On the 17th we got under weigh and at
night brought up in 12 fathoms water with rather a foul bottom. In the
morning we discovered a sand shoal whereon the waves were breaking very
heavily close to us...We shifted our berth and brought up in a small nook
or bay which I named Elizabeth Cove in honour of Miss Elizabeth King,
daughter of Governor King, then at Sydney." The greater part of Grant's
survey of Western Port was completed by April 22nd, but the Lady Nelson
was detained there by bad weather until the 29th, when, at break of day,
she weighed and stood out of the port, passing to the westward of Seal
Islands.
Grant then proceeded to make a survey of the coast from Western Port
eastward as far as Wilson's Promontory, which he says he carried out for
a distance of seventy miles, but winter being now advanced little more
could be done in the way of surveying, and as the wet weather was
prejudicial to the instruments, he resolved to make the best of his way
to Sydney; bad weather caused the ship to put into Botany Bay, but she
eventually arrived on May 14th, 1801.
On his return to Sydney Grant refers to the good health of those on
board: "I had not from the time of my departure a sick man among my
ship's company, one man only excepted, whose skull had been fractured."
He also tells us that while in Botany Bay he had the satisfaction of
receiving a letter from Governor King, in which he expressed himself well
pleased with what had been done.
We know that the Governor was keenly disappointed that Grant had failed
for the second time to explore Governor King's Bay and to fulfil other
duties which had been expected of him. The voyage, however, must have had
its compensations, as Barrallier was able not only to survey Jervis Bay
and Western Port (the map of the former is not at the Admiralty), but
also to obtain much of the information contained in the combined chart of
his "discoveries made in Bass Strait up to March 1802," reproduced above.
CHAPTER 3.
COLONEL PATERSON AND LIEUTENANT GRANT SURVEY HUNTER RIVER.
During the month of May the Lady Nelson became more closely associated
with the town of Sydney, with whose fortunes her own were ever afterwards
identified.* (* The Lady Nelson was borne as a contingent expense of the
colony from the time of her arrival at Sydney until the 16th October,
1802, then as tender to H.M.S. Buffalo by order of the Admiralty. See
Historical Records of New South Wales volume 4 page 901.) From Sydney she
set forth on her many voyages of exploration, and to Sydney she returned.
In many an old print she is depicted lying at anchor there almost
alone - a small ship in a great harbour - with the Union Jack flying at her
stern, and in the small Sydney newspapers of those early times her
comings and goings are recorded, and her discoveries related with the
keenest interest.
By the Governor's command May 28th, 1801, being the King's birthday, was
observed as a holiday. It was a memorable occasion, for on that day the
Royal Proclamation announcing the Union between Great Britain and Ireland
was read in public by the Provost Marshal. At sunrise the old Union Jack
was hoisted as usual, but at a quarter to nine it was hauled down and the
new Union run up at Dawes Battery and on board the Lady Nelson to the
accompaniment of salutes from the battery and from the brig.
Shortly afterwards Grant received orders to take Colonel Paterson, the
Lieutenant-Governor, to Hunter River, then better known as Coal River.*
(* From the abundance of coal found on its banks. Flinders says its
native name was Yohaaba. The Hunter River was discovered and named by Mr.
Shortland in 1797.) The object of the voyage was to make a survey of the
river and to gain some knowledge of its natural productions, for at this
time much of the coast, both to the north and to the south, was chiefly
known from Cook's chart, and the geography of the more distant parts,
marked but not explored by him, was still as he had left it. Governor
King was also anxious that the Lady Nelson should discover a passage at
Port Stephens (called by the natives Yacaaba), and wrote to Paterson
requesting him to complete the exploration of this port before September,
"for," he said, "it will then be necessary to despatch Her Ladyship (i.e.
the Lady Nelson) to the southward."*) * This particular voyage to Port
Stephens does not appear to have been carried out, for in August the brig
was "refitting." (See Historical Records of New South Wales.) The
Francis, schooner, was equipped to accompany the Lady Nelson, and orders
were given that the schooner should be loaded with coals immediately on
her arrival at the Hunter River and sent back to Sydney without delay.
Dr. Harris and Ensign Barrallier of the New South Wales Corps (who were
appointed to execute the survey) accompanied Colonel Paterson. A number
of workmen and labourers were also received on board together with a
native of Rose Bay named Bungaree.
The Lady Nelson left the harbour on June 10th, and as she passed out
between the Heads, met the ship Cornwallis inward bound from England. On
June 11th she made North Head of Broken Bay distant 10 or 12 miles.
On the next day the weather was variable, but as there was a Sydney pilot
on board Grant thought that the ship would be safe in his hands.
