The First Fleet Diary Entry

• Cameron Luyckx, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2012

On the 12th of May I was sent to court in London for stealing a silk handkerchief. Instead of being killed I was being I was sent to the mysterious, unknown Terra Australis with a massive fleet to be known as the first fleet. We set sail on the 13th of May on the Scarborough. I met a 54 year old man called James Rilly he was probably my only friend, he said “it’s good to have a friend if convict?”
On the 7th of July 1787 we were in the Atlantic Ocean it was cold, windy and wet and we were running out of food. Luckily we were coming to Rio de Janeiro. By the time we were there, we were locked up in the deep, dark, damp and cold hull of the boat. We were at Rio de Janeiro for about a month. Finally we set sail to the wonderful Cape of Good Hope in Southern Africa.
It has been two months since Rio de Janeiro and we are still not at Cape of Good Hope. I think that Cape of Good Hope will be sunny and hot on the outside of the boat but I do not know for sure because we will be locked up again.
On the way to Cape of Good Hope one of Marines sons died of bloody flux. So at noon everyone except convicts held a funeral at sea. It was sad to see families crying I wish I could see my family again. “I know how it feels” I said to the marine he said back “speak again and I’ll have you killed” so I kept quiet.
It is almost the end of our journey. I am feeling good because it is sunny and the sea is calm so all convicts are allowed up on deck.

Tom Wilder