crimes

Ben Johnson had his day-'tis now Big Ben; Shakespear, make room for Humphries! that's the way

To bring your men of fashion to the Play! The author of this tragedy has adhered too ftrictly to hittorical truth to produce any confiderable dramatic effect; indeed it is rather a narrative than a drama, and does not convey that animation which the fubject would allow. Mrs. Siddons, in Mary, gave the author every poffible fupport; and in the fcene where the receives the death-warrant, her countenance, and her attitudes, conveyed the moft perfect

idea of astonishment and horror.

The principal performers were Meffrs. Kemble, Aickin, Wroughton, Whitfield and Barrymore; Mrs. Siddons, Mrs. Ward,Mrs. Farmer, and Mifs Tidfwell. At Covent Garden theatre, on the 17th, was reprefented, with great fuccefs, the serious Ballet of The DEATH of CAPTAIN COOK, brought from France by Sir George Collier.

The First Act-gives, the favage life; a courtship; a jealoufy; and a marriage with the fortunate lover.

The Second Act-brings forward, the landing of Captain Cook; his introduction to the Savage Chief; then interrupted by the rage of the difappointed Savage, whom Captain Cook drives off juit as he has feized the fe male; a tumult follows on this; an engagement of Savages; after which Captain Cook, left alone, is flain.

The Third Act-gives, a foldier's funeral on a foreign thore, attended to his grave by the fad companions of all his toils; the favages intermix, and join their uncouth geftures to the forrow of the scene.

The fcenes and dreffes are faithfully reprefented from the prints in the Voyages, published by authority; and the mufic is well adapted to the action.

HIDE and SEEK, of which fome account was given in our laft, is configned to oblivion; at least, with regard to this theatre.

Some time about the beginning of this month, a riot took place at the Opera Houfe. Mr. Gallini and Mr. Noverre appeared on the ftage both together; but Mr. Noverre getting the ftart of Mr. Gallini, began addreffing the audience in French, that new dan cers were just arrived, but that Mr. Gallini would not allow him proper things to bring the dancing forward. By this time the stage was filled with gentlemen, if they could be called fuch, and without their hats; on which one of them attempted to throw Mr. Gallini headlong backwards into the orcheftra; but fome of the musicians feeing him falling, jumped up and threw him forward, elfe he must have been killed on the fpot: on recovering himfelf, old as he is, he knocked down his affailant, who lay fprawling on the ftage, on which the uproar became general; ladies fcreaming out, others crying, "Off, off! enough, enough!" while, in the butle, Moriga kept dancing round Gallini, crying out, "You old dog! give me my money; where be my money? I can get no porter!" and Delpini, in the midst, trying to fupport his old mafter. Several in the first gallery were not behindhand in ftripping the feats of their coverings; and the uproar continued till near twelve o'clock.

ANARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION TO BOTANY BAY, &c. BY CAPT. WALTER TENCH, OF THE MARINES. 35. 6d. DEBRETT. 1789.

THI

HIS Narrative feems to be the moft perfect of any that has yet appeared. Captain Tench vouches for the truth of the circumftances related; and we, after making proper enquiry, can warrant the existence of the author, who ferved his country near thirty years, as a lieutenant in the marine fervice.

The fubject does not require any criticism; the author having written for the early gratification of the public. The following are fome of the moft interefting pailages.

"May 1787. "Governor Phillip having at length reached Portimouth, and all things deemed neceffary for the expedition being put on board, at day-light on the morning of the 13th, the fignal to weigh anchor was made in the commanding officer's fhip the Sirius. Before fix o'clock the whole fleet were under fail, and, the weather being fine, and wind easterly, proceeded through the Needles with a fresh leading breeze. In addition to our little armament, the Hyena frigate was ordered to accompany us a certain diftance to the westward, by which means our number was increafed to twelve fail. His majesty's fhips Sirius, Hyena, and Supply, three victuallers with two years ftores and provifions on board for the fettlement, and fix transports, with troops and convicts. In the tranfports were embarked four captains, twelve fubalterns, twenty-four ferjeants and corporals, eight drummers, and one hundred and Aixty private marines, making the whole of the military force, including the major commandant and staff on board the Sirius, to confift of two hundred and twelve perfons, of whom two hundred and ten were volunteers. The number of convicts was five hundred and fixty-five men, one hundred and ninety-two women, and eighteen chile

dren; the major part of the prifones were mechanics and husbandmen, lelected on purpose by order of govern

ment.

"By ten o'clock we had got clear of the Isle of Wight; at which time, having very little pleafure in converfing with my own thoughts, I ftrolled down among the convicts, to obferve their fentiments at this juncture. A very few excepted, their countenances indicated a high degree of fatisfaction; though, in fome, the pang of being fevered, perhaps for ever, from their native land, could not be wholly fuppreffed; in general, marks of distress were more perceptible among the men than the women.

"To add to the good difpofition which was beginning to manifeft itself, on the morning of the 20th, in confequence of fome favourable reprefentations made by the officers commanding detachments, they were hailed and told from the Sirius, that in those cafes where they judged it proper, they were at liberty to release the convicts from the fetters in which they had been hitherto confined. In complying with thefe directions, I had great pleasure in being able to extend this humane order to the whole of thofe under my charge, without a fingle exception.

"We made the island of Tenerife on the 3d of June, and in the evening anchored in the road of Santa Cruz, after an excellent paffage of three weeks from the day we left England.

"There is little to please a traveller at Teneriffe. He has heard wonders of its celebrated Peake, but he may remain for weeks together at the town of Santa Cruz without having a glimpe of it, and when its cloud-topped head emerges, the chance is, that he feels dif appointed, for, from the point of view in which he fees it, the neighbouring mountains leffen its effect very confiderably.

The inland country is defcribed as fertile, and highly romantic; and the environs of the fmall town of Laguza mentioned as particularly pleasant.

"The

"The restless importunity of the beg. gars here, and the immodefty of the loweft clafs of women, are highly difgufting.

"In spite of every precaution, while we laid at anchor in the road, a convict had the addrefs, one night, to fecrete himfelf on the deck, when the reft were turned below; and after remaining quiet fome hours, let himself down over the bow of the fhip, and floated to a boat that laid aftern, into which he got, and cutting her adrift, fuffered himfelf to be carried away by the current, until at a fufficient diftance to be out of hearing, when he rowed off. This elopement was not discovered till fome hours after, when a fearch being made, and boats fent to the different parts of the island, he was difcovered in a fmall cove, to which he had fled for refuge. On being questioned, it appeared he had endeavoured to get himfelf received on board a Dutch East Indiaman in the road, but being rejected there, he refolved on croffing over to the Grand Canary, which is at the diftance of ten leagues; and when detected, was recruiting his ftrength in order to make the attempt.

"In failing from Teneriffe to the fouth-eaft, the various and picturefque appearances of the Peake are beautiful to the highest degree. The ftupendous height, which before was loft on the traveller, now ftrikes him with awe and admiration, the whole ifland appearing one vaft mountain with a pyramidal top. As we proceeded with light winds, at an easy rate, we faw it diftinctly for three days after our departure, and fhould have continued to fee it longer, had not the haziness of the atmosphere interrupted our view.

ance of a change in our favour feemed likely to take place, Governor Phillip at this time fignified his intention of fhifting his pennant from the Sirius to the Supply, and proceeding on his voyage without waiting for the reft of the fleet, which was formed in two divifions. The first confifting of three tranfports, known to be the beft failors, was put under the command of a lieutenant of the navy; and the remaining three, with the victuallers, left in charge of Capt. Hunter, of his majefty's fhip Sirius. In the last divifion, was the veffel in which the author of this narrative ferved. Various caufes prevented the feparation from taking place until the 25th, when feveral fawyers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and other mechanics, were fhifted from different fhips into the Supply, in order to facilitate his Excellency's intention of forwarding the neceffary buildings to be erected at Botany Bay, by the time the reft of the fleet might be expected to arrive. Lieutenant Governor Rofs, and the staff of the marine battalion, alfo removed from the Sirius into the Scarborough tranfport, one of the fhips of the first divifion, in order to afford every affiflance which the public fervice might receive, by their being early on the spot on which our future operations were to be conducted.

"From this time a fucceffion of fair winds and pleasant weather correfponded to our eager defires; and on the 7th of January 1788, the long wifhed-for fhore of Van Diemen gratified our fight.

GOOD HOPE TO BOTANY BAY.

" November 1787. "We had hardly cleared the land when a fouth-east wind fet in, and, except at fhort intervals, continued to blow until the 19th of the month; when we were in the latitude of 37 deg. 40 min. fouth, and by the time-keeper, in longitude 11 deg. 30 min. east, so that our distance from Botany Bay had increased nearly an hundred leagues, fince leaving the Cape. As no appear

fet we had paffed between the rocks, which Captain Furneaux named the Mewiton and Swilly. The former bears a very clofe refemblance to the little ifland near Plymouth, whence it took its name; its latitude is 43 deg. 48 min. fouth, longitude 146 deg. 25 min. eaft of Greenwich.

"In running along fhore, we caft many an anxious eye towards the land, on which fo much of our future destiny depended. Our diftance, joined to the

Ff

hazinefs

hazinefs of the atmosphere, prevented us, however, from being able to difcover much. With our beft glaffes we could fee nothing but hills of a moderate height, cloathed with trees, to which fome little patches of white fand-ftone gave the appearance of being covered with fnow. Many fres were obferved on the hills in the evening.

"In the night the wefterly wind, which had fo long befriended us, died away, and was fucceeded by one from the north-east. When day appeared we had loft fight of the land, and did not regain it until the 19th, at only the diftance of feventeen leagues from our defired port. The wind was now fair, the fky ferene, though a little hazy, and the temperature of the air delightfully pleafant: joy fparkled in every countenance, and congratulations iffued from every mouth. Ithaca itself was scarcely more longed for by Ulyffes, than Botany Bay by the adventurers who had traverfed fo many thousand miles to take poffeffion of it.

"Heavily in clouds came on the day" which ufhered in our arrival. To us it was "a great, an important day" though I hope the foundation, not the fall, of an empire will be dated from it.

"On the morning of the 20th, by ten o'clock, the whole of the fleet had caft anchor in Botany Bay, where, to our mutual fatisfaction, we found the governor, and the firft divifion of tranfports. On inquiry, we heard, that the Supply had arrived on the 18th, and the tranfports only the preceding day.

"Thus, after a passage of exactly thirty-fix weeks from Portfmouth, we happily effected our arduous undertaking, with fuch a train of unexampled bleffings, as hardly ever attended a fleet in a like predicament. Of two hundred and twelve marines we loft only one; and of feven hundred and feventy-five convicts, put on board in England, but twenty-four perifhed in our route. To what caufe are we to attribute this unhoped for fuccefs? I wish I could anfwer, To the liberal manner in which government fupplied the expedition. But when the reader is told, that fome of the neceffary articies allowed to fhips on a common paffage to the West Indies, were witheld from us; that portable

foup, wheat, and pickled vegetables were not allowed; and that an inadequate quantity of effence of malt was the only antifcorbutic fupplied, his forprife will redouble at the refult of the voyage. For it must be remembered, that the people thus fent out were not a thip's company starting with every advantage of health and good living, which a state of freedom produces; but the major part a miferable fet of convicts, emaciated from confinement, and in want of cloaths, and almost every convenience to render fo long a paffage tolerable. I beg leave, however, to fay, that the provisions ferved on board were good, and of a much fuperior quality to thofe ufually fupplied by contract.

"January 1788.

"We had fcarcely bid each other welcome on our arrival, when an expedition up the bay was undertaken by the governor and lieutenant-governor, in order to explore the nature of the country, and fix on a fpot to begin our operations upon. None, however, which could be deemed very eligible, being discovered, his Excellency proceeded in a boat to examine the opening, to which Mr. Cook had given the name of Port Jackson, on an idea that a fhelter for fhipping within it might be found. The boat returned on the evening of the 23d, with such an account of the harbour, and advantages attending the place, that it was determined the evacuation of Botany Bay fhould commence the next morning.

"In confequence of this decifion, the few feamen and marines who had been landed from the fquadron, were inftantly reimbarked, and every preparation made to bid adieu to a port which had fo long been the subject of our converfation; which but three days before we had entered with fo many fentiments of fatisfaction; and in which, as we had believed, so many of our future hours were to be passed. The thoughts of removal banished fleep, fo that I rofe at the firft dawn of the morning. But judge of my furprize on hearing from a ferjeant, who ran down almost breathlefs to the cabin where I was dreffing, that a fhip was feen off the harbour's mouth. At first I only laughed; but knowing the man who fpoke to me to be of great veracity, and hearing him

repeat

repeat his information, I flew upon deck, on which I had barely fet my foot, when the cry of "another fail!" ftruck on my aftonifhed ear. Confounded by a thoufand ideas which arofe in my mind in an instant, I sprang upon the barricado, and plainly deferied two fhips of confiderable fize, ftanding in for the mouth of the Bay. By this time the alarm had become general, and every one appeared loft in conjecture. Now they were Dutchmen fent to difpoffefs us, and the moment after ftorehips from England, with fupplies for the fettlement. The improbabilities which attended both these conclufions, were funk in the agitation of the moment. It was by Governor Phillip, that this mystery was at length unravelled, and the cause of the alarm pronounced to be two French fhips, it was now recollected were on a voyage of difcovery in the fouthern hemisphere. Thus were our doubts cleared up, and our apprehenfions banished; it was, however, judged expedient to poftpone our removal to Port Jackson, until a complete confirmation of our conjectures could be procured.

Had the fea breeze fet in, the ftrange ships would have been at anchor in the bay by eight o'clock in the morning, but the wind blowing out, they were driven by a strong lee current to the fouthward of the port. On the following day they re-appeared in their former fituation, and a boat was fent to them, with a lieutenant of the navy in her, to offer afstance, and point out the neceffary marks for entering the harbour. In the course of the day the officer returned, and brought intelligence that the fhips were the Bouffole and Aftrolabe, fent out by order of the King of France, and under the command of Monfieur De Perroufe. The aftonishment of the French at feeing us, had not equalled that we had experienced, for it appeared, that in the courfe of their voyage they had touched at Kamschatka, and by that means learnt that our expedition was in contemplation. They dropped anchor the next morning, juft as we had got under weigh to tvork out of the bay, fo that for the prefent nothing more than falutations could país between us.

"Before I quit Botany Bay, I fball relate the obfervations we were enabled

to make during our fhort tay there; as well as thofe which our fubfequent vifits to it from Port Jackfon enabled us to complete.

"The bay is very open, and greatly expofed to the fury of the S. E. winds, which when they blow, caufe a heavy and dangerous fwell. It is of prodigious extent, the principal arm, which takes a S. W. direction, being not lefs, including its windings, than twenty-four miles from the capes which form the entrance, according to the report of the French officers, who took uncommon pains to furvey it. At the distance of a league from the harbour's mouth is a bar, on which, at low water, not more than fifteen feet are to be found. Within this bar, for many miles up the S. W. arm, is a haven, equal in every refpect to any hitherto known, and in which any number of fhips might anchor, fecured from all winds. The country around far exceeds in richness of foil that about Cape Banks and Point Solander, though unfortunately they refemble each other in one refpect, a fcarcity of fresh water.

"We found the natives tolerably numerous as we advanced up the river; and even at the harbour's mouth we had reafon to conclude the country more populous than Mr. Cook thought it: for on the Supply's arrival in the bay, on the 18th of the month, they were affembled on the beach of the fouth fhore, to the number of not less than forty perfons, fhouting and making many uncouth figns and gefturcs. This appearance whetted curiofity to its utmost, but as prudence forbade a few people to venture wantonly among fo great a number, and a party of only fix men was obferved on the north fhore, the governor immediately proceeded to land on that fide, in order to take poffeffion of his new territory, and bring about an intercourfe between its old and new mafters. The boat, in which his Excellency was, rowed up the harbour, clofe to the land, for fome distance; the Indians keeping pace with her on the beach. At laft an officer in the boat made figns of a want of water, which it was judged would indicate his wish of landing. The natives directly comprehended what he wanted, and pointed toa fpot where water could be procured: on which the boat was immediately pushed

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