Employed overhauling our bread
which we found in good order. A.M. Sent the launch with the First Mate
and 4 hands armed up the river to try and shoot some birds, it ought to
be observed that the past two or three days we were here numbers of
native fires were seen on the coast and up both arms, since then they
have disappeared.
"Monday, February 8th. At 3 P.M. the launch returned, all well, having
got a live swan, some dead ones and 4 crowned parrots, a single duck was
shot. No fresh water was to be got even at dead low water and up as far
as the boat could be pushed between the boughs of the fallen trees. At
A.M. took up our kedge, weighed our anchor, made sail for Elizabeth's
Cove and at half-past 6 A.M. came to anchor...sent empty cask on shore to
complete our water - also a party to cut wood, we filled our casks from
this excellent spring. Longitude by chronometer 145 degrees 13 minutes 53
seconds.
"Tuesday, February 9th. Calm weather, constant thick fiery haze, very
close and sultry. By 3 P.M. secured everything for sea intending to sail
in the morning, took a haul of our seine, caught one whiting only and two
remarkable curious fish.
"Wednesday, February 10th. P.M. Sighted our Bower anchor suspecting it to
be foul, found it so. Having found a quantity of oysters, mussels and
shellfish at low water to-day gave the shore a strict search at low water
and plainly perceived that a company of 6 or 8 men would not run any
hazard of being starved here for several months from the vast quantity of
shellfish to be found. We also have these some days past found feeding on
seaweed many hundreds of a very handsome shell very scarce where we were
in April last.
"Thursday, February 11th. This evening a snake 6 feet long was killed in
the road to the well.
"Friday, February 12th. A.M. Hoisted in launch, took up kedge intending
to sail if wind came to anything, it however kept constantly falling calm
and then a light air would spring up for a few minutes; this kind of
weather obliged me to keep fast. At noon heard distant thunder around us.
"Saturday, February 13th. From 7 P.M. till 10 P.M. constant loud thunder,
vivid lightning and very hard rain later part, till 9 A.M. Was calm then.
A breeze sprung up at east. Hove up our B.* (* Bower, that is anchor.)
and hung by the kedge, by this time it fell calm and our hopes of getting
to sea vanished, needless to observe this kind of weather is as
destructive to the intent of this cruise as gales at sea. I took a walk
along the beach far enough to see all the entrances to this port and by
ascending an eminence was confirmed in my opinion that several of those
dangerous sand rollers had shifted their berths and by so doing had
rendered the channel narrower than hithertofore.
