Friendship (ship)
Encyclopedia
Friendship was an Australian First Fleet
transport ship, built in Scarborough, England
, in 1784.
A brig
of 278 tons, she was among the smallest of the transports. Her master
was Francis Walton
and surgeon Thomas Arndell. She left Portsmouth
on 13 May 1787, carrying seventy-six male and twenty-one female convict
s. The female convict
s were transferred to other transports at the Cape of Good Hope
to make room for livestock purchased there. She arrived at Port Jackson
, Sydney, Australia, on 26 January 1788.
The Friendship left Port Jackson on 14 July 1788 in company with Alexander
. The crews of both ships were so badly affected by scurvy
off the coast of Borneo
that enough healthy sailors remained for only one working ship, and the Friendship was deliberately sunk (scuttled) in the Straits of Makassar on 28 October 1788.
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
transport ship, built in Scarborough, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1784.
A brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
of 278 tons, she was among the smallest of the transports. Her master
Master mariner
A Master Mariner or MM is the professional qualification required for someone to serve as the person in charge or person in command of a commercial vessel. In England, the term Master Mariner has been in use at least since the 13th century, reflecting the fact that in guild or livery company terms,...
was Francis Walton
Francis Walton
Francis Walton was an English cricketer. Walton was a right-handed batsman who was a right-arm fast roundarm bowler....
and surgeon Thomas Arndell. She left Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
on 13 May 1787, carrying seventy-six male and twenty-one female convict
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
s. The female convict
Convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
s were transferred to other transports at the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
to make room for livestock purchased there. She arrived at Port Jackson
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
, Sydney, Australia, on 26 January 1788.
The Friendship left Port Jackson on 14 July 1788 in company with Alexander
Alexander (ship)
The Alexander was a First Fleet transport of 452 tons, barque-built with quarterdeck, built at Hull in 1783. She was the largest transport ship in the First Fleet. Before leaving England, fever broke out on board, and sixteen men died. She left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, carrying 195 male convicts....
. The crews of both ships were so badly affected by scurvy
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus, which also provides the adjective scorbutic...
off the coast of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
that enough healthy sailors remained for only one working ship, and the Friendship was deliberately sunk (scuttled) in the Straits of Makassar on 28 October 1788.
Further reading
- Gillen, Mollie, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet, Sydney: Library of Australian History, 1989.
- Bateson, Charles, The Convict Ships, 1787–1868, Sydney, 1974.