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Motives which induced Government to employ King's ships
in transporting Convicts to New South Wales.-Inten-
tion of establishing a Colony in Bass's Strait.—Calcutta
appointed to convey thither the first establishment.-
Passage from England to Teneriffe, and the Cape Verd
Islands.

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THE motives, which, in the year 1802,
induced Government to employ King's
ships in transporting convicts to New
South Wales, appear to have had their
foundation, not only in principles of

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economy, but also in the union of many other advantages, which promised to be the result. Until this period, merchant ships had always been chartered to convey these victims of vice and folly to the place of their destination: independent of the expence of these vessels, which was a dead loss to Government, the abuses disgraceful to humanity, that too frequently took place on board of them, called aloud for correction. By employing king's ships on this service, a number of officers and seamen would be provided. for, who might otherwise emigrate to foreign services, and be totally lost to their country; and again, it must naturally be supposed, that the Officers, having neither pecuniary nor commercial intereft in the voyage, would con

duct

duct it upon principles very different from those of mercenary, and perhaps illiterate traders; at the same time that the former would be. enabled to keep the convicts in a better state of discipline, and also be more careful of their health, by that constant attention to cleanliness, which characterizes the British navy. To these obvious and immediate advantages, was added another, which, though merely speculative, promised, if successful, to exceed them all. It was known, that timber, supposed to be peculiarly adapted to naval uses, might be procured at New South Wales with little difficulty or expence, and in the present time of its encreasing scarcity and great demand at home, both for public and private service, this was an object of the first national

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national importance*: it was therefore determined to try the experiment, when, by the conclusion of peace, the nation began to breathe, after the late long and arduous contest. The ships of the navy best calculated for this purpose, were decidedly those built for the East India Company, and purchased into the King's service during the war; and accordingly, the Glatton sailed for Port-Jackson in September, with 330 male, and 170 female convicts,

The Calcutta, another ship of the like class, was intended to pursue the same route, and was commissioned in

* See the Letters between the Court of Directors of the East India Company, and the Commissioners for the Affairs of India.

4

ASIATIC REGISTER, July 1801

Octo

October following*; but while fitting out, a material change was made in her destination. Since the discovery of Bass's Strait, it had entered into the contemplation of Government to esta blish a settlement at its western entrance, as well from commercial, as political motives. In the first respect, it would give the greatest encouragement to the speculations carried on for seals,

*The Glatton and Calcutta were fitted exactly alike. They were armed en flute, having only 18 guns on the upper deck; rigged as 56 gun ships, with a compliment of 170 men.

Bass's Strait feparates New Holland from Van Diemen's Land, in lat. 39° S.; it was discovered by Mr. Bass, surgeon of his Majesty's ship Reliance, in an open whale boat, in the year 1799. It was afterwards surveyed by Mr. Bass and Mr. Hinders, fecond lieutenant of the Reliance, and found to be from 100 to 130 miles in breadth, affording a clear passage from the South Sea into the Indian Ocean.

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