine so that you can send and receive signals. David you come with me and that Marine. I will send flag orders to you Mr. Altree on a slate. David will be my messenger. When you get the message, sign the slate and send David back to me, very quickly."

All the remaining afternoon, I followed Lt. King around with very little to do, except when Captain Hunter, made the decision that he would come ashore, using the harness. We were all worried that he would be all right, and it did get very serious when it looked like he was stuck on the reef. When he was finally dragged ashore he did have big lacerations, and his clothing was ripped, but he said he was alright. Some of his Officers and Crew had been ordered to remain aboard the wreck overnight.

A public display, using the orignal drawing of the H.M.S. Sirius wreck, by 19 year old midshipman George Raper. During the long confinement on the Island, Raper taught and embellished other Officers drawing attempts. Including his Captain. John Hunter.

        The next day all of the people came ashore, after floating lots of items in the water. The ship looked alright and two convicts volunteered to swim to the wreck and try and rescue more items, which they did. During the night they got drunk and accidently set fire to the wreck and wouldn't come ashore. Lots of muskets were fired in the air to alert them to come back, but they wouldn't come. Another convict then swam to the wreck, and persuaded them to go ashore. I don't know what happened to them because they were brave to go aboard, but stupid not to obey orders.

        Two days later Lt. King, my friend Ann with little Norfolk and his tiny brother Sydney, Lt. Waterhouse from the Sirius, Lt. Fowell and about 22 crew members from the Sirius, boarded the Supply and set sail for Sydney Cove.

        It was absolute turmoil on the island for quite a time. Many more people were on the island, at least 85 belonging to the Sirius. We had landed on Norfolk with about 24 people, and now we had nearly 500. Food started to become scarce, Lt. Governor Major Ross immediately cut the food rations in half. Fights started between everyone, including the marines from Major Ross's detachment and crew members of the Sirius as well as the convicts. Major Ross soon started lots of punishments for stealing food and general trouble makers. A lot of floggings, being chained up, and no food, seemed to be going on all the time.

        Captain Hunter was the superior officer to Major Ross in the Navy, being the Captain of a warship, and Major Ross was only in charge of the Marines but Major Ross had been put in charge of the island by Governor Phillip. That made things difficult between them. Pretty soon Captain Hunter decided to separate the Sirius crew, from others in the settlement, and set up a separate settlement at Cascade Bay. I was included in the Cascade Bay settlement. Captain Hunter also knew he would have to go to England and face a court martial over his loss of the Sirius. Which, had quickly broken up, and sunk.

        One day someone saw that lots of birds seemed to fly around Mt. Pitt and land at night time. The birds were back. They had been eaten in the past but other food had been plentiful so there was not much need to capture them. They were about the same size as a pigeon, but tasted a bit fishy. Their eggs were very good.

What a great relief! There appeared to be thousands of birds, flying out to sea during the day time and living in burrows at night time on Mt. Pitt. Everyone would be able to capture, kill, and eat every day many birds.

        Lt. Bradley organized several parties to go and get the birds, some for seamen, some for marines, some for convicts twice a week. After several days the organizing proved to be too big a task. So every group could get as many as they liked, but all birds had first to be taken to Lt. Ralph Clark of the Marines, who as keeper of the public stores, counted them.

        Captain Hunter called them "birds of providence." I heard some officers saying that on average 2000 birds were being killed every day. The birds were now getting scarce when another similar type of bird arrived that was called the "flying sheep" It soon became apparent that the great quantity being killed daily would soon be wiped out, and we would have to go back to crops and fish to survive.

        "Hey Davie, let's go up to that small cave area under that overhanging cliff, so that I can do some more drawing." That was Midshipman George Raper, who was a very special friend of mine.

        "Sir, I have got both your satchels, in one is all your paints and in the other is your parchments to draw on."

        "Good boy. I have spoken to the quartermaster and you are excused cooking duties to accompany me."

Midshipman. Raper drew in colour much of the landscape, birds, and other wild life on the island, including the scene of the Sirius being wrecked. Whenever he was free of his duties, he wanted to paint, and most times I carried his satchels. We must have explored nearly all the island. He tried to teach me to paint, but all I was good at was making an overall plan of the thing he wanted to paint by using a piece of lead or charcoal, onto his parchment.

        Midshipman Raper also helped Captain Hunter paint. The Captain was far better than me. The Surgeon D'arcy Wentworth, also took lessons from Midshipman. Raper.

Hanging around the Officers a little, doing small jobs, I had heard Lt. Ralph Clark saying that Mr. Wentworth had been a highwayman in England, and learn't to be Surgeon so that a proposed jail sentence would be dismissed if he went to the colony.

        One day I had to serve food and drink to quite a few officers and free men. It appeared that a son William had been born to Mr. Wentworth by a convict woman and they were celebrating his birthday. In between good natured teasing and being ordered about, I learnt a little how Officers ate, drank and behaved.

Some time later the Supply arrived back at the Island from Sydney Cove to deliver stores, and pickup the Sirius survivors and take them back to Sydney.

        Quite a few people Officers and Crew came up to me, to say good bye, on the day the Sirius crew went aboard the Supply to be returned to Sydney Cove after about 12 months stay on the island.

A few months later on November 4th 1791, a ship arrived at the island with Captain King, his wife, and son Norfolk. He was to take over from Major Ross who was to go back to Sydney, then to be returned to England because the Marine detachment tour of 3 year duty was over. The ones that did not want to stay in the Colony would be returned to England.

        The Marines, were replaced by a detachment of Army men called the New South Wales Corps that had been raised in England. They were commanded from Sydney by a Major Grosse, and here on the island by Lt. William Patterson, who was accompanied by his wife, other Officers and Ranks. Quite a few free settlers arrived to take up free land given to them by the Government, in the hope they would grow more crops and livestock to sustain the population.

        Captain King had recognized me, studied my record and assigned me, as a servant and helper, to a most notable man. Mr. Charles Grimes, a surveyor!

Mr. Grimes was to survey the whole island, including where the Government land was, as well as the free settlers land lots. He was to draw maps of everything! I knew the island like the back of my hand, and I would be able to assist in many ways.

        After a while with his patient tuition, I was able to set up instruments, read them, do some small arithmetic calculations on slates. Mr. Grimes also taught me how to do special types of drawings on vellum, parchment and occasionally when he was looking over my shoulder on paper. He was always very careful that I understood thoroughly any task he gave me. The calculations had to be exact!

I must have made some good progress, because one day he said I was to go with him to see Captain King. The Captain was playing with his new son Phillip Parker King'

        "Well Davie, explain to me what you have recently drawn."

        "Sir, I have just finished drawing a free settlers land boundary, where it joins the Government stables. I have indicated north and south, and the distance in chains of his property and where it angles away from the Government land. Mr. Grimes checked the accuracy."

        "Is that correct Mr. Grimes?"

        "Yes sir. The only thing I found a little out, was the angle turning westward. It was 262 degrees not 260."

        "Hmmm Davie, looks like you could have become a good masters mate. However I think I have a better proposition for you. When I last saw Lt. Campbell, he asked me to relieve you of living on this island, and see if I could place you somewhere to your advantage in Sydney Town. I think I have found the ideal position.

A Mr. James Bloodworth, an emancipated convict has become Superintendent of Builders in the employ of the Government. He needs a good draughtsman. Would you like to work for him in Sydney?"

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