Sailing routes to Botany Bay

Subject: RE: Sailing routes to Botany Bay
From: Fergie
Date: 27 Feb 11 - 08:03 PM

Hi all,

I am endeavouring to write a song about tranportation to Australia, so I found this thread to be a very interesting read.
My Great-great-grandfather was transported from Dublin to Port Jackson aboard the Royal Admiral in 1834. The first port of call was Cobh (Queenstown) in Cork, but because no record or log of the voyage has survived I don't know where else he may have visited before being diembarked into the tender hands of his gaolers at Sydney in January 1835. Can anybody make an educated/informed guess at the usual route followed by the tranports ships in the mid 1830's and list the common ports of call for fresh water and supplies?

Fergus

Subject: RE: Sailing routes to Botany Bay
From: Fergie
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 08:24 PM

'struth mates, shake a leg!

Subject: RE: Sailing routes to Botany Bay
From: Les from Hull
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 08:36 PM

Certainly they'd call at the Cape of Good Hope for supplies. The First Fleet called at the Canaries and Rio de Janiero, and I'd've thought that the later ships followed the same route.

Subject: RE: Sailing routes to Botany Bay
From: Fergie
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 08:49 PM

Hi Les

Yes, in the early years of transportation to the antipodes they did stop at the Canaries and Rio and the Cape of Good Hope , but I'm seeking confirmation that this practice continued during the late 1820's and 1830's.

Fergus

Subject: RE: Sailing routes to Botany Bay
From: Les from Hull
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 09:37 PM

I don't have proof but the technology was the same. For a journey of that length they would need to resupply. The early steamships needed even more stops!

Subject: RE: Sailing routes to Botany Bay
From: Les from Hull
Date: 28 Feb 11 - 09:45 PM

Resupply often meant just taking the longboat for fresh water. I'm not suggesting that the convicts were allowed to leave the ship.

Subject: RE: Sailing routes to Botany Bay
From: Fergie
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 08:06 PM

Hi Les

Found this report from The Sydney Monitor, dated Friday 9 March 1838. The report states that the voyage was non-stop from Falmouth to Australia.

We are glad to announce the arrival of the Royal Admiral, with 205 passengers, of whom 196 are sent out by the Commissioners.- She left Falmouth September 26th, where she shipped 112 Cornish emigrants, and did not touch at any port. The people are very well satisfied with the arrangements for their comforts - their rations being more than they could consume.

This was the same ship that my great-great-grandfather was transported on just a couple of years previously. Granted that the numbers of prisoners, guard and crew on that occasion in 1834 would have been greater and therefore may have necessitated visiting port for supplies, but I'm wondering would they have still needed to visit the Canaries and Rio?

Fergus