Part 11 (1/2)
”Wednesday, October 6th At half-past 1 answered signal ”Follow nal ”Make sail ahead” At this tie of sand reefs in the east and west direction and three small rocks bore north-east by north distant 2 1/2 or 3 h they form part of the same barrierThe reefs were not dry with the exception of soroes, these being dead coral” Flinders) Answered signal of 'Danger,' following the Investigator and keeping a good lookout froh peak of pines bore south-south-west distant about 22 miles which proves those extensive reefs to be placed very erroneously on the chart owing to the incorrectness of Messrs Swaine and Carees off the land instead of which they are only distant 20 miles from the nearest island Quarter past 6 PM caator north-east by north quarter of a mile distant ( ”At six anchored in 27 fathoator began to heave up and we did the same, by 6 AM ood lookout for shoals Saw a shoal of sand with two s within 2 miles of the shoal tacked At noon the rocks on the shoal bore north-west a little westerly distant 2 nals and cd from Captain Flinders
( ”I sent a boat with instructions to Lieutenant Murrayin case of our separation” Flinders)
”Thursday, October 7th Stood on after the Investigator and weathered the last-hed and made sail to the south-east At half-past 10 AM saw a reef of coral ahead, several parts of which were above water considerably much like the appearance of boats under sail ( ”Upon these reefs were ro heads” Flinders)
”Friday October 8th At half-past 5 PM tacked to the northward, reefs still in sight At 9 AM tacked after the Co east to east-north-east distant 4 or 4 1/2 ator bore north by east distant 1 1/2north distant 5 or 6north-east by north distant 4 miles and a small rock on an extensive shoal of sand east by south distant 1 1/2way frorees 54 minutes 42 seconds south
”Saturday, October 9th Fro weathered the East point of this shoal) we ran along its other side At half-past 5 PM came to From the hed in company with the Co a strong ripple close to us and supposing it to be shoal water let go our kedge and er to the Commodore who also came to and sent his boats to sound as did we but found no less than 15 fathonal for shoal water and the Conal to anchor which we immediately did in 22 fathoator also anchored We found ourselves within a cable's length of a shoal and all round shoals of sand and extensive coral reefs Latitude observed 20 degrees 51 minutes 38 seconds south
”Sunday, October 10th PM Sent the boat to examine the reefs of coral near us At 4 PM the boat returned on board; found the coral to be of reen, and in short in every colour we know of--found soe cockles and a few small shells--found the tide to ebb to run due north-east not less than 2 1/2 knots but when it sallys over the flats and reefs it hed and sent the boat ahead to tow and got our sweeps on At 45 minutes past 5 AM made sail in coator's boat ahead of us sounding This reat deal of suspicious water but saw no rocks or shoals dry
”Monday, October 11th Stood on ahead of the Investigator broken water and reefs on both sides of us At half-past 4 PM saw some very extensive reefs ahead, they seemed to train as far aft as our bea shows itself to the west-north-west as also one to the North, all else is broken water, reefs of coral and patches of coarse whitish sand or hed and ator half a(
”Nextand whale-boat went ahead and we steered after the was choaked up and we had scarcely entered that to the West when Mr Murray er' the Lady Nelson was carried rapidly to the south-east seenal of recall” Flinders) After running on this course about athen close up to the tail of the coral reef north-east of us we suddenly found ourselves in 4 fathoe rocks of coral
Ier' to the Co south we found a very rapid tide with us and on passing between two reefs the current of tide I i this tiator followed after us, but at 7 AM she ht up we had no botto her sheer she at once broke the warp 65 fathoot round the top of a rock of coral as we have reason to suspect it foul ground Iator and the wind fortunately freshening we passed her and acquainted Captain Flinders with our loss He told reat strain on the strain cable, it parted and we lost an anchor Mr Murray had lost a kedge and was then riding by a bower” Flinders) Accordingly at 9 AM we anchored but she quickly drove into the stream of tide, and there, to h,' tried to do so but found it impossible--held fast--in a little time the tide slackened somewhat and Captain Flinders sent a boat and an to heave up and were fortunate enough to get it with the loss of one ared--made sail after the Cos ( ”Our anchor had swivelled in the stock
Sent Mr Murray 2 grapnels, which were all that our losses could allow of being spared” Flinders)
”Tuesday, October 12th At daylight weighed in coator and made sail to the northward At half-past 7 AM We both cahed in company with the Coht froht lay to for the Investigator who joined us by 7 AM On sounding we found the bottom altered from coarse sand, coral and broken shells to very fine sand and s us the Co has been suspicious, however, I i cal At half-past 10 AM the Cos backing one another, and they held on
”Thursday, October 14th At half-past 5 PM reefs of coral in sight; body of thehed in coator and stood to southward; at half-past 7 AM reefs of coral in sight, threesouth by east; we also at this tiues, ator: by 8 AM
perceived it was islands, three in number At noon one island bore west by north distant 6 or 7 miles This island appears very barren and rocky, and an island that, fro Island south-south-east distant 16 or 17 miles
”Friday, October 15th 6 PM What I suppose to be the Peak of Pines near Watering Island bore south by east distant 22 or 24 h hummocks of land west distant about 9 e island with a fire on it bore south-west by south distant 6 or 7 ed land south by east distant 7 or 8 miles: an island with two hills on it south-west by west distant 5 or 6 miles: a low island with several hillocks west-south-west distant 8 or 9 h perpendicular peak of one of cumberland Isles, and at half-past 6 PM anchored in 20 fathoms with the small bower, bottom fine blue sand Commodore anchored distant 1/4 of a mile
At 6 AM I went on shore in order to look for water as well as to see what the island produced, we cut down a couple of pines, fit one for a top-mast the other for a top-sail yard On this island a nu, some palator, thinks is not common This island is not inhabited but seems occasionally to be visited Two of the other islands are inhabited as on both of theht On the north-west side is a beach of coarse coral and sand, on which a few dried shells were picked up, froe coral rocks
A number of porpoises and sharks were seen about us this forenoon but none caught
”Sunday, October 17th At 6 AM weighed in coator, made sail to northward; by noon the cumberlands froator east by south distant 4steady swell I judge we are nearly clear of the northern extremity of the reefs I have now had several opportunities of seeing that from the want of our ator in 6 hours will get with ease 4
”Monday, October 18th Stood on after the Investigator At 6 PM she anchored within half a mile of us, on which I immediately came to in 34 fathoms with the small bower Saw a boat lowered and in half an hour Lieutenant Fowler came on board and informedwith the brig and therefore to get all ready for that purpose ( The Lady Nelson sailed so ill ”that she not only caused us delay but ran great risk of being lost The zeal he (Lieutenant Murray) had shownincreasedfroht hoisted out our long boat and sent her on board the Investigator I received from Captain Flinders orders to proceed to Port Jackson with the Lady Nelson as fast as circumstances would allow I also received a letter on service to His Excellency Governor King, as well as some private letters Half-past 8 AM I took leave of Captain Flinders and returned on board, hove up At this tiator hoisted her colours and we did the sa away to the ard and we to the southward By 40 ator, her top-gallant-sails just being in the vane of the horizon ( At ”9 o'clock got under weigh and showed our colours to bid farewell to the Lady Nelson” Flinders) At noon cue one distant 10 or 11 ator, Mr Lacy, Henry Willis and Thomas shi+rly and received in lieu Jeremiah Wolsey and Nanbury (a native) ( ”Nanbarre, one of the two natives, having expressed a wish to go back to Port Jackson was sent to the Lady Nelson in the rees 178 minutes 16 seconds south
”Tuesday, October 19th By half-past 5 PM having run in between two very high islands covered with pines, cahest of the islands was in several places on fire I lowered our boat and sent the First Mate in her to speak to the natives who I supposed must be on the island but when he returned, he told me few of their traces were seen A part of one of their canoes was found and brought on board, from its appearance I deemed it not much superior in structure from those of the natives of Sydney Froe with a blue clay bottoh peak of the nearest or eastern of those islands bore east-south-east, the rest of the cuhed and stood to the north-north-east, kept tacking occasionally to ard as it was ht of the island we last watered at chiefly to ascertain whether the Timekeeper had kept its rate At noon wore as she repeatedly missed stays from the want of her keels and a short confused sea ahead
”Wednesday, October 20th Fro to work to ard but she refusing stays I bore away for our forained at 3 PM came to Lowered down the boat and I went on shore unar that should the island have any natives on it, they ht be induced to show the of consequence, one tree or plant excepted, which I had never seen before: as Nanbury, a native of Sydney on board, said he knew nothing of such a tree, as well as so tie specimen of it on board and hope it will keep
”Thursday, October 21st PM Sent a party on shore to exaet the bearings of the island When they returned I was informed that the southernh) bore south-east 1/2 east It was the o, as round their fires were plenty of turtle bones scattered about Our anchorage last left bore south by west distant 2 miles
”Friday, October 22nd At 8 PM cahed, cleared the narrow passage between the islands we anchored underwe had chosen the worst place they afford: as on this side from the number of islands that lie all around as well as Cape Hillsborough and the island off it, we found the water quiet and se island to the south-east and by noon were abreast of its eastern extremity This island has the most romantic and beautiful appearance of any I have ever beheld and fro but a continuation of safe and well-sheltered bays, the shores of which consist of white sand beaches intercepted here and there with patches of coral rocks: the edges of these in several places are lined with lowa beautiful contrast, these however rise not so high as to intercept our view of bold front-land which rain on theht rise the inland hills covered with very high pines, on the whole I scarcely ever saw so fine a view At noon the body of it bore north 1/2 east distant 3 e north-north-west distant 14 ht (if we reach it) east by E distant 6 or 7 rees 48 minutes 44 seconds south
”Saturday, October 23rd By half-past 4 PM caht although the re by the way rather odd as I had a short boo Island By noon a remarkable peak on the ht in different directions Since leaving Broad Sound until now the sea had been constantly covered in different places with an oily brown slime insomuch that it has often occasioned me to suspect shoal water
”Sunday, October 24th At sundown the body of Watering Island bore distant 10 or 11fros to be fro Islands and within the westerne of the extensive barrier reefs 20 ht weighed and ot within three e where we ca east-south-east At 40 ot within one e