186 TH£ TBIB^ PLEET. 13^ The wreck of tke Sirins at NorfQlk Island, in Mardb, 1790, now left the settlement (the population of which had been largely increased by the conyiotB of the Third Flee^ with only one King's ship— "the small armed tender Supply — rigged as a brig. Both for the proper protection of the settlement and the examination of the coast, Phillip thought that : — Two « The colony should never be without two ships ; and I feel it vessels my duty to say that I think no ships can with safety be employed necessary. ^^ ^^^.^ station unless they are King's ships, that is, ships having commission, warrant, and petty officers on board them; and I think that more than one commissioned officer should be on board such ships."* There was considerable force in what Phillip urged. Having regard to the circumstances — ^the lawless character Services to of the bulk of the population : the state of the hao'bour at formed. times, whero numerous transports, commanded m many cases by unscrupulous masters, and manned by disorderly seamen, were lying within easy distance of the shore — the presence of one man-of-war, if not two, was a necessary precaution; but the matter does not appear to have pre- sented itself to the British Government in that light. Phillip's strong representations on the subject, however, would probably have led to the appointment of at least one war-vessel to the station, but for the circumstances in which The p^uest the Government was placed. By the time his despatch reached England war with France was imminent, and it may readily be understood that the Admiralty felt disin- clined to part with any of its war-ships for service at the out-of-the-way settlement of New South Wales. Phillip had expected that a vessel wotdd be sent out to take the place of the Sirius, but in this he was disappointed. The Gorgon might reasonably have been expected to remain at the settlement pending some arrangement ; but after her departure in December, 1791, the station was without a
- HlBtorical BeoordB, toL i, part 2, pp. 5S4, 554, 648.
