"Saturday, 3rd September. Fresh breezes and cloudy, at 2 handed the top
sail and hove to, at 11 set the fore-sail: at 10 Oyster Island north by
west 7 or 8 miles.
"Sunday, 4th September. Light breezes and cloudy: at 2 down boat: at 4
got the sweeps out: carried one of them away. At 7 came to with the kedge
in 29 fathoms, the tide setting us on an island: at 9, a breeze springing
up, weighed and made all sail.
"Monday, 5th September. Light breezes and cloudy: at 4 calm, out sweeps
to pull ahead: at 8 a breeze, made all sail up Frederick Henry Bay, at
6.30 out long boat, up main keel.
"Tuesday, 6th September. Ditto weather, at 1 hauled into the Bay: at 2.30
came to in Ralphes Bay in 8 fathoms.* (* Relph's Bay was named by Captain
John Hayes in honour of Captain Relph, Bombay Marine, commander of the
Duchess.)
"Wednesday, 7th September. Moderate breezes and cloudy: sail-maker making
a main top-mast stay-sail. At 10 unmoored and made sail across the bay.
"Thursday, 8th September. Ditto weather, came to in the bay in 8 fathoms
1/2 past 3 breeze from the eastward, weighed and made sail up the
Derwent: 6.30 came to in 8 fathoms above Stainforth's Cove.
"Friday, 9th September. Light breezes and cloudy weather: at 4 made sail
for Risdon Cove: at 3 came to in the cove in 4 fathoms.
"Sunday, 11th September. At 8 came on board Captain Bowen from the Albion
sent the longboat to assist in getting her into the Cove.
"Monday, 12th September. Sent some of the stores belonging to the colony
on shore: the longboat assisting the Albion discharging.
"Tuesday, 13th September. Moderate and cloudy weather. Employed landing
stores.
"Monday, 19th September. Struck lower yards and top-gallant mast. A.M.
Fresh breezes and squally, landed bricks for the colony.
"Tuesday, 20th September. Moderate breezes and cloudy. Supplied the
colony with 1/2 a barrel of Powder and a bell.
"Thursday, 29th September. Getting ready for sea: 10.30 in long boat.
A.M. fresh breezes
and cloudy with rain: 1/2 past 5 weighed and made sail down the Harbour:
out longboat to tow, at 7 made sail in boat.
"Friday, 30th September. P.M. Strong gales with heavy squalls of rain:
1/2 past 1 a heavy gale from south-east bore up for Ralphes Bay.
"Saturday, 1st October. A.M. Pleasant weather: up lower yards, set the
rigging up, moored: at 7 weighed and made all sail down the river.
"Sunday, 2nd October. Let go the kedge the vessel drifting on Risdons
Island, shortened sail: 1/4 before 12 a breeze from the north-west up
kedge. Made sail down River Derwent.
"Tuesday, 11th October. P.M. Strong gales and clear weather: at 6 Pigeon
House west 10 or 12 miles.
"Wednesday, 12th October. Strong gales and cloudy. At 10 saw a schooner
to windward.
"Thursday, 13th October. Calm and cloudy: 1/4 before 8 strong gales with
heavy squalls of rain. A.M. North Head 12 miles.
"Friday, 14th October. Moderate and cloudy with heavy swell from
south-east: at 1 the Pilot came on board: 1/4 past 4 came to in the cove
with best bower.
"Saturday, 15th October. Light breezes and cloudy. Moored in Port
Jackson.
...
"Thursday, 27th October. At 5 slipped the mooring and made sail out of
the cove: at 10 the South Head, Broken Bay north-north-west 12 miles.
"Friday, 29th October. Saw a schooner to northward, at 5 hove to, spoke
her, found her to be the Resource from Wreck Reef: at 10 came to in
Broken Bay in 5 fathoms. Working up the river to Hawkesbury.
"Tuesday, 1st November. Moderate and clear weather. At 2 came abreast the
Wash in 4 fathoms: moored. Down top-gallant yards, found the top-gallant
yard sprung.
"Wednesday, 2nd November. Fresh and squally with thunder, lightning and
rain: came on board carpenter to build a bulkhead forward for the corn.
"Friday, 4th November. Moderate and fair, at 4 furled sail. Hauled
alongside wharf to take in the corn, received 710 bushels.
"Monday, 7th November. Light breezes and clear. Received 210 bushels of
corn.
"Tuesday, 8th November. Light breezes and dark cloudy weather with heavy
rain, thunder, and lightning. A.M. At 8 made ye signal for sailing with a
gun. At noon strong breezes.
"Monday, 10th November. P.M. At 5 weighed and made sail: at 4 came to
with the best bower in 3 fathoms.
"Friday, 11th November. P.M. Light breezes and clear: at 11 weighed and
towed down the river. A.M. Calm and foggy: 1/2 past 3 came to in
Sackville Reach in 2 1/2 fathoms.
"Saturday, 12th November. Calm and hot sultry weather, 1/2 past 12
weighed and towed down the river.
"Sunday, 13th November. At 1 weighed and towed down the river, at 4 came
to. A.M. Calm and cloudy weighed and made sail down the river.
"Saturday, 19th November 1803. At 2 weighed and made sail down the river.
Up top-gallant yards, at 7 came to in Pitt's Water. A.M. Light breezes
and cloudy. At daylight weighed and made sail: at 4 calm and cloudy: came
to.
"Sunday, 20th November. P.M. Calm. At 1 a breeze from the north-east.
Weighed and made sail, at 2 all sail set, standing out of the Bay at 4
ditto weather: at 9 came to in Sydney Cove: furled sails and took in the
moorings. A.M. Strong breezes and cloudy, down top gallant yards.
"Friday, 25th November. Employed receiving the wood and water. Delivering
the iron and wine received for Norfolk Island and got ready to go to Port
Phillip.
"(Signed) GEORGE CURTOYS."
The log of George Curtoys ends on November 25th when he was taken ill and
went on shore to the Naval hospital at Sydney.
