Clean clothing helped control lice and other pests, giving it direct medical importance. Phillip obtained replacement garments where he could and used men's clothing when suitable women's clothing was unavailable. The failure of civilian arrangements to meet basic naval expectations persuaded the Admiralty to assume more responsibility for supplies on later convict voyages. Better provisioning left later prisoners healthier. One explanation offered for subsequent mutiny attempts is that healthier convicts were also more capable of resistance.
Notable Point · 2:15:42-2:17:15
Why the Navy took over convict provisioning
Clothing failures exposed weak civilian provisioning and helped move responsibility for later convict voyages toward naval administration.