The Logbooks of the Lady Nelson Part 20

"Monday, 14th October. P.M. Fresh breezes and variable. A.M. Calm and clear, got cables on deck to discharge cargo.

"Monday, 21st October. A.M. Weighed and towed down the arm, at 11 fired a gun, made sail up river.

"Tuesday, 22nd October. P.M. At 7 calm and cloudy, came to abreast of Swan Point. At 7 weighed and made sail, found the small bower anchor stock broke off and totally gone. Came on board Colonel Paterson, 3 soldiers, settler and boat's crew, Mr. Williams, the Surveyor and 3 men.

"Wednesday, 23rd October. Weighed and made sail up the River, at 11 came to above Upper Island in 3 fathoms water.

"Sat.u.r.day, 26th October. P.M. Weighed and towed down the River, at 10 grounded on a mud flat.

"Sunday, 27th October. P.M. At 1 hove off into the stream, at 5 weighed and made sail down the River--at 6 came to, found we could not beat down.

A.M. At 4 towed down the River--at 10 came to in the Crescent Reach.

"Monday, 28th October. P.M. At 5 weighed and made sail down the River. At 10 came to off Point Rapid, at 5 towed down River, at 11 came to in Western Arm.

"Thursday, 31st October. P.M. Cutting spars for beacons. Employed down the harbour putting up the beacon.

"Friday, 1st November. A.M. Down the Harbour at the beacons. Erected two beacons, with flags on, below the Islands, one white flag the other red.

"Thursday, 7th November. Put up altogether four beacons with flags with 20 yards of bunting.

"Monday, 11th November. At 8 A.M. unmoored ship.

"Tuesday, 12th November. P.M. Strong gales, at 2 weighed and made sail down the River, came to in Barran's Pool.

"Wednesday, 13th November. People on sh.o.r.e filling water.

"Thursday, 14th November. Came on board 11 prisoners and other pa.s.sengers for Port Jackson.

Port Dalrymple to Sydney Cove.

"Friday, 15th November. P.M. Came on board Colonel Paterson and delivered the dispatches, at 6 weighed and made sail down the Harbour, at 9 came to abreast of Lagoon Reach. A.M. At 6 made sail.

"Sat.u.r.day, 16th November. Heavy sea, at 10 saw the Pyramid bearing north by east 6 miles, half-past saw Kent's Group.

"Sunday, 17th November. P.M. At 2 saw a sunken reef north-north-west of the Stuck Rocks and from Kent's Group, about 15 miles, two miles from the Big Stuck, the sea breaking over them; at 5 Kent's Group bearing west-south-west. At 9 saw two vessels on the larboard bow: fired a gun to bring them to, spoke them, the one the Nancy and the other the Fly, sloop, from Port Jackson.

"Monday, 18th November. At 6 Cape How north at 7 miles, at 7 altered course, at Cape Green west-south-west. At noon Twofold Bay south-west about 4 leagues.

"Tuesday, 19th November. At noon moderate and cloudy weather, Mount Dromedary distant 6 or 7 leagues.

"Wednesday, 20th November. P.M. At 6 Pigeon House north-west at 4 leagues. Jervis Bay west-south-west about 10 miles. At noon Five islands west about 7 miles.

"Thursday, 21st November. P.M. At 7 South Head, Port Jackson, north about 13 miles, at half-past 9 bore up for the Harbour, half-past 11 came to Sydney Cove with the best bower.

"Monday, 25th November. Received on board 4 sheep for the ship's company.

At 8 came alongside the punt with flour for Port Dalrymple.

"Wednesday, 27th November. Arrived H.M.S. Buffalo from the River Derwent, at 4 weighed and towed out into the stream.

Sydney Cove to Port Dalrymple.

"Thursday, 28th November. P.M. At 3 weighed and made sail, at 7 came to between Heads. A.M. At 4 made sail.

"Friday, 29th November. P.M. Heavy sea. Standing to Southward, at 7 Botany Bay 4 miles, Point Hicks south-west 11 miles. At noon Justice's Bay west 15 miles.

"Wednesday, 4th December. At 6 saw the land Kent's Group, South Hogan's Group west-south-west 4 leagues; at half-past 7 a heavy squall with thunder and lightning and rain from the north-west. At noon saw the Sisters.

"Thursday, 5th December. Heavy sea running, the Sisters west-south-west about 4 miles, at 6 hauled up for a sandy beach bearing S.S. Found this place a good shelter from the wind and good riding, found the tide setting about cast and west, at 4 made sail, Rocky Island south-east 1/2 east 4 miles standing alongsh.o.r.e, Gull Island south-south-east 5 miles.*

(* Islands of the Furneaux Group.)

"Friday, 6th December. At half-past one pa.s.sed between Gull Island and the main--found a good channel with 4 fathoms at low water, at 4 tacked to work up the narrows; at 9 came to in the Village not being able to work up, the tide having made.* (* Probably the Lady Nelson anch.o.r.ed in Kent's Bay, where there was a sealing village.) Saw a small vessel laying in the Head of the bay.

"Sat.u.r.day, 7th December. P.M. At 5 the tide having made, made sail up the bay: found the vessel to be the Raven of Port Jackson. A.M. Tacked to work out of bay. At noon moderate breezes and cloudy. Preservation Island north-north-east 3 miles.

"Sunday, 8th December. P.M. At 4 Waterhouse Island about 10 miles. A.M.

At 6 saw Head of Port Dalrymple south-west about 4 miles. At noon came to in Western Arm in 2 fathoms with best bower.

Port Dalrymple to Sydney Cove.

"Friday, 13th December. At 5 weighed and towed down Harbour, at 9 came to in Barren's Pool, at 9 cleared the Harbour, Marcia, schooner, in company.

Stoney Head south-east 4 miles.

"Sat.u.r.day, 14th December. Twentyday Island south-east by east about 10 miles, at 6 set leeward steering sails--Waterhouse Island south-south-east 4 miles, at 10 hove too off Preservation Island,* at 4 made sail for Cape Barren. Clark's Island* south-south-west about 10 miles.

"Sunday, 15th December. At noon weighed, and dropped farther down the Bay.

"Wednesday, 18th December. Light airs and thick, at 7 weighed and made sail, at 12 Sea Lyon Island* south-south-west about 10 miles. (* Islands of the Furneaux Group.)

Sat.u.r.day, 21st December. At 4 heavy sea, at 5 saw strange sail, found the same to be the Estramina, at 8 lost sight of her.

"Sunday, 22nd December. At sunset saw the land extremes from south-west to north-west by north distant off sh.o.r.e 7 leagues. A.M. At 8 made all sail for Port Jackson: at 9 hauled in for the Heads: at half-past 11 came to in Sydney Cove."

CHAPTER 12.

TIPPAHEE AND HIS FOUR SONS ARE CONVEYED TO NEW ZEALAND IN THE LADY NELSON.

The following months were months well spent by England's little ship; months which, like many others, left their mark on the early history of Australia and New Zealand, when seed was sown in England's name that was afterwards to bear fruit and extend her power and prosperity.

Empire builders to-day may well envy those whose lot it was to be the first in that vast southern field.

They were a gallant little band who, in early days, carried the mother-flag from New South Wales to lands and islands yet more distant, discovering the sh.o.r.es, planting the first settlements and moulding them into shape--men who worked with such untiring energy that succeeding generations found a city, where lately had stood a few miserable huts, and a flourishing seaport surrounding a once silent cove.

Looking back across one hundred and twenty years of time, we can picture the empty s.p.a.ces on the sea-sh.o.r.e, which are now towns, and the monotonous wildernesses of bushland, which have been replaced by smiling landscapes; and we can realise the enormous difficulties that had to be overcome before houses could be built, or the bushland cleared and cultivated.

One of the first letters (perhaps the very first from a woman's pen to be handed down to us) written from Sydney, in November 1788, thus describes the Mother-settlement at the beginning.

"We have now two streets, if four rows of the most miserable huts you can possibly conceive deserve that name. Windows they have none as from the Governor's house (now nearly finished) no gla.s.s could be spared, so that lattices of twigs are made by our people to supply their places. At the extremity of the lines where since our arrival the dead are buried there is a place called the churchyard..." and then, telling of the only food obtainable there, in addition to the hard fare provided by the Government, the writer continues, "Our kangaroo cats are like mutton but much leaner and there is a kind of chickweed so much in taste like spinach that no difference can be discerned. Something like ground ivy is used for tea but a scarcity of salt and sugar makes our best meals insipid...Everyone is so taken up with their own misfortunes that they have no pity to bestow on others."* (* To-day Sydney is the seventh city of the Empire.) What was written of Sydney may be said to have been true of all the settlements. Everywhere hardships were encountered, and everywhere they were surmounted.