Remember Me - Lesley Pearse [79]
‘But what will happen to us now?’ she asked Will. ‘The Sirius was our only chance of getting more supplies.’
Will frowned. ‘Phillip has called a special meeting of all the officers for six o’clock.’
Mary knew from Tench that Phillip wasn’t in the habit of confiding in anyone. He maintained his aloofness at all costs, so he must be extremely worried to call his men in.
‘There’s going to be even harder times ahead, that’s for sure,’ Mary sighed dejectedly. ‘But let’s try and look on the bright side, Will. If a ship doesn’t come from England soon, Phillip will be even more dependent on your fishing. It’s time you insisted on a portion of the catch for yourself again. Your skill will be the only thing which will keep everyone alive here.’
Captain Phillip was indeed a very worried man as he stood before his assembled officers at six o’clock. For so long he had lived in hope of a ship coming from England to solve the colony’s problems, but now he had to face the reality that he had to take other drastic measures or be a witness to wholesale death through starvation.
‘A further cut in rations will be necessary,’ he began, his voice trembling slightly because he knew that a daily ration of two and a half pounds of flour, two pounds of very old pork, a pint of dried peas and a pound of inedible rice, divided between seven people, just wasn’t enough to sustain life. ‘We must supplement this with more fish and meat if we aren’t to perish. My plan is to requisition all private boats for fishing and to form hunting parties.’
The officers looked at one another in consternation, knowing they were expected to volunteer their services. With the exception of Tench, they all considered supervising such expeditions unpleasant, for they did not like working with the convicts.
‘Are you suggesting, sir, that some of the convicts are to be given arms?’ one of the more senior officers asked, a look of horror on his florid face.
‘Yes,’ Phillip said wearily. ‘Some of them are good marksmen. I believe if we show trust in them, they will respond with a real effort for the common good.’
He moved on to say he had no choice but to send the Supply off to Batavia, in the Dutch East Indies. Captain Ball would charter another ship there to bring back supplies. Philip King, the previous Governor of Norfolk Island, would also leave on the ship to take despatches and Captain Phillip’s account of the state of the colony back to England.
The officers were even more concerned at this for the Supply was a little ship of only 170 tons, and for her to sail alone in unknown waters would be dangerous. Furthermore, if she was lost at sea they would have no vessel left here to take supplies to the settlement in Norfolk Island.
A murmur of dissent went round, but Phillip silenced it with a stern look.
‘We have no choice,’ he said bluntly. ‘We have no supplies to take to Norfolk Island anyway, and to leave a ship in the harbour waiting for help from England which might never come would be catastrophic. I ask you all to give me your support.’
Fear reigned over the colony after the Supply sailed out of the harbour in April. The officers feared for the little ship’s safety, and became aggressive. The troops dreaded an attack from the natives now firepower was so low. And the convicts were terrified of everything.
Before the Supply left a rumour circulated that the officers and troops were going to sail off in her, leaving the convicts to fend for themselves. They all knew they wouldn’t last long alone.
Despite the best marksmen being sent out hunting, all they shot was three very small kangaroos. With all the extra boats and men, and the absolute necessity of catching more fish, the catches improved for a while, but then they began to dwindle again. The officers took back their small boats, and in sheer desperation Captain Phillip allowed Will to use his own cutter.
Mary was never one to allow an opportunity to go by without attempting to