At Half-Past 4 P.M.
Weighed And Sent The Boat Ahead To Tow And Got Our Sweeps On.
At 45
minutes past 5 A.M. made sail in company with the Commodore stood on
ahead with the Investigator's boat ahead of us sounding.
This morning we
passed a great 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 P.M. saw some very
extensive reefs ahead, they seemed to train as far aft as our beam one
each side of us. An appearance of an opening 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 more probably coral. At
half-past 5 A.M. weighed and made sail to the northward keeping ahead of
the Investigator half a mile, and her boat ahead of us sounding.* (*
"Next morning the brig and whale-boat went ahead and we steered after
them. The east opening was choaked up and we had scarcely entered that to
the West when Mr. Murray made a signal for 'danger' the Lady Nelson was
carried rapidly to the south-east seemingly without being sensible of
it...I made the signal of recall." Flinders.) After running on this
course about a mile and a half and being then close up to the tail of the
coral reef north-east of us we suddenly found ourselves in 4 fathoms of
water and plainly saw the bottom consisting of large rocks of coral.
Immediately made the signal of 'Danger' to the Commodore. We shoaled into
2 fathoms tacked and running south we found a very rapid tide with us and
on passing between two reefs the current of tide I imagine could not be
less than 6 knots. During this time the Investigator followed after us,
but at 7 A.M. she made the signal to anchor. When she was a little
brought up we had no bottom with 50 fathoms of line and on her breaking
her sheer she at once broke the warp 65 fathoms from ye kedge, both of
which we lost. I fancy it got round the top of a rock of coral as we have
reason to suspect it foul ground. Immediately made all sail and stood
towards the Investigator and the wind fortunately freshening we passed
her and acquainted Captain Flinders with our loss. He told me to anchor
near him.* (* "We rode a great 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 A.M. we anchored but she quickly
drove into the stream of tide, and there, to my surprise, the anchor held
on. Answered signal 'Weigh,' 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 men to assist in getting up our anchor, began to heave up
and were fortunate enough to get it with the loss of one arm, the cable
not much damaged - made sail after the Commodore.
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