A confused sea made me determined at
slack water to weigh and run into better anchorage, at half-past 10 A.M.
weighed and made sail up under Cape Townsend.
"Thursday, October 28th. At 1/4 past 1 P.M. came to with our broken
anchor, veered away, but on her bringing up the cable parted although the
strain was very trifling. The other bower was let go and it did not for
some time bring her up. Perceiving all hopes of regaining our anchor or
cable to be in vain, from our having so considerably shifted our berth as
well as our having only one small boat, she almost in pieces, and it
being absolutely necessary to get from here into a place of safety, I got
two of the swivel guns cross-lashed, in short made as good an anchor of
them as their nature would admit of, hoping that in light winds and
smooth waters they would somewhat save our only remaining anchor. At 3
P.M. made sail further up into Shoal Water Bay, where we anchored with
the swivels; they held her, there being no tide and but little wind. At
40 minutes past 7 P.M. let go the bower anchor and in the morning weighed
it as well as the swivels and made sail up the Bay, where we anchored;
lowered down the boat and sent the seine to haul, also the carpenter to
look for a tree that might make a wooden anchor which with being loaded
would answer in case of necessity.
"Friday, October 29th. Carpenter employed on the iron-bark anchor.
"Saturday, October 30th. At half-past 10 A.M. weighed and made sail
towards the southern outlet of the bay. By the time we got within a mile
and a half of it we had light baffling flaws all round; this outlet is
narrow and several sunken rocks lie scattered about. We anchored as much
out of the tide as possible.
"Sunday, October 30th.* (* Evidently meant to be the 31st.) 1 P.M. hove
up and made sail into snug anchorage, came to in 1/4 5 fathoms...By 5
P.M. the wooden anchor being finished bent our small bower cable to it,
hove up the bower and let go the wood anchor which however did not ride
her, we therefore dropped the bower again and let the other remain in
hopes that by getting the water lodged (as its weight would consequently
increase) it might ride us in soft ground.
"Monday, November 1st. P.M. The party that were on shore returned, they
informed me that one very large kangaroo was shot but escaped owing to
the thickness of the bush, some small ones were also seen; a couple of
pheasants and a pigeon were shot.
