THE CAPE AND BATAVIA. 313 -which that severe writer allows himself to speak approvingly 1788 of Australian scenety.* Not the least remarkable fact con- oJuiy- nected with this event is the peculiar display of instinct which led cattle, bred at the Cape of Good Hope, to such distant pasturage. To show still more conclusively how dependent the colony was on supplies from England, Phillip proceeds to point out that the nearest places to which he could send for assistance no help in an emergency — the Cape of Good Hope and Batavia — were too remote to be of much service. He would not feel justified in sending a ship to either of those ports '^ unless in case of the greatest necessity '^ ; and if it should come to that, he was afraid that it would in all probability be too late. Neither the Sinus nor the Supply was noted for its Two tube, sailing capacity; the latter, according to King, sailed
- ' very ill,^' while the former, a store-ship converted into a
man-of-war for the Expedition, had become leaky ; and as one took sixty-six days and the other sixty-eight to make the run from the Cape to Botany Bay, it was clear that a voyage to the Cape and back would be attended with great delay in any case. But the necessity for adopting this course came upon Phillip sooner than he had expected when writing to Nepean. He found himself compelled to compelled send the Sirius to the Cape for a six months' supply of flour the ckpe. and other necessaries in less than three months afterwards ; the voyage there and back occupied seven months, and the ship narrowly escaped being wrecked on Tasman's Head.f Even if these ships had been better fitted for such a service than they were, the navigation of the adjacent seas was so
- '* The country where they were found grazing was remarkably pleasant
to the eye ; everywhere the foot trod on thick and luxuriant gram ; the trees were thinlv scattered and free from underwood, except in particular spots ; several beautiful flats presented laree ponds, covered with ducks and black swan, the margins ot which were fringed with shrubs of the most delightful tints, and 4;he ground rose from these levels into hills of easy ascent."— Vol. i, pp. 436, 437 ; vol. ii, p. fiO. t The Sirius sailed from Port Jackson on the 2nd October, 1788, and retamed on the 6th May following. The Supply was sent to Batavia on the 17th April, 1790, and returned on the 19th September, having sailed roand New Holland on the voyage. Digitized by Google
