At Half-Past Ten, In
Company With Dr. Harris, The Commander Went In A Boat To Discover If It
Was Their Port Of Destination.
The entrance was narrow with a heavy sea
running through it.
It had a reef on one side, over which broke a very
heavy surf, and on the other side were some sand-breakers. At one time
Grant put the boat's head round to the swell and "pulled out," but the
risk of bringing in the two ships without knowing the size of the channel
made him determine to ascertain it, and accordingly he pulled through and
found from 5 to 4 and 3 1/2 fathoms close to the island. It was high
water when he landed with a party on the island and climbed to the top of
its steep side. The side near the entrance was covered with grass,
although everywhere else the island was perpendicular and crumbled away
by degrees into the sea. From the highest point a beautiful view of
Hunter's River, and of the surrounding islands was obtained. Here
Lieutenant Grant hoisted the Union Jack as a signal to the vessels that
this was the right entrance to the river. He thought, as have most people
since, that this island had been separated from the mainland "by some
violent convulsion of nature." It was named Coal Island by Colonel
Paterson, but is now known as the Nobbys. The commander's journal tells
how plentiful wood and coal were on the mainland, and thus describes his
coming:
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