On 29 May 1799, Hannah, Joshua and their two children set out from Portsmouth for India, aboard the ship "Criterion". Although there was a threat of a French naval attack, the family landed safely at the Danish settlement of Serampore (a few miles north of Calcutta) on 13 October 1799. They had chosen to land here because the East India Company was at that time hostile to missionaries. They settled in the Danish colony and were joined there by William Carey on 10 January 1800.