Part 7 (2/2)
”Monday, March 1st At 5 AM took up our kedge, hove short, loosed sails and sheeted ho to run as high as the watering place The wind in a little time flied away and the tide ran so rapid as to sweep the vessel on a shoal of sand with only 5 feet of water on it, as it was perfectly s the least dae and dropped back into our old berth between Point Paterson and Bowen's Point so named from Mr Bowen's skirmish with the natives in it The flies are now so troubleso a etting on board stones for ballast and stowing theboat for a turn of water and to sound that part of the harbour between the vessel and it; by noon she returned on board with a turn of water, it was found that a bank of sand lay from shore to the distance of a mile or a mile and a quarter with only, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 feet on it at loater and it extends nearly 4shore When you have passed this there is fro place, there is however little doubt of a deep channel being outside of this shoal, and this point will be ascertained in the course of to-morrow
”Thursday, March 4th PM The launch returned on board with a turn of water but had not been able to find a channel for vessel of any draught of water though she stood well out from the shore to at best 3 miles
This bank has only from 4 to 8 feet water on it and in many places is not above a hundred yards broad
”Friday, March 5th I went in the launch in search of a channel by which vessels of a larger draught than oursplace and was fortunate enough to find one aoff the southern shores of this Port about 3from 16 to 6 fathoms water in at loater and neap tides; and in this water a vessel of any draught may be secure fro at which to-day I loaded the boat ater and exaes it is most excellent water as clear as crystal--lies from the beach about 10 or a dozen yards and plenty of it to water the Grand Fleet of England; it is nearer the entrance than the foot of Arthur's Seat by about 2 miles, and can easily be found out by the land which for a few miles before you come to it is lohereas all the other land on both sides is high with bold points; if a boat then East or east by south from Point Paterson 9 miles puts into the shore they will not be far off it, there is plenty of duck about it, but so shy that only two have been shot, a circuret as they exceed in flavour any I ever eat We are now complete in water and will soon be wooded
”Saturday, March 5th E decayed and her sides and bends being very bare I gave them a coat of red (the only colour we had on board) and blacked the bends and upper works AM I went in the launch over to the sheet of water (
Mentioned on 22nd) (as I intended) with an arot to its entrance This day has been so clear that we are able to see the land all round the Port and in h headlands In those low places, where we could not be certain of the land by the eye there were nue
”Sunday, March 7th By one PM I got into the sheet of water and by pulling all round it found it to be very extensive but, in no place reatest part of it so shoal as to ground the boat In the entrance at one place there is a small channel of about 50 or 60 feet in breadth with 9 feet to 2 1/2 fathoms water in, but of no use as it shoals to a couple of feet before you get in The soil of the land all round the extensive place is good and its appearance exceeds in beauty even the southern shores The nue swans seen almost exceeds belief, but by this tie All of us slept this night on a pleasant little island with a few handsoood and so clear as to be fit for the hoe at once, I named it Maria Isle after a sister I lost some years past
”Monday, March 8th Asintended sailing in a few days I judged it consistent with His Majesty's instructions (a copy of which I was furnished with from the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of New South Wales) to take possession of this port in the forly at 8 o'clock in the doms of Great Britain and Ireland were hoisted on board and on Point Paterson, and at one o'clock under a discharge of 3 volleys of small arms and artillery the Port was taken possession of in the nae the Third of Great Britain and Ireland, King, etc, etc Served double allowance of grog In the afternoon I went on shore attended with an armed party and passed the re on shore, at sundown hauled down the colours on board and ashore
”Tuesday, March 9th E ready for sea Overhauled our keels fore and aft, cleaned them We have now expended 19 weeks and one day's provisions out of 24 weeks We were victualled for co to the quantity of bread decayed, along hat the swans and other birds have eaten, we are rather short, even e have left is very bad, therefore it will not be in my power at this time to prosecute the object of our cruisedone in such a length of tiainst us the whole cruise, however the little that is perforinal instructions is pretty accurate and I trust will give the Commander-in-Chief some satisfaction
”Wednesday, March 10th For these last two or three days great numbers of native fires have been seen all round the Port except between Arthur's Seat and Point Palhed andtide of ebb running out we got into the entrance carrying all the way from 9 to 16 fathoms water, we then fell into such a ripple that we expected every ot clear and by half-past the point of entrance bore north-east by east 4 h nob of land (if not an island) west-north-west 4 or 5 miles, by noon the entrance north-east by west 9 or 10 h inclined to calm At half-past 3 PM South Head bore south-south-west the North distant 4 or 5 miles
At 4 PM passed Bradley's Head, at 6 passed Garden Island and by half-past 6 PM came to an anchor in Sydney Cove with the best bower, e The Commander waited on His Excellency the Governor and Coe ended on March 24th, and on the sa at Sydney, with the news that his orders had been carried out The Governor reatly pleased, and the more so because only a month later the French shi+p Naturaliste put into Port Jackson (
The French shi+ps Geographe and Naturaliste had left France in October 1800 on a voyage of discovery) Hamelin, who commanded her, was, however, in sore straits He had parted froale off Van Dieman's Land and had traversed the whole of Bass Strait withoutvisited Western Port only a month after Murray had left there ( French Island preserves the lish (contrary to Peron's assertions) knew that this island was separated fro his provisions exhausted, in his extreh he knew that France and England were at war, steered to Sydney The English, we are told, received hirande et Loyale) liberality, and the sick French sailors were received at the Govern his shi+p when Captain Matthew Flinders arrived in HMS Investigator on May 9th and was able to give him news of his consort which he had met in Encounter Bay Flinders also informed Captain Hamelin that Baudin had said that it was his intention to proceed to the Isle of France The Naturaliste therefore, hastened her preparations and sailed from Sydney on May 18th
In the meantiain, arriving on April 21st and bringing a cargo of wheat and so may prove of value to those who study the early history of the Colony, for Murray gives the names of the different reaches in the river, and it would be interesting to knohether these old place-names are still used Murray does not tell us of the arrival of the Naturaliste, though he must have been in Sydney then, but various entries show that the brig conveyed the Governor and his party to the Naturaliste's anchorage in Neutral Bay to visit Captain Hae to the Hawkesbury River was carried out, and then the shi+p was put into preparation for a voyage of exploration, in coator, to the North coast
MURRAY'S LOG
Sydney Cove to the Hawkesbury
”Thursday, April 1st Fine weather Getting ready for sea At half-past 5 AM up kedge and weighed and turned out of ye cove The cuot under way and proceeded down the harbour At 8 AM (We having the cumberland in company) cleared the heads of Port Jackson, and at half-past 8 parted with cu her with a fine moderate breeze at south-south-east, and by half-past 9 she bore Sydney 4 or 5 ot abreast of Barren Jowie ( Barrenjoey) and by noon passed Pittwater, here we found at anchor Mr Coe
”Friday, April 2nd Proceeding up Harbour and by 2 PM ca Raby's boat passed us, and in a little ti boat with three soldiers in her, at 8 PM she left us AM Got under way and at the end of tide came to in the westernmost end of Spectacle Reach
”Saturday, April 3rd At 3 PM got under weigh and proceeded up the river--carove Reach, set as usual an armed watch with an officer and proceeded up the river and at noon caot under weigh and proceeded up the river as far as the first branch and there froht caot as far as Shot Snake Reach
”Monday, April 5th Fine weather At 8 AM got under weigh andproceeded up the River, by 11 AM passed the upper branch and by noon gained two following Reaches Latitude observed 33 degrees 28 minutes 26 seconds south
”Tuesday, April 6th Fine weather throughout At 4 PM cah and gained Portland Reach At 10 AM got under weigh and by noon got one reach above Portland Reach--as yet we have not seen one log of cedar
”Wednesday, April 7th Proceeding up the river--by 4 PM caun