that M. De la Perouse had been compelled to fire upon
the natives at Botany Bay, where they frequently annoyed
his people who were employed on shore. This circumstance
materially affected us, as those who had rendered this
violence necessary could not discriminate between us
and them. We were however perfectly convinced
that nothing short of the greatest necessity could
have induced M. De la Perouse to take such a step,
as we heard him declare, that it was among the particular
instructions that he received from his sovereign,
to endeavour by every possible means to acquire and
cultivate the friendship of the natives of such places
as he might discover or visit; and to avoid exercising
any act of hostility upon them. In obedience
to this humane command, there was no doubt but he
forbore using force until forbearance would have been
dangerous, and he had been taught a lesson at Maouna,
one of the Isles des Navigateurs, that the tempers
of savages were not to be trusted too far; for we were
informed, that on the very day and hour of their departure
from that island, the boats of the two ships, which
were sent for a last load of water, were attacked
by the natives with stones and clubs, and M. De l’Angle,
the captain of the
Astrolabe, with eleven officers
and men, were put to death; those who were so fortunate
as to get off in the small boats that attended on
the watering launches (which were destroyed), escaped
with many wounds and contusions, some of which were
not healed at the time of their relating to us this
unfortunate circumstance. It was conjectured,
that some one of the seamen, unknown to the officers,
must have occasioned this outrage, for which there
was no other probable reason to assign, as the natives
during the time the ships were at the island had lived
with the officers and people on terms of the greatest
harmony. And this was not the first misfortune
that those ships had met with during their voyage;
for on the north-west coast of America, they lost
two boats with their crews, and several young men of
family, in a surf.
Notwithstanding the pressure of the important business
we had upon our hands after our landing, the discharge
of our religious duties was never omitted, divine
service being performed every Sunday that the weather
would permit: at which time the detachment of
marines paraded with their arms, the whole body of
convicts attended, and were observed to conduct themselves
in general with the respect and attention due to the
occasion on which they were assembled.
It was soon observed with satisfaction, that several
couples were announced for marriage; but on strictly
scrutinizing into the motive, it was found in several
instances to originate in an idea, that the married
people would meet with various little comforts and
privileges that were denied to those in a single state;
and some, on not finding those expectations realised,
repented, wished and actually applied to be restored
to their former situations; so ignorant and thoughtless
were they in general. It was however to be wished,
that matrimonial connexions should be promoted among
them; and none who applied were ever rejected, except
when it was clearly understood that either of the parties
had a wife or husband living at the time of their
leaving England.