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ARRIVAL OF THE SOVEREIGN Natal Witness 29 March 1850

The Sovereign's 120-day voyage was fraught with crises: she was dismasted once and caught fire on a couple of occasions. There had been at least four deaths, one of them a man of 98, Thomas YOUNG. On her arrival at Port Natal, the Bar was found to be impassable, and an attempt to land the passengers in open boats failed.

Travelling in the cabin (on a free passage provided by Byrne) was James METHLEY, who wrote 'The New Colony of Port Natal' and had done some public relations work among prospective emigrants in England. Among the steerage passengers were Philip DYKES (incorrectly given in the Natal Witness as DYKER), John BYRNE (given as BRYNE), no relation of J C BYRNE, Samuel THRING (Thring's Post bears his name), Edmund TATHAM (spelled FATHAM in the Witness), a surveyor, and William HARTLEY, who later had the foresight to buy a cargo of pepper washed up after a wreck, knowing that this commodity could be dried out and sold at a profit.

John BAXTER, also on board Sovereign, mentions in his diary that provisions were low by the time Natal was reached: "15 March ... Mess day, the first without tea, coffee, sugar, second without pork, third without suet". But he was heartened by the vessel being "favoured with a fair wind ... we have been enabled to sail along the coast ... the most magnificent natural scenery the eye can behold corresponding exactly with Byrne Prospectus as far as the resemblance of a Nobleman's Park ... The Ina from Glasgow was fourteen days before us, without a death. The King William seven weeks before us and had seventeen deaths on board. Byrne's statement of 8 or 9 weeks voyage cannot be relied on, an average passage is 12 or 13 weeks at least." While the Sovereign continued to languish in the outer anchorage, on 26 March "a large boat came alongside ... and brought us some fresh beef, it is of good quality and is a decided treat after living so long on salt junk and hard tack." Though earlier in the voyage, BAXTER reported that "10 or 12 weeks on board a ship is of great service to break a person in for a new Colony, it teaches economy on cooking and a variety of other useful arts previously unknown to the generality of male passengers. We have a cook ... but his business is only to superintend the coppers and oven, the preparation devolves upon ourselves ... Only fancy you see me making a plumb pudding ... we have first rate puddings made of flour, biscuit suet, raisins and currants etc. boiled in salt water." On 30 March 1850, he writes "I came on shore today making 16 weeks from leaving Old England to settling my foot on African soil. Staying on board six days after our arrival."

ARRIVED
March 20th - Fox, Cutter, Manson, London and Cape.

March, 24th - the Sovereign, Captain King, with Mr Methley, Mrs Winder, and other passengers in the Cabin, and the following in the intermediate and steerage:

John Steele, farmer and gardener, and family
JG Furnivall, farmer
RM Dickenson, farmer, (?Dickinson)
George Young, farmer and family
Charles Boulton, plumber, and wife
John Bryne, farmer and family (?Byrne)
FJ Byrne, farm labourer, (?Thomas Byrne)
AL Vertue, farmer and wife
EE Hume, farmer
Rev. Charles Hume
James Ennals, farm labourer
Albert Allison, farmer, and wife
George Chambers, farmer
Philip Dyker, farmer and family (?Dykes)
Elizabeth Tye
W Hutchinson, farmer and family
Robert Barns, grazier, and wife
Henry Young, farm labourer
Samuel Thring, joiner and cartwright, and family
GW Kinsman, farmer and wife
G Spearman and children
Jemima Burnett
Richard Richardson, farmer and family
HJ Knox, tailor and wife,
D Holman
John Baxter, farmer
WP Horning, farmer and family
John Crocker, stone mason, and family
William Crocker
Edgar Parsons, farm labourers
Alfred Moore, gardener, and wife
Michael Jeffels, farmer and family
William Hartley, farmer, and wife
Thomas Handley, farmer
John Standish, plumber, and family
Edmund Fatham, builder and family (Tatham)
JB Baker, farmer and family (?TB Baker)
John Lester, farm labourer
E Fletcher, joiner, and family
David Fearnsides, farmer and family
G Sharp, carpenter
R Summers, farmer
JG Dyer
RN Laurie, surveyor
William and Horatio Smith, carpenters
T Thompson, labourer, and wife
H Banger, carpenter
E Thompson, farmer, and family
Wm Tate, farmer, and wife
JG Eaton, wheelwright, and wife
T Odell, saddler
L Odell, carpenter
John Taylor, farmer and family
Joseph Lynn, farmer
Charles Watson, labourer
E Barrow, farmer and wife
Joseph Crew, farmer
E Pacy, labourer (?Pacey)
W Smith, carpenter and wife
G Hare, farmer
FB Newmarch, agriculturists (?TB Newmarch)
Alfred Burwash, farmer
D Tarboton, miller, and family
R Beckham, farm labourer, and family
Mary Ann Robinson, and children

Wesleyan Emigrants
John W Greeves, iron worker, and wife
J Reed, joiner and wife
W Green, farm labourer
Henry Cavill, blacksmith, and wife
Matthew Barr, butcher, and wife
Charles Shaw, wheelwright
R Pacey, labourer
Joseph Jee, basket maker, and family
George Pridgeon, harness maker, and wife
Rose Smith
James Watson, mechanic, and family
in all, say 230.
John Moreland, Agent.

IN PORT
Hannah, Schooner.

OUTSIDE
Ina, Waterwitch, Sovereign, Natal, Fox and Gem.

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE
Christening
March 21st - By the Rev. WHC Lloyd, Colonial Chaplain, a daughter of Frederick Augustus Fuller, baptised Catharine Sarah.