John Campbell

John Campbell travelled with the First Fleet to New South Wales. He returned to England on the Lady Penryhn which left Sydney in May 1788, travelling via Lord Howe Island, Tahiti, China and St Helena. Surgeon Arthur Bowes Smyth, who also returned to England on the Lady Penryhn, recorded 32 crew members in his journal but does not include John Campbell.

This letter was written at sea by John Campbell to his parents on his return voyage to England from New South Wales on board the Lady Penrhyn. He describes the arrival of the First Fleet in Botany Bay then Port Jackson, and the passage of the Lady Penrhyn to England. The letter is addressed to `Mr John Bell Writter Ayre North Britain', ie Scotland. It may be a copy intended for publication. Nothing more is known of Campbell.

Transcript: John Campbell - letter to his parents, 9 August 1789

Honord Mother & Father

Agust the 9th 1789 at Sea on Board of the Ship Lady Penrhyn

This Comes with my kind Respects to you hoping that you are all Well I write to you at the Cape of Good hope by a Flemish Ship that was bound to Portsmouth in 1787 watterd & Saild from thence November the 12th January the 25th Arivd at Bottany Bay to the Southward of the Bay Saw great Number of the Inhabitants the Governore did not approve of the Ground heir About 12 Miles to the Northward he found Out a very good Harbour for the Shiping & better Ground Called port Jackson the 26 Sailed & Arived the Same day the Governor went on Shore to take Possession of the Land with a Company of Granadeers & Some Convicts At three A Clock in the Afternoon he sent on board of the Supply Brigantine for the Union Jack then orders was Gave fore the Soldiers to March down to the West Sid of the Cove they Cut one of the Trees Down & fixt as flag Staf & Histd the Jack and Fired four Folleys of Small Arms which was Answered with three Cheers from the Brig then thay Marched up the head of the Cove where they Piched their Tents I Wrote to you their by the Ship Alexander May the 5th 1788 Sailed From their Towards Lord Howes Illand found out by the Supply Brig on hir Passage to Norfolk Illand May the 15th Arived Histd our Boat out & went on Shore Expecting to get Some Turtle but did not the 18th Saild from their to Wards Otahita the 2nd of June Discovered three Small Ilands at 11 A Clock came up with two Smalest ons their was no Possability of Landing then Bore Away for the other Histd the Smal Boat out the Captn Mate & four hands went

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on Shore their was nothing upon it to Speak of July the 10th Arived their with 16 of us bad with the Scurvy hundreds of the Cannues Came on Board with the Produce of the Iland in three weaks time all of us got well the 23d saild from their to Tinian on our Passage Discovered an Iland More pleasant than the Other three But Did not Visit it Septembr the 19th Arived Watterd & Saild for China October the 21st Arived their Decmr the 23rd at Canton Saw John Reed And he was in good health the 10th of January 1789 Saild from China for St Helena After A very long passage Arived May the 18th the Ship that John Reed was Saild 5 weeks after us and Arived the day before us he was a Shore bad with the Scury we saild both in one day for England the Next letter I Send will inform you More of our Voyage So no More at present But Remember me to all Inquiring Friends

your Efectionate Son

John Campbell

I Should be very happy to have an Answere as Soon as this Comes to your hand you will be So good as to Direct to me the Care of Mr Charles McCollick Ceannemon Street No 5 London

To
Mr John Bell Writter Ayre
North Britain