After Leaving Sandy Cape, Captain Flinders Found That The
Trend Of The Land Differed Noticeably From That Laid Down By Cook In His
Chart.
On August 7th Port Curtis was discovered and on the 21st Port
Bowen, but by October 17th, when off
The Cumberland Isles (a group 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 were within the Great Barrier Reef, and Flinders
states that he kept the brig with him until a passage 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. manuscripts,
British Museum.) "that this navigation could not be surmounted without
such a loss of anchors to both vessels and of damage...to the Lady Nelson
in the loss of her main keel and the damage done to the trunk." It was
also found that her capacity of beating to windward, never great, was
much reduced. And again 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 small vessel,
Flinders decided to proceed on his voyage alone.
Soon after he had separated from Flinders, Murray, in order to spare the
Lady Nelson's sole remaining anchor, gave orders for two swivel guns
crossed, to be lashed together, and when winds were light and waters
smooth, he anchored with the swivels until the carpenter was able to make
an ironbark anchor to take their place.
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