maietime

Introduction and Contents             Descendant: A. Maie the first leg to Santa Cruz ( Drawing A. Maie) By 3rd June the first stopover, the port of Santa Cruz, a Spanish colony on the Island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, was ‘in Sight distance 12 Leagues.’ [1]   At this and every subsequent stop the convicts were put out of irons and the officers and seamen went ashore.   The ships were watered and fresh provisions were brought on board.   At Santa Cruz the convicts were given ‘wine and fresh Beef for the whole of use while we remained here’; quite a change to the salted meat and beer which were the usual provision while at sea.   That however was the limit.   Unlike the seamen and officers the convicts were not allowed to disembark. Freedom did not last long for Elizabeth.   On 9th June Elizabeth Pulley and three other women were put in irons for, in Lt. Clark’s words, ‘fighting ther was never three great whores living than they are, the four of them that W