Hi Lynne, You may have found this already in the PJ archives - I remember sending it many years ago. It is part of a letter written by Governor Macquarie to Earl Bathurst in May 1814 Destruction of the transport Three Bees by fire ----------------------------------------------------- A most unfortunate accident took place in Sydney Cove immediately in front of, and at a very short distance from Government House on Friday evening last, which I have now to relate to your Lordship. At about 5 o'clock in the evening the fine new ship Three Bees was discovered to be on fire, and so rapid and violent was the burst of flames when the hatches were accidentally raised, that all effort at extinguishing them were rendered totally useless, and must have been attended with the utmost risk to those who should have attempted it. The danger arising from the ordinary effect of fire being increased beyond calculation by the consideration that a very large quantity of gunpowder was deposited immediately adjoining the place from whence the flames first proceeded. No alternative was left to the Ship's Company but an immediate abandonment, which fortunately took place without any accident whatever. At this crisis, little short of the total destruction of the Town of Sydney was expected every moment to take place by the explosion of the Magazine. The alarm was so great that numbers of the inhabitants deserted their houses, and fled into the country to avoid being buried in its ruins. Fourteen guns, some loaded with ball and some with grape shot, exploded sending their contents in various directions, as the ship drifted, through the town, fortunately however, without doing any damage further than the breaking a window in the Naval Officer's House and shattering a writing desk that lay within it. At this time a light breeze blowing off the shore, and the cable being cut, the vessel drifted to the extremity of the Cove where she struck on some projecting rocks called Bennelong 's Point, and here the expected explosion took place. Owing to some circumstance, which cannot be otherwise accounted for than by supposing that the ship had previously taken in water, and wetted the powder, the explosion did not occur till nearly two hours after it was expected, and was not by any means so tremendous as there was reason to suppose it would have been. The alarm for the Town and the shipping in the Cove was now at an end, but the fire did not cease its ravages until the fine ship burnt down to the water's edge, which took place in about six hours from the first discovery. This unfortunate accident is attributed to some carelessness on the part of a Tailor, who had charge of a lighted candle in the morning in that part of the Hold whence the flames proceeded, dropping some of the snuff of it in an unextinguished state at his feet. Loses sustained by the crew of the Three Bees ------------------------------------------------------- The Government Stores and Provision, which had been sent out in her, had been fortunately landed (with the exception of a small quantity of wet provisions) previous to this lamentable occurrence. The unfortunate Commander, Surgeon, Officers and Crew were obliged precipitately to abandon the ship, leaving all their property of every kind to be destroyed in the general conflagration, and they are now without other support than what arises from the contributions of the humane and benevolent. (Source HRA You will, more than likely, find a newspaper report about it as well in the Sydney Gazette regards Lesley Uebel mailto:ckennedy@bigpond.net.au CLAIM A CONVICT http://users.bigpond.net.au/convicts/index.html -----Original Message----- From: aus-pt-jackson-convicts-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:aus-pt-jackson-convicts-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of Lynne Kokshoorn Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 1:46 PM To: aus-pt-jackson-convicts@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [PJ] AUS-PT-JACKSON-CONVICTS Digest, Vol 4, Issue 115 In reply to message no 4 on sunday march 22 Coralie Thank you so much for your information on the three bees, Vivid Festival in Sydney in June. I was able to google this in my relation Andrew Callaghan was on that ship and several family documents say that he may have been responsible for this fire though there is no way to prove or disprove this theory. I have been in sydney recently and did the rocks walking tour the guide told the other tourists about the three bees and the fire and my relation It was very special and I had a wonderful feeling for this I tempted to cross the ditch from nz and attend this event I will look into it once again many thanks for sharing the information I googled the newspaper article too. cheers Lynne nz