In the famine-stricken Hebrides Dr. Boyter filled the William Nicol; this no difficult task, for conditions prevailing in the far north were, at the time, of terrible persuasion indeed.

Some months later a report forwarded to the Secretary of State by Sir Benjamin D’Urban, Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, advised that: “The Government Emigration vessel, William Nicol, had put into Table Bay for Water and Provisions.  I beg leave to draw attention of those concerned to the condition of those on board.  Ten children had already died from fever and marasmas and many were in a low state.  The poverty-stricken hundreds were without a change of clothing, and the inhabitants of the Cape had supplied them with materials, as well as fresh beef, vegetables, water.  The food on board was of the poorest and commonest kind, salt beef and pork, and there was no light nourishing food for the provision of the sick.  Worse still, these people from the north had been deprived of their accustomed oatmeal, a serious matter.” 

Sir Benjamin drew attention to the overcrowded condition of the little vessel and pointed out that the convict ship Platina had arrived at the same time in Simons Bay and though of only one hundred tons less burthen than the William Nicol was carrying only one hundred and thirteen females, in contrast to one hundred and forty-one adults and one hundred and seventy-nine children on the Marshall-chartered vessel. 

“My object in making this statement is that Her Majesty’s Government, if apprized of the facts, may interfere to prevent the recurrence of much misery in Emigrant Ships on long voyages, by confining the numbers to be embarked within some fixed proportion of the tonnage of the vessel.” 

The complaints were referred back to Dr Boynter.  The people could not have been short of clothes, he retorted, for he himself had insisted that all should procure a new suit of plaid, together with several other articles, prior to embarkation.  The food was that usually supplied, though he admitted it might be advisable in future to supply vessels from these districts with a large amount of oatmeal.  The surgeon in charged had earned his good name in convict vessels.  That he did not understand the language of his charges was unfortunate but he thought Sir Benjamin labored under a misapprehension as to the need of an interpreter on board.  The midwife understood English-Gaelic. 

“As to excluding Women advanced more than four-and-a-half months in Pregnancy….I merely express a general opinion that few Children are preferable to many, and Women who are not Pregnant to Women who are; but it is to be observed the families present themselves often in Clusters, and if one is refused, the rest will not go. 

The number of three hundred objects in a vessel of 408 tons would undoubtedly startle a Stranger, but in a ship of the same size the two hundred convicts are confined below all night, and thirty soldiers, eight women, and a dozen children beside the crew occupy the same deck.  Yet there are no complaints made and seldom any bad results from it.  In a convict ship fitted up for two hundred and fifty Adults eighteen inches is allotted for each individual…Convicts have only two Shirts for the voyage and no allowance of soap to wash them, and I never experienced much inconvenience from the want of more. 

I must again report that the arrival of the William Nicol at the Cape with so great a number of Souls as I have reported embarked, is a far happier result than I had any reason to anticipate, and any Person that witnessed the wretchedness of the People at the time of Embarkation must be strongly impressed with the same feeling.” 

Adding that he resented the interference of the officials at the Cape, he declared that the vessel had been provisioned for six months and it would be discovered upon her arrival in Sydney Town that she would be in a position to land at least a three months supply. 

Far happier result than he had any reason to anticipate!

Note:
C Bede Maxwell is my grandmother, Violet Thomas Maxwell. She used C Bede Maxwell as her pen name. She wrote several books in addition to Wooden Hookers including The Cold Nose of the Law, Surf, The Truth About Sporting Dogs and The New German Shorthair Pointer