What is HMS Supply (1759)?
{{DISPLAYTITLE:HMS ''Supply'' (1759)}} '''HMS ''Supply''''' was a small ship, an armed [[tender]] which sailed with the [[First Fleet]]. She was intended to be a support ship for [[HMS Sirius (1786)|HMS ''Sirius'' (1786)]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=238338 |title=H4053 Ship Model, HM Armed brig Supply |accessdate=2008-12-28 |format= |work=Powerhouse Museum |archive-date=2010-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311141308/http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=238338 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The First Fleet carried the [[convict]]s and [[soldier]]s to [[Australia]] to start a [[penal colony]]. The ships left England in May 1787 and arrived in Australia in January 1788. This was the start of [[Europe]]an settlement of Australia. ''Supply'' was commanded by Lieutenant [[Henry Lidgbird Ball]].<ref name=aust>{{cite encyclopedia | title =First Fleet | encyclopedia =Australian Encyclopaedia | volume = IV| pages =72–76 | publisher =Angus and Robertson | date = 1958| id = | accessdate = }}</ref> ''Supply'' was a brig rigged [[sloop]] of 170 tons. A sloop is a small ship with a single gun deck. A brig rig means the ship had two masts and carried square sails. She had eight small three pounder guns and carried 50 men.<ref name=aust/> She was the smallest ship in the fleet, and the fastest. She was {{convert|70|ft|m|0|lk=on|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|26|ft|m|0|lk=on|abbr=on}} wide.<ref>{{cite book | last =Crago | first =Tony | authorlink = | title =The First Fleet and year of settlement | publisher =Woollahra Sales and Imports | date =2004 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn =1876553286 }}</ref> ==A supply ship== The [[Royal Navy]] had difficulty in finding a suitable ship. Several were checked but were not seen as suitable for the long journey to Australia. A French storeship, the ''Eclipse'', had been damaged when it ran ashore. An American ship, the ''Rattlesnake'' was not of suitable quality.<ref name=frost>{{cite b