A wonderful original letter by Newton Fowell, the eighteen-year-old midshipman on HMS Sirius whose moving and evocative letters from the First Fleet have been one of the treasures of the State Library of New South Wales since they were acquired in 1987. This candid letter to his father John Fowell of Black Hall, North Huish, Devon, is dated "Sirius, 10 May 1787" and was written aboard the flagship of the First Fleet just three days before she set sail for Botany Bay.

A wonderful original letter by Newton Fowell, the eighteen-year-old midshipman on HMS Sirius whose moving and evocative letters from the First Fleet have been one of the treasures of the State Library of New South Wales since they were acquired in 1987. This candid letter to his father John Fowell of Black Hall, North Huish, Devon, is dated "Sirius, 10 May 1787" and was written aboard the flagship of the First Fleet just three days before she set sail for Botany Bay.

Newton Fowell was a well-connected "young gentleman" seaman, whose family sought the sponsorship of Captain John Hunter and Evan Nepean to ensure his late inclusion in the First Fleet expedition. He joined the Sirius in February 1787 and was the last officer to do so apart from Arthur Phillip himself. In earlier letters to his father Fowell had expressed his impatience at the endless delays in departing. Yet in this letter, when their final departure was imminent, he was somewhat caught off guard: 'Capt Philip (sic) came on board yesterday and talks of sailing tomorrow, how that will be I cannot say but the Wind at Present is fair'.

Fowell describes the haste with which the men were called aboard: 'we had no great notice to get ready. I have some Linen on shore which if I cannot get to day will be left behind', and bemoans the tardiness of receiving their pay: 'We have not yet been paid any Advance it will be paid today and supposed only two Months, the Men Murmur very much as most of them have 6 Months Pay due…'.

By all accounts, Fowell acquitted himself honourably during the nine-month voyage to Botany Bay and was the first officer to receive a promotion after their arrival: a fellow officer on Sirius described him as 'that very Deserving Young Man… Ord[ere]d to Act as Lieut… I have Every Reason to Suppose him for the first Promotion… I think him by far the Most Deserving Young Man in the Ship'.

Fowell made three further voyages as lieutenant: the rapid circumnavigation with Hunter to the Cape of Good Hope and back on the Sirius, and another to Norfolk Island on the Supply, during which the Sirius was wrecked. His final voyage was to Batavia, on a mission to purchase a replacement for the Sirius and obtain desperately-needed provisions. Having safely reached Batavia, Fowell succumbed to the notorious Batavia fever, and died aged twenty-two. On 14 March 1791 Phillip wrote to the Admiralty reporting on recent events, 'The Supply lost five men in the voyage and left six in the Hospital in Batavia… Mr Newton Fowell who I had appointed second lieutenant of the Sirius (when Lieutenant King was sent to Norfolk Island) and the gunner of the Sirius likewise died on the Voyage. Both these officers were to have been landed at Norfolk Island had the Supply made it in her passage to Batavia'.

The vast majority of First Fleet manuscripts are held institutionally; this example, once in the Webster collection, is a rare exception. The thirteen letters by Fowell held by the State Library of New South Wales and published in 1988 (The Sirius Letters: The Complete Letters of Newton Fowell, 1786-1790) give detailed reports of the voyage and the arrival of the Sirius in Port Jackson, and difficulties of the first two years of settlement. They form a series which was earlier thought to be complete.