At half-past 2 P.M. Captain Flinders on board, and
he began to work out of the branch. At 6 P.M. the tide being down came
to...at daylight weighed and made sail to south-east, passed here a flat
of mud with only from 8 to 9 feet water on it; by 7 A.M. having got
nearer to the south shore found a channel that had from 2 to 9 fathoms.
"Wednesday, September 1st. At 7 P.M. Captain Flinders, a midshipman and
boat's crew on board. A.M. Dropped our small bower it blowing fresh. At 5
A.M. hove it up again, and the wind blowing strong from north-west and
tide done, hindered our working down to the Investigator.
"Thursday, September 2nd. At half-past 12 P.M. weighed and began to work
to windward with the ebb tide in our favour; at half-past 4 P.M. Captain
Flinders and his people left us; continued until 7 P.M. working to
north-west and there came to in 7 fathoms. At daylight weighed and stood
over to the Investigator and at 7 A.M. came to lowered down boat and I
waited on Captain Flinders, he informed me that the Investigator would
get under weigh at 9 A.M. and would run over as near to the bottom of
Sugar Loaf Hill* (* Pine Mountain (of Flinders) described by him as "a
single round hill with a high-peaked top standing inland 2 miles from the
West Bight and composed of the greenstone of the German mineralogists.")
as the water would permit and requested I would run ahead of him in the
Lady Nelson and show soundings quick. Passed the Investigator astern,
Captain Flinders hailed and desired me to stand up towards Sugar Loaf
Hill until we had left less than 6 fathoms, did so and as it almost
immediately shoaled to 4 fathoms wore round and made all sail to work
back.
"Friday, September 3rd. At half-past 1 P.M. came to with small bower and
I waited on Captain Flinders.* (* Flinders was then one mile from the
shore and 2 from Aken's Island, the east end of which bore north 27
degrees west.) A.M. Hauled the seine, caught no fish and the ground being
foul damaged the net.
"Saturday, September 4th. Waited on Captain Flinders who told me he
shortly intended to weigh in order to proceed to Thirsty Sound and at 10
A.M. weighed in company with the Investigator. Since our arrival here on
Thursday the 26th August few native fires have been seen and only once
some of the Investigator's gentlemen had intercourse with a party of
natives on the shore. From their report those natives are inferior to the
natives of Keppel Bay...and if we may guess from their lean appearance
much worse off with respect to food; the soil of all this part of the
country appears to be very indifferent and for a considerable distance
from shore, low swampy mangrove clay.
