At
Half-Past 5 A.M. Weighed And Made Sail To The Northward Keeping Ahead Of
The Investigator Half A Mile, And Her Boat Ahead Of Us Sounding.* (*
"Next Morning The Brig And Whale-Boat Went Ahead And We Steered After
Them.
The east opening was choaked up and we had scarcely entered that to
the West when Mr. Murray made
A signal for 'danger' the Lady Nelson was
carried rapidly to the south-east seemingly without being sensible of
it...I made the signal of recall." Flinders.) After running on this
course about a mile and a half and being then close up to the tail of the
coral reef north-east of us we suddenly found ourselves in 4 fathoms of
water and plainly saw the bottom consisting of large rocks of coral.
Immediately made the signal of 'Danger' to the Commodore. We shoaled into
2 fathoms tacked and running south we found a very rapid tide with us and
on passing between two reefs the current of tide I imagine could not be
less than 6 knots. During this time the Investigator followed after us,
but at 7 A.M. she made the signal to anchor. When she was a little
brought up we had no bottom with 50 fathoms of line and on her breaking
her sheer she at once broke the warp 65 fathoms from ye kedge, both of
which we lost. I fancy it got round the top of a rock of coral as we have
reason to suspect it foul ground.
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