The Second Fleet
The Second Fleet consisted of the Lady Juliana, the Justinian, the Neptune, the Scarborough and the Surprize. The Neptune had Captain Traill in Command who was a former slave trader and treated the convicts cruelly. The convicts were chained together so closely that they could hardly move. There were no beds or bedding and no clothes for some. Some ships leaked badly and convicts could be sleeping in water. There were no toilets or bathing facilities so the convicts on the Second fleet were covered in gunk and lice-infested. Convicts were given no exercise or fresh air because the hatches were kept shut for most of the time. The convicts of the second fleet were not given their allocated rations and the captain would store it up and sell it at the end of the voyage. The second Fleet arrived in Sydney in 1790.
Later on, measures would be taken to ensure the health and safety of the convicts. The superintendant-surgeon would see that the convicts received their proper amount of food. The convict ships were mainly merchant ships rather than navy ships that were changed to allow them to carry convicts. Near the mainmast a barricade about 1.5 meters high to keep the convicts within a certain area and watched over from the poop deck by the helmsman and officers of the ship. The prison area was only about one and a half meters high and was on the lower deck. There were no portholes and light and air came in through the hatches. When the hatches were closed, the lower deck prison was dark and stuffy. The planks of the ships worked in heavy weather and water leaked onto furniture, bedding, and cargo. Near the equator a ship could become becalmed in the doldrums and the temperatures became extremely high.
Usually each convict received a straw mattress, a blanket, two wooden bowls and a spoon. Women convicts received tea, sugar and a kettle. Usual ships food was ship's biscuit, salted beef, pork, dried peas, flour , rice, raisins, oatmeal and sugar. Breakfast was called burgoo - a porridge made from oatmeal, salt, sugar and butter. Duff was a pudding made from dried fruit and flour boiled in a cloth like christmas pudding. Meat was kept in barrels of brine to keep it and was usually rock hard as was the ship's biscuit(and full of weavils). To prevent scurvy, a dose of lemon or lime juice was given out each day. Water was always short at sea. Water was rationed and at every port when they landed, the water barrels would be refilled.
Resources
.
.
|
Home
Australia Index
Quiros
Luiz Torres
Dirk Hartog
Abel Tasman
William Dampier
The Duyfken
James Craig
Sloop Norfolk
Baudin & Flinders
Newcastle Maritime
First Fleet
Second Fleet
Lady Juliana
HMS Guardian
Sir Robert Seppings
Tasmanian Coasters
Chicora
Red Jacket
The Endeavour
Brig Frederick
The Sarah
Aubrey/Maturin Books
|
