Friendship

Friendship was a merchant brig built in Scarborough, England, and launched in 1784. As part of the Australian First Fleet, she transported convicts from England to New South Wales. Due to problems manning her, she was scuttled in the Makassar Strait in October 1788. Origins After being launched, almost certainly in late 1784, she was sent to Antigua under Captain William Young in March 1785, returning late in the year, probably with a cargo of sugar and rum. She was then employed in the East Country coal trade, before being sent to St Petersburg in July 1786, for iron, hemp and planks. She returned to the Thames on 10 October 1786, and four days later, she was tendered to the Navy Board by William Richards, the First Fleet contractor. The charter party between Richards and Thomas Hopper was signed on 23 November. Voyage to Australia Friendship left Portsmouth with the rest of the fleet on 13 May 1787; the smallest of the convict transports. Her master was Francis Walton and the surgeon assigned to her was Thomas Arndell. She was carrying 76 male and 21 female convicts, but there are small differences in various accounts of the number of people on board when she sailed. David Collins gave the following details in his book An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales: "The Friendship, ... of 228 tons, had on board 76 male and 21 female convicts; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 2 sergeants, 3 corporals, 1 drummer, and 36 privates, with 1 assistant surgeon to the colony." The Marines served as guards.