"Monday, August 2nd. Fine weather. At 1 P.M. Commodore on our lee beam 2
miles; quarter past 5 P.M. the Commodore came to, at half-past we came to
under the stern of the Commodore. At 6 A.M. got under weigh. At 10 A.M.
answered signal to come within hail, the Commodore desired we would keep
in shore of him.
"Tuesday, August 3rd. Fine weather. At 4 P.M. Bustard Bay bore
west-north-west distant 3 or 4 miles. On this point a very large fire was
burning and numbers of natives were there. Hauled in for the Bay and
shoaled our water; came to in 5 fathoms water. At sundown lowered down
small boats and waited on the Commander. At 6 A.M. made sail with the
Investigator, passed the first rock lying off the western point of
Bustard Bay.
Wednesday, August 4th. At half-past 3 perceived one of the Investigator's
boats to be adrift, bore away to pick her up. At sundown the western
extremes of the land bore west-south-west distant 15 miles. At 8 P.M.
passed the stern of the Commodore who hailed us and told us he would tack
every two hours during the night. At daylight saw the land bearing
south-south-east. At noon the northern point of Bustard Bay bore
south-south-east distant 4 or 5 leagues.
"Thursday, August 5th. Kept slipping along the land. At half-past 6 P.M.
having run under the stern of the Commodore came to.* (* "This anchorage
was 5 or 6 miles from Gatcombe Head and the chain of hills which rises
near Bustard Bay was seen to stretch westward behind the shore at the
back of Mount Larcom. These hills had a barren appearance, the coast
being more rocky than sandy." Flinders.) At quarter past 10 A.M. the
Commodore made signal I see an opening, answered ditto. Immediately after
answered signal "steer in shore and look out for anchorage." Observing
numbers of natives and canoes on the beach, kept running in. At quarter
past 10 A.M. beheld from our masthead a large sheet of water with a rocky
island in the entrance and seemingly got shelter.* (* Port Number 1 in
the chart is Port Curtis so named by Captain Flinders after Sir Roger
Curtis.) At 11 A.M. came to in 3 fathoms water and made the signal to the
Commodore "come no nearer in," and he came to - lowered down our boat, I
went and sounded in shore and found the water to deepen to 8 fathoms.
Waited on the Commodore, received orders to follow his boat into the
harbour - sent our people to heave up. At noon one of the Investigator's
boats went on shore to the beach where the natives and their canoes
were.* (* "There were seven bark canoes lying on the shore and upon a
tree near hung parts of a turtle and scoop nets similar to those at
Hervey Bay." Flinders.)
"Friday, August 6th. At 1 P.M. hove up and run further into the opening.
I then went on shore to a small rocky island on which Captain Flinders
was taking angles and we got some firewood. I went in Captain Flinders'
boat across to a middling high hill* (* Called in the chart Hill View.)
on the opposite side of this stream, got to the top and saw that the
sheet of water ran into several serpentine branches and that apparently
the deepest water was to the south-east of us; and that this south-east
entrance and the one in which we lay formed a pretty large island lying
in a north-west and south-east line. We joined the boat and sounded in a
traverse to ascertain whether it was possible for the Lady Nelson to move
higher up. We found however only from 3 to 5 feet of water and foul
ground throughout a narrow space through which the vessel must pass. In
consequence of which Captain Flinders desired me to get under weigh and
work round the island to the south-east entrance and to find a channel
into the harbour. Accordingly weighed, by 7 P.M. passed the Investigator.
At daylight made all sail to gain the entrance and by 9 A.M. nearly
fetched it, from the masthead at the time I saw a long range of breakers
from the entrance stretching away south-east to east-south-east which
made me to be in some doubts as to an entrance existing, however I sent
Mr. Hacking in the boat to sound and almost immediately we struck on a
sandbank. Immediately hove up our keels and she luckily veered round in 6
feet of water and went off although we still had no more water for some
time, it then gradually deepened into 6 fathoms. Fired a gun for the boat
who got on board by noon and informed me that a good channel did exist,
and from where we were it lay about south-south-east and may be 3/4 of a
mile broad - out sweep and sent the boat ahead to tow.
"Saturday, August 7th. Fine weather. Standing into the entrance
south-south-west. On putting our helm to starboard we immediately had
from 1 1/2 3, steering west-north-west, the Investigator on our beam
bearing about north-north-east distant 8 miles, and finding our water
suddenly to shoal came to in 2 fathoms and observed that a little way
ahead lay a long sand sheet almost dry. Tripped our anchor and run into 5
fathoms water and there came to.* (* Off South-trees Point.) Fired a gun
as a signal to the Commodore; observed a boat under sail a considerable
distance from us in a westerly direction which I fancied was Captain
Flinders in his whaleboat examining the harbour.
