and put on board such provisions as he could procure; consisting of beef, pork, flour, rice, and various hospital stores.  The season, at Batavia, while the Supply was there, was very sickly; he lost many of his men by fevers, and among the number was Mr. Newton Fowell, the second lieutenant of the Sirius, who had been put on board to assist in bringing the vessel, which might be hired, to Port Jackson.  I was exceedingly concerned for the loss of this young gentleman, who was a good, well disposed, and promising young man.

Mr. Ross, the gunner of the Sirius, who had been left at Port Jackson on duty, when she sailed for Norfolk Island, died also at Batavia:  he had been put on board the Supply, in order to be landed at Norfolk Island, if she should be able to reach that place in her way to Batavia.

After the return of the Supply to Port Jackson, she was found to require some repairs, which having been compleated, she was ordered upon the service wherein we now found her, viz. bringing a few stores for Norfolk Island, with orders to embark the remaining officers and crew of the Sirius, and to return with them to Port Jackson.

This information I received with joy, as our situation was now become exceedingly irksome:  we had been upon this small island eleven months, and during great part of that time, through various causes, had been oppressed by feelings more distressing than I can find words to express.  On the 11th of February, I embarked, with the officers and ship’s company, on board the Supply, having taken my leave of a place which had cost me so much distress and vexation.  We had fine weather during our passage to Port Jackson, where we arrived on the 27th, and were kindly and hospitably received by all our friends there.

I now understood from the governor, that he had entered into a contract with the master of the Dutch snow, for carrying the officers and ship’s company of the Sirius to England; a piece of information which I did not by any means feel a pleasure in hearing:  for, anxious as I was to reach England as soon as possible, I should with much patience rather have waited the arrival of an English ship, than to have embarked under the direction, or at the disposal, of a foreigner:  however, preparations were then making for sending us off as fast as possible.

As I have spent so much time upon an island, which has of late been much spoken of, and of which many flattering accounts seem to have been given, it will be expected that I should say something concerning it.

NORFOLK ISLAND.

Mount Pitt, or the highest land, lies in Latitude 29 deg. 02’ south.  Longitude 168 deg. 05’ east of the meridian of Greenwich.

Ships, on making Norfolk Island*, may stand boldly in, there not being any thing farther out than half a mile from the shore to take them up.  If the wind is west to south or south-east, there is generally too much surf in Sydney-Bay for boats to land, which circumstance is signified from the shore by not hoisting any flag at the lower flag-staff; in which case you will generally find good landing in Cascade-Bay, where I think there would not be any difficulty in landing provisions from a ship.