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Historical Records of New Zealand

[Enclosure.] — Governor Phillip to Major Grose

[Enclosure.]
Governor Phillip to Major Grose.

Sydney, New South Wales, October 4th, 1792.

Sir,—

In answer to your letter of this day’s date, requesting that I would interest myself in favour of the ship Britannia, which you inform me is taken up by yourself and officers, and that I would protect that ship from interruption as far as depends on me, I can only observe that the opinion I gave on the subject on the 2nd instant, when the business was first mentioned, must page 149 have pointed out that any interruption which that ship might meet with, if the master acted contrary to the tenor of his license from the East India Company, did not by any means depend on me, and I am still of the same opinion with respect to this ship’s going to the Brazil, or the Cape of Good Hope, as I was at the above time. I am sensible that the garrison suffers many inconveniences from the necessary supplies not arriving, and which I should gladly do away by any means in my power, yet I cannot acquiesce with you in thinking that the ration served from the public stores is unwholesome; I see it daily at my own table; I am sorry to see that it is neither so good nor in that quantity as I would wish it; and every means in my power has, and will be, taken to remedy the evil. I offered to write to the Cape of Good Hope, and direct all the ships coming to this settlement to receive on board such necessaries as you might order to be purchas’d, and which I still think would be the best way of procuring them, or to employ the Atlantic, or either of those ships which are expected to arrive from day to day, in procuring the necessaries of which you stand so much in need, if, when those wants are stated officially, such a step appeared necessary; but with a ship lying in the harbour, already in the public employ, and others expected, I saw no necessity for taking up the Britannia, nor can I form any judgement how far that ship’s going to the Cape will do away all the distresses you have mentioned, as only shoes and the ration are pointed out in your letter. With respect to shoes, the corps has received as many as were demanded, while there were any in store, and the Commissary, as he ever has done, will supply the quarter-master with leather, as long as any remains. As to the nature of the ration, it is, I believe, nearly as good as what is issued to the army and navy in India, and I think that there can be little doubt but that an ample supply of provisions from Europe will arrive before the Britannia can return to this port; and there is every reason to expect that a very few months will remove the inconvenience the colony labours under, of which you may form some judgement from what you have seen of my letters by the Gorgon and Supply, which ships may be supposed to have arrived in England by the latter end of last June.

When the Atlantic was sent to Calcutta, every officer was permitted to send for such articles as he wanted, and which will always be allowed, an everything else done for the accommodation of the officers and men under your command which the public service admits.

I am sorry that I cannot, with propriety, take any official step in this business.

I am, &c.,

A. Phillip.