Quarter of a mile
distant.* (* "At six anchored in 27 fathoms coarse sand." Flinders.) At
daylight the Investigator began to heave up and we did the same, by 6
A.M. made sail. Received orders to keep ahead with a good lookout for
shoals. Saw a shoal of sand with two small rocks on it from north-east;
at half-past 10 A.M. being within 2 miles of the shoal tacked. At noon
the rocks on the shoal bore north-west a little westerly distant 2 miles.
Received additional instructions signals and cd. from Captain Flinders.*
(* "I sent a boat with instructions to Lieutenant Murray...in case of our
separation." Flinders.)
"Thursday, October 7th. Stood on after the Investigator and weathered the
last-mentioned reef of coral. At half-past 4 A.M. weighed and made sail
to the south-east. At half-past 10 A.M. saw a reef of coral ahead,
several parts of which were above water considerably much like the
appearance of boats under sail.* (* "Upon these reefs were more of the
dry black lumps called negro heads." Flinders.)
"Friday October 8th. At half-past 5 P.M. tacked to the northward, reefs
still in sight. At 9 A.M. tacked after the Commodore, a reef of coral
rock bearing east to east-north-east distant 4 or 4 1/2 miles. At noon
the Investigator bore north by east distant 1 1/2 miles, a shoal of sand
apparently bearing north distant 5 or 6 miles, another bearing north-east
by north distant 4 miles and a small rock on an extensive shoal of sand
east by south distant 1 1/2 miles, this shoal seems to stretch a long way
from east-south-east to north-east. Latitude observed 20 degrees 54
minutes 42 seconds south.
"Saturday, October 9th. From 2 P.M. until 3 (after having weathered the
East point of this shoal) we ran along its other side. At half-past 5
P.M. came to. From the mast-head shoals in every direction. At half-past
5 A.M. weighed in company with the Commodore and stood to the north-east.
9 A.M. Perceiving a strong ripple close to us and supposing it to be
shoal water let go our kedge and made the signal of danger to the
Commodore who also came to and sent his boats to sound as did we but
found no less than 15 fathoms. At 11 A.M. the Investigator's whale-boat
made the signal for shoal water and the Commodore made the signal to
anchor which we immediately did in 22 fathoms, bottom small coral and
shells. The Investigator also anchored. We found ourselves within a
cable's length of a shoal and all round shoals of sand and extensive
coral reefs. Latitude observed 20 degrees 51 minutes 38 seconds south.
"Sunday, October 10th. P.M. Sent the boat to examine the reefs of coral
near us. At 4 P.M. the boat returned on board; found the coral to be of
many different colours - blue, yellow, green, and in short in every colour
we know of - found some very large cockles and a few small shells - found
the tide to ebb to run due north-east not less than 2 1/2 knots but when
it sallys over the flats and reefs it may be 5 knots. At half-past 4 P.M.
weighed and sent the boat ahead to tow and got our sweeps on. At 45
minutes past 5 A.M. made sail in company with the Commodore stood on
ahead with the Investigator's boat ahead of us sounding. This morning we
passed a great deal of suspicious water but saw no rocks or shoals dry.
"Monday, October 11th. Stood on ahead of the Investigator broken water
and reefs on both sides of us. At half-past 4 P.M. saw some very
extensive reefs ahead, they seemed to train as far aft as our beam one
each side of us. An appearance of an opening shows itself to the
west-north-west as also one to the North, all else is broken water, reefs
of coral and patches of coarse whitish sand or more probably coral. 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.
