I Searched For Fresh Water But Found None,
However Captain Flinders Found Plenty.
A.M. I went on shore with a party
in order to clear a rolling way for our casks
As also did captain
Flinders and Lieutenant Fowler with 20 men, by noon this was completed
and the well began to be dug and cleared out; by an unlucky accident the
dry grass with which most of the ground is covered caught fire and burnt
with great fury driving the people away from the principal
watering-place.
"Friday, October 1st. On shore digging wells and clearing them out. By
half-past 3 P.M. the fire had increased so as to make us retreat to the
sandy beach and even here it nearly reached us by 7 P.M. It continued to
burn all night...covering the whole of the hills (particularly the tops)
with a fringe of white fire while all the way down to the bases resembled
a large town on a dark night well lighted up. By the morning it had
considerably abated.
"Saturday, October 2nd. Employed completing our water which was done by
sunset and the hold stowed. Secured everything for sea. The Investigator
continued watering. Found a part of our best bower cable so much decayed
from wear that I cut off, from the anchor end, 15 fathoms and fresh bent
it again. Before we leave this island I think it proper to observe it
lies (from where we lay at anchor) about north by east and south by west
its latitude is 21 degrees 40 minutes 02 seconds south and its longitude
by Timekeeper 150 degrees 23 minutes 27 seconds east, it will easily be
known from a high peak of stones that at a distance will look like its
northern end.
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