Surgeon’s report Convict ship “Eden” bound for Tasmania (Van Diemens Land)
3rd August 1836 – 18th January 1837<BR><BR>


The “Eden” convict ship having the Guards on board and the usual arrangements for receiving the prisoners being completed, left Deptford 
on Sunday 14th August 1836 and anchored off Woolwich shortly afterwards. On the following day 180 convicts, the number intended for 
immediate embarkation were examined on shore and as they were sent on board without any delay, we were enabled to get under weigh next 
morning and in compliance with our orders, proceeded to Portsmouth. The voyage to Portsmouth occupied five or six days for the wind during 
that time was generally foul, nay, sometimes boisterous and as it occasioned an unpleasant motion of the ship, almost all the prisoners in consequence 
suffered very much from sea sickness. On 22nd August we received 100 convicts from the hulks in Portsmouth Harbour, middle aged and militia men, 
many of them soldiers and this completed our stipulated number of 280.
Having received the Government dispatch on 30th August we endeavoured to get to sea but did not succeed until next day: perhaps it would have 
been better had we remained at Spithead for more favourable weather, for we had a foul wind with a head sea until we got as far as Scilly, when 
part of the stern of the ship having been carried away by heavy pitching, we were obliged to bear up for Plymouth Harbour.  In this short cruise the 
prisoners again suffered much from sea sickness and I have been thus particular in pointing it out, because I am satisfied the seeds of future discord 
were sown here; and that the debility underwent by the continuance of so depressing an affliction underscored in no small degree the predisposition to 
scurvy arising from other causes.
My experience in the Convict Service has verified the above observation, for in two voyages we started with a fair wind and got away to the southward 
without encountering any bad weather and in neither ship had I a patient whom it was necessary to confine to bed. In my first and fourth voyages however,
 it was very different – we had foul winds and bad weather for some time after leaving port, and in both ships scurvy was very prevalent and made its 
appearance at an early period.
In the present ship, the “Eden”, the disease commenced shortly after we had passed the Equator and became so general the prisoners (although not in an 
aggravated form), that I considered it absolutely necessary to go into Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope for the purpose of obtaining fresh beef and vegetables. 
Our stay in harbour was necessarily short but its beneficial effects were sufficiently obvious and exceeded the most sanguine expectations; the countenance 
which before was pale, sallow and dejected now became clear, the cheeks assumed a healthy bloom, the appetite returned and cheerfulness pervaded every 
part of the ship; in short, after remaining in harbour a couple of days, the altered appearance of the convicts was so congenial and satisfactory that I agreed to 
take on board 22 additional convicts. 
On leaving the Cape we were supplied with 2 live bullocks; a certain number of sheep and a suitable allowance of vegetables; and although scurvy again made 
its appearance before we reached Van Diemens Land, its character was mitigated and I am happy to say we had no patient during the remainder of the voyage 
whom it was necessary to confine to bed.
We anchored at Hobart Town on 21st December 1836 and landed at that port and at Sydney 299 prisoners. We lost 3 men on the voyage altogether. 
The first died of fever near Madeira; the second in a fit of despondency and without any previous illness, strangled himself and the third sunk under a complication 
of  phithisis and scurvy near the Cape of Good Hope. The measures I adopted for preserving the health and promoting the comfort of the people entrusted to 
my charge may be specified in a few words; the prisoners were washed only once or twice during the voyage, but they were kept very clean dry hally stoning 
the decks and using occasionally the scuppers. I allowed no foul or damp cloths between decks; had windsails constantly in the hatchways for purposes of 
ventilation; and in moist and cold weather clean burning stoves were placed for a short time in the prisons. My orders respecting personal cleanliness were 
pre emptory and although a certain number only in rotation could bathe in the tub, yet all men were required to appear every morning with clean hands and faces 
and every Sunday they were mustered for church with a clean shirt at least.
Lastly I encouraged every kind of innocent amusement and recreation; and the singing and dancing which we had every evening when the weather permitted had 
(I am confident) a salutary tendency not only as a physical, but moral prophylactic.

Gilbert King M.D. Surgeon