I Imagine It
Runs Some Considerable Distance Up Into The Country.
On returning to the
vessel I found Captain Flinders with a midshipman and boat's crew on
board.* (* "The country round Port Curtis is over-spread with grass and
produces the Eucalyptus.
Much of the shores and low islands are
overspread with Mangroves - the most common being the Rhizophora Mangle of
Linn." Flinders.) At daylight Captain Flinders left us desiring me to get
under weigh as soon as possible and get round to the Investigator. In
working down we sounded constantly and found from 10 to 4 fathoms on each
side, a safe channel for any ship and sufficiently broad to work in.
"Monday, August 9th. At 3 P.M. got under weigh and made sail out of the
harbour tacking occasionally. At 4 P.M. our boat came on board from
Faceing Island having found water in small quantities. By 6 P.M. we
weathered the south-east point of Faceing Island and stood down towards
the Investigator. At 15 past 7 P.M. struck on some sunken reef of rocks
about 2 miles from the shore but immediately heaving up all our keels she
went over them into deeper water without any damage.* (* See August 22nd.
Half of the main keel was afterwards found gone.) At half-past 8 P.M.
fired a gun and hoisted a light at the masthead which was answered by the
Investigator. By midnight came to with the small bower about 2 cables
lengths from the Commodore.
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