HMS Guardian (1784)

HMS "Guardian" was a ship of the Royal Navy. She was built in 1784 as a 44-gun frigate but, with her lower tier of guns removed, she was converted to a storeship. On 12 September 1789 she sailed from Spithead, under the command of Lieutenant Edward Riou, with 1,003 short tons (910 tonnes) of provisions for the convict settlement at Port Jackson in New South Wales, Australia. She also carried 25 specially selected convicts and several officials for the settlement. At Santa Cruz de Tenerife she took on 2,000 wine gallons (7,500 l) of wine. On 24 November she reached the Cape of Good Hope, where she loaded some cattle and horses, and departed on 11 December.

After 1,300 statute miles (2100 km) sailing in the Southern Ocean, at latitude 44 degrees South, and longitude 41 degrees East, she sighted a large iceberg on 24 December. To replenish her water supplies the captain ordered the jolly boat and cutter to be lowered to pick up loose ice. Fog set in so thickly that the iceberg could not be seen by the ship three-quarters of a mile away. The boats were hoisted aboard, and "Guardian" set sail again. Her bows struck a projecting ledge of ice under the water and, although she got free, her keel and rudder were damaged as she swung around.

Water poured into the ship but, by pumping and jettisoning cargo and livestock, she remained afloat. During the night several sails were torn to shreds in the gale which had sprung up. Many of the officers, seamen and convicts, believing the ship would sink at any moment, broke into the liquor store and became hopelessly drunk.

On Christmas Day five boats were hoisted out and departed heavily laden with men but with no food or drink. Sixty-two people remained with Riou on the ship. By continual pumping and fothering of the ship (covering a leak with a sail containing rope fibres), and by using a cable for steering, the "Guardian" remained afloat, and limped back to the coast of Africa at Table Bay by 21 February 1790. Some provisions were salvaged, but on 12 April a gale drove her onto the beach, where she was totally wrecked.

Only one of the boats was rescued, the ten survivors being returned to Cape of Good Hope. The other boats were never heard of again.

Of the 21 convicts rescued, one died at the Cape. The others eventually reached Port Jackson with the Second Fleet at the end of June 1790. As a result of Riou's report of their good conduct, they were granted conditional pardons.

This loss of the "Guardian" was used by Patrick O'Brian as the basis for his novel "Desolation Island".

References

* Bateson, Charles, "The Convict Ships, 1787-1868", Sydney, 1974.
* [http://www.angelfire.com/trek/guardian/ The Life of Capt Edward Riou & HMS Guardian] , By Sir Robert Burns