The Times

Thursday June 21 1792 p.2

Botany Bay

The Gorgon of 44 guns, Capt. Parker, from Jackson's Bay, arrived at Portsmouth, sailed from Spithead the 15th March 1791, and reached her destined port the 22nd of September following. The colony was in great distress.

The Gorgon left the settlers 73 puncheons of spirits, with whatever provisions she could spare; having a long passage back, the ship's company were reduced to short allowance, particularly in the article of spirits. When they reached the Cape, they were obliged to send 140 people to the hospital, all of whom except one returned on board in perfect health, having been allowed, with the whole of the crew, fresh provisions and vegetables as much as they could eat.

About a week before the Gorgon reached Jackson's Bay, in a violent thunder storm, a ball of lightening struck and wounded the fore and main masts, broke to pieces a leager full of rack, and knocked down several of the people.

About the middle of August, the Gorgon running through the water at the rate of eleven knots an hour, with the wind right aft, at day break was found to be surrounded with islands of ice of a prodigious size, some of them in appearance as large as the Isle of Wight.

She sailed from the Cape of good Hope the 9th of April, and touched at the Island of Ascension, where she took on board a quantity of turtle.

The following came home passengers in the Gorgon:

Major Ross

Captain Campbell;.....Meredith;.....Tench;....Lieut. Johnstone; Lieut. Keilo;...Dawes

Adjutant Long

Quarter Master of Marines.

Captain Edwards, of the Pandora, which was lost;

upwards of 100 men, women and children belonging to the marine corps;

ten of the mutineers late of the Bounty,

and seven convicts that made their escape from Jackson's Bay to Batavia.

Barrington was appointed by Governor Phillips, High Constable of Parramatta, a new settlement about 14 miles from Sidney Cove, and Wentworth, the highwayman, acts as assistant to the Surgeon General at Norfolk Island.