“The challenges that Phillip faced seemed to grow in inverse proportion to time remaining before departure. With there being little more he could do with regard to planning and preparation, he was looking more towards the voyage, and the need to ensure that as many people as possible survived what could well be a very arduous, nine-month passage. On 12 March 1788 after the Navy Board had advised him that no changes could be made to the victualling of Royal Marines personnel during the voyage, he wrote to Lord Sydney in protest. Every one of the eleven ships would be severely crowded, and that combined with a poor diet, would almost certainly lead to a considerably greater loss of life. In particular, the very limited supply of flour was most concerning…
“The challenges that Phillip faced
