"Friday, 4th January. P.M. Carpenter making chocks for boat.
"Saturday, 5th January. P.M. Light breezes and cloudy. A.M. Getting water
and wood on board.
"Sunday, 6th January. At 9 cloudy with thunder.
"Monday, 7th January. Light breezes. All hands away in boats on survey.
"Tuesday, 8th January. P.M. Fresh breezes. At A.M. hauled the seine,
carpenter making oars.
"Wednesday, 9th January. P.M. People making booms and getting water. A.M.
Got on board a spar for sprit-sail yard: carpenter making new one.
"Thursday, 10th January. P.M. Thunder and lightning and rain: received on
board dispatches. A.M. Light breezes getting ready for sea, tried to warp
out of cove, Government boat and crew assisting.
Port Dalrymple to Sydney.
"Friday, 11th January. P.M. Strong gales. A.M. Moderate: at 5 unmoored
ship and worked out of the Cove: at 6 came to abreast the Green Island:
at 9 worked out of Harbour, Government boat assisting: at 10 made all
sail: at noon the Seal Rocks bore south distant 5 miles: all sail set for
Cape Barren not being able to weather the Sisters.
"Saturday, 12th January. P.M. A fresh gale at 1: at 5 Waterhouse Island
bore south 3 leagues, wind dying away came to in Kent's Bay, Cape Barren.
A.M. At 6 under way: at 9 got out of the Harbour. At noon Cape Barren
bearing west, distant 2 leagues.
"Sunday, 13th January. Furneaux Island south-south-west 7 leagues, at 8
Cape Barren bore south-south-west 6 leagues.
"Monday, 14th January. P.M. Lost sight of land at 6. At 6 A.M. saw the
land again. At 9 Port Hicks distant 3 leagues.
"Tuesday, 15th January. P.M. At 4 wore ship and stood off the land: at
noon we found we had lost nothing during the night.
"Wednesday, 16th January. P.M. At 3 lost sight of the land. At 3 A.M.
fresh gale.
"Thursday, 17th January. P.M. At 12 fresh gales.
"Friday, 18th January. P.M. Cape Howe bore north-north-west 3 leagues.
A.M. At noon spoke the sloop Nancy to Port Dalrymple.
"Saturday, 19th January. P.M. Saw the land of Cape Dromedary. At 11 A.M.
close in with land.
"Sunday, 20th January. P.M. At 4 close in with land - at 8 Cape Dromedary
4 leagues distant.
"Monday, 21st January. P.M. At 7 close in with the land, hauled off at
11, saw Port Aikin.* (* Port Hacking?) At noon saw the heads of Port
Jackson.
"Tuesday, 22nd January. Close in with the Heads. At 2 came to anchor
abreast of Camp Cove. At 8 A.M. endeavoured to work up to Sydney Cove.
"Wednesday, 23rd January. At 4 came to anchor in Sydney Cove."
...
CHAPTER 11.
THE ESTRAMINA IS BROUGHT TO SYDNEY.
THE LADY NELSON VISITS NORFOLK ISLAND AND TASMANIA.
When the Lady Nelson came to in Sydney Cove, after completing her voyage
to Tasmania,, the Governor gave orders that she should be at once placed
in dock and overhauled. For the time being, her crew was distributed
among the king's ships in port, the Buffalo and Investigator, and the
colonial schooner Integrity.
By March 30th the little brig was again afloat. She was made ready for
sea in consequence of the news brought to Sydney that an armed schooner,
called the Estramina, belonging to the King of Spain, was lying in Jervis
Bay. It was also reported to the Governor that the vessel had been seized
off the American coast by order of Captain Campbell of the Harrington,
who claimed to have taken her as a prize, and that she was in charge of
one of Captain Campbell's officers. Uncertain whether hostilities had
actually broken out between England and Spain, His Excellency sent Mr.
Symons to Jervis Bay to ascertain whether the schooner was there, and if
so to take possession of her and bring her to Port Jackson.
The Lady Nelson sailed to execute this mission on April 3rd. On the
evening of the following day she sighted Jervis Bay and, shortly after
entering it, a strange vessel was perceived at anchor at the north-west
end of the bay. No sooner did the stranger see the Lady Nelson
approaching than she hurriedly weighed, and attempted to leave the bay.
The attempt was frustrated, however, by Lieutenant Symons, who made sail
after her and fired a gun to bring her to. Seeing that flight was
useless, the schooner hoisted a St. George's Jack, and eventually came to
under the lee of the Lady Nelson. The commander, finding that she was the
Harrington's prize, went on board her, hauled down the English colours,
and in their place hoisted the Spanish flag. She was in charge of Mr.
William Tozer, one of the Harrington's men, from whom Lieutenant Symons
received the log-book and charts. The second mate of the Lady Nelson and
three of her crew were placed in the Estramina, and she left Jervis Bay
for Sydney in company with the Lady Nelson.
On the arrival of the vessels in the Cove on the afternoon of April 10th,
Governor King and the Judge Advocate went on board the Spanish ship to
take Mr. Tozer's depositions. As a result of this visit, orders were
given that the schooner was to be detained at Sydney "for and on behalf
of the Spanish sovereign." At the same time Governor King declared that
if it were proved hostilities had already broken out when the seizure of
the Estramina took place, the ship would become the property of the
Admiralty, because the Harrington possessed no letters of marque. The
Governor also made known his intention of detaining the Harrington at the
first opportunity so that she might "answer for the event." The prize,
which is described as a beautiful schooner, was never released and
eventually became the property of the Government.
