Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/158

60 THE FLEET AT SEA. 1787 It was on the 13tli of May that Phillip, having hoisted his flag on board the Sinus as Commodore of the squadron, gaye the signal to weigh anchor, and the ships under his The saiiinjc Command, one after another, spread their sails to the wind. of the fleet --,- . i i . i ^ .1 -rr i hey were accompamed by another man-of-war, the Hysdna, a frigate of twenty-four guns, which was under orders to see them clear of the Channel and bring back a final letter from Phillip. The navigation of the Channel was the most diflScult part of the voyage ; but good fortune was with them from the &tst, and the ships got into the Atlantic without any accident. It was a week, however, before Phillip could sit down and write his first despatch. The sea was running high, and his table was so unsteady that he could not write at ease; his despatch was therefore merely a short note, addressed to Nepean. The Commodore was evidently in good spirits; having cleared the Channel, "I look on all our diflSculty as ended." The only matter that seemed to trouble him much was tjie ^^ women^s cloathing,^^ which he had been compelled to leave behind. Firrt letter As we are now nearly one hundred leagues clear of the Channel, the Hysena leaves us this evening to return to Plymouth, but the sea runs too high to send on board the different transports to get any particular account of the state of the convicts. I have therefore only to repeat what I said in my last from the Motherbank, that a great part of the women's cloathing was not come down from London when we sailed, nor did I receive the letters for the Vice- King. The Provost-Marshal, who had not been seen for a con- siderable time before we sailed, is left behind, and as it will he at Digitized by Google