Part 9 (1/2)
There was at this tireat need of a proper survey of these shores, particularly of the portion which now forms the Queensland coast and of the reefs that skirt it Since the days when Cook in the Endeavour had discovered these reefs, except when Flinders sailed to Hervey Bay in 1799, little had been done to h in the vicinity of the Great Barrier Reef both land and sea were alike dangerous to seamen and disasters were of frequent occurrence Cook himself had met with a mishap in these waters, and Flinders afterwards was totally wrecked on the inner edge of the Great Barrier Reef
Consequently, in agreeing to Flinders' proposal, King was conferring a real benefit upon the whole of the shi+pping community It was also decided that in the event of Flinders' progress being retarded, or if he were unable to examine the Gulf of Carpentaria, he should either explore Torres Strait or return and survey Fiji Eventually, however, it was found possible for him to carry out the exploration of the Gulf
Mr Westall, landscape painter, with Mr Robert Brown, botanist, and other scientists, sailed in the Investigator Bungaree, the Rose Bay native who had accoe in the Norfolk to Hervey Bay also ith hiiven a code of signals for the Lady Nelson and was directed by Flinders, in case of the shi+ps being separated, to repair to Hervey Bay, which he was to enter by a passage between Sandy Cape and Breaksea Spit said to have been found by South Sea whalers
The two shi+ps left Sydney together on July 22nd, 1802, but the Lady Nelson was soon in difficulties, and was left astern at Port Stephens
Shortly afterwards the Investigator lay to, to await her co On Saturday 24th--writes Flinders, ”our little consort being out of sight we stood an hour to the southward, and not seeing her in that direction bore away along the coast” Meanwhile on the afternoon of July 26th, Moreton Island at the entrance of Moreton Bay was passed, and on Wednesday the 28th, Flinders reached Sandy Cape where he ie into Hervey Bay One was found but proved too shallow for the Investigator to pass through, so the shi+p was brought to two miles from the Spit
On the 30th the Lady Nelson ca near her at sunset After leaving Sandy Cape, Captain Flinders found that the trend of the land differed noticeably froust 7th Port Curtis was discovered and on the 21st Port Bowen, but by October 17th, when off the curoup off the east coast of Queensland in 20 degrees south), the Lady Nelson had become so unfit for service that she had to be sent back to Sydney
The vessels at the time ithin the Great Barrier Reef, and Flinders states that he kept the brig with hie out to sea clear of the reefs could be found ”It is a matter of much concern to me,” he writes to Banks, ( See letters of Flinders to Banks Add ation could not be surmounted without such a loss of anchors to both vessels and of daeto the Lady Nelson in the loss of her e done to the trunk” It was also found that her capacity of beating to ard, never great, was ain in his journal he says, ”the Lady Nelson sailed so ill and had become so leewardly since the loss of the main and part of the after keel that she not only caused us delay but ran great risk of being lost” Therefore, much as he desired the aid of the se alone
Soon after he had separated from Flinders, Murray, in order to spare the Lady Nelson's sole reuns crossed, to be lashed together, and inds were light and waters smooth, he anchored with the swivels until the carpenter was able topages Murray relates the full story of the Lady Nelson's voyage both when she ith the Investigator and also after the two shi+ps had parted company
WITH THE INVESTIGATOR
THE LADY NELSON ON DISCOVERY IN COMPANY WITH HMS INVESTIGATOR
”Thursday, July 22nd, 1802 Preparing for sea At 2 PM the Investigator nal for all persons to return on board At 3 PM weighed and made sail down the harbour: by 1/2 past 7, cleared the Heads; 1/2 past 9 North Head of Port Jackson, south-south-west distant 18 miles
”Friday, July 23rd At 4 PM the Coal Island bore north by east 15 or 16 miles and the South Head of Port Stephens north-north-east 20 or 22 ht and show a light now and then, steering north-east by east At 8 spoke the Commander who told us to keep in his wake
”Saturday, July 24th At half-past 5 PM the Conal to come within hail, spoke hiht
”Sunday, July 25th Froh sea which continually broke on board At daylight we perceived fro that ere nearly in the sa down along shore By 4 PM sae supposed was a shi+p and supposed it to be the Investigator, accordingly stood in for her, but a squall of rain coun but no ansas received, at 8 fired a second gun with a light at the ot no answerBore north-north-east and to our surprise by h head of land which owing to being covered with clouds we did not before see (
Point Danger) Turned up the hands and made all sail and by 1 AM with much difficulty we cleared it
”Monday, July 27th At 2 PM Solitary Islands bore west by north distant 7bore west by north distant 15 or 16 ht saw the land from west-south-west to NWS, noon the northern end of Moreton Island bore west by north distant 5 or 6 leagues ( Flinders examined Moreton Bay and Pumicestone River in 1799 but Oxley made the discovery that Point Lookout was situated on Stradbroke Island and that Moreton Bay extended as far south as 28 degrees where it communicated with the sea)
”Thursday, July 29th At 8 AM Double Island Point bore north-west by west about 5 or 6 ator there, as we stood round the northern end of Double Island saw a number of natives aved their hands to us; all round the bay were numbers of fires In the mouth and on the south side of Wide Bay (
Coast of Queensland) lie two rocks with bold water round them, not laid down in the chart, and those rocks bare from the north end of Double Island north-east by north distance 1 1/2 miles
”Friday, July 30th At 5 PM the north extremes of the land bore north 1/2 east distant 15 or 16the coast At sunrise Indian Head bore north-north-west distant 3 miles, as we neared it, counted 25 natives on it Made all sail for Sandy Cape and by 11 AM entered a passage between two reefs, at the sa north-west distant about 10 or 11 ator had anchored under Breaksea Spit about 9 miles north-north-east from Sandy Cape)
”Saturday, July 31st Fine weather At 2 PM on the turn of tide sent the boat ahead to tow, hove up, and made all sail; cleared the shoals that surrounded this reef The Investigator standing down to us sent a boat with the Master on board to give assistance if wanted, at half-past 4 PM ye Commander came to; at 5 PM we also came to in 4 fathoms of water--bottom fine sand and waited on ye Commander At half-past 6 AM
hove up and made sail in shore and at half-past 8 AM ca of the boats of both vessels Captain Flinders and a nuentlemen landed and I went on shore with an aret wood In a little time Captain Flinders and his party were joined by about 30 of the natives all of whom laid down their arms and we continued on friendly terms with them all the time the parties were on shore Captain Flinders made them presents of red caps, toave back some baskets and nets With respect to the persons of these natives, I perceived little or no difference froaree could not understand a word they said (
”These people were entirely naked but wereable to obtain a better supply of fish with ”scoop nets” which are not known on the southern coast A species of pandanus grew here in abundance and the valleys contained trees of the Casuarina and Eucalyptus” Flinders)
”Sunday, August 1st Fine weather At 2 PM the gentlemen with their parties returned to the beach We all eot on board the Lady Nelson; at 3 PM came to in 5 fathoms, Captain Flinders then left us At 7 PM the Cohed; hove up and followed hi of Sandy Cape east by south 7 or 8 leagues
”Monday, August 2nd Fine weather At 1 PM Commodore on our lee beam 2 miles; quarter past 5 PM the Commodore came to, at half-past we caot under weigh At 10 AM