The Logbooks of the Lady Nelson Part 8

"Sunday, April 11th. At half-past 12 hauled the vessel in close to Government House and began to take in wheat and by sundown got in 311 bushels. At daylight again began to receive grain and by noon received on board to the amount of wheat 774 bushels.

The Hawkesbury to Sydney Cove.

"Monday, April 12th. Preparing to drop down the river. At 6 A.M. made the signal for sailing with a gun.

Hawkesbury River to Sydney Cove.

"Tuesday, April 13th. At 9 A.M. hauled up to get down the river but the wind blew so strong in our teeth that we were obliged to come to a few hundred yards below Government House.

"Wednesday, April 14th. At half-past 12 P.M. the tide having made down hove up and began to tow down the river and by 5 P.M. got down to the lowest settlers. At 8 P.M. fired a gun and set an armed watch; at 9 P.M.

having a fair breeze of wind, got under weigh and by noon cleared Lover's Leap Reach.

"Thursday, April 15th. At 5 P.M. from the strength of the wind were obliged to come to in the upper end of Sackville Reach.

"Friday, April 16th. At one P.M. a short lull taking place, hove up and tried to tow down but immediately obliged to bring up from wind blowing so strong as to render our getting down the river an entire impossibility.

"Sat.u.r.day, April 17th. At one P.M. it lulled and we got under weigh, by 6 P.M. we came to, at midnight on the turn of tide again hove up and towed down, at 3 A.M. pa.s.sed the Francis schooner at anchor, at 4 A.M. came to.

"Sunday, April 18th. Fine weather throughout. Proceeding down the river.

At 4 P.M. came to in Barbin Reach--towed down till half-past 4 A.M., at half-past 9 A.M. again got under weigh and by noon got within the reaches of Mangrove Point; one of the Hawkesbury boats pa.s.sed us.

"Monday, April 19th. Working down the river. By 2 P.M. we gained one reach below Sentry Box and there came to. Sent on sh.o.r.e and cut down a few cabbage trees for the people. At half-past 7 two boats pa.s.sed us going to the Hawkesbury. Half-past one A.M. got down as low as the Barr Reach where we brought up, at 9 A.M. again got under weigh and by noon we gained Spectacle Reach.

"Tuesday, April 20th. Proceeding down the river as far as Mullet Island and at half-past 1 P.M. came to. Hove up and made sail down as far as Flint and Steel Cove and then came to; at 9 A.M., in boats, and hove up, made sail out of Broken Bay wind at north-west, at 11 A.M. pa.s.sed Barren Jowie, by noon the north head of Port Jackson bore south by west 1/2 west.

"Wednesday, April 21st. Hauled our wind close tacked occasionally till 6 P.M. when we entered the Heads, kept working up the Port and by 7 P.M.

got as high as Garden Island, and at 8 P.M. came to an anchor in Sydney Cove.

"Thursday, April 29th. First and middle parts calm, latter part small breezes, proceeded down the river as far as the French ship on board of which the Commander-in-Chief went and other gentlemen. At 2 P.M. they returned on board and we tacked and stood up for Sydney again, at half-past 2 P.M. the breeze dying away His Excellency and the other gentlemen left us and went up in their boats. At 4 P.M., a small breeze springing up, we were enabled to proceed up, and by 5 P.M. came to an anchor in Sydney Cove.

Sydney Cove to the Hawkesbury.

"Friday, April 30th. At 11 A.M. again received orders to get under weigh, loosed sails, hove up and made sail down the Port. At noon the Commander-in-Chief with a company of ladies and gentlemen came on board and we proceeded down the Harbour all sails set.

"Sat.u.r.day, May 1st. Kept standing down the Harbour and at one P.M. came to an anchor in Lookout Bay where the Commander-in-Chief and party went on sh.o.r.e. At 4 P.M. weighed and stood up the Harbour and at 6 came to off the Pinch Gut Island in 12 fathoms of water.

Sydney Cove to Hawkesbury River.

"Sat.u.r.day, June 12th. First part strong gales at South, middle and latter more moderate. At 6 A.M. began to work out of the bay, at 7 weighed and made sail and by 8 cleared the heads, at 9 the head of Port Jackson bore south-west by west distant 3 1/2 miles, half-past 9 pa.s.sed the Long Reef and by about 11 was abreast of the South Head of Broken Bay. At noon nearly reached Barren Jowie.

"Sunday, June 13th. Kept standing off the Bay and by 3 P.M. entered Mullet Island Reach, at 5 P.M. came to in Lay Island Reach, perceived a fresh to be in the river. At 2 A.M. weighed and got a small distance in but the wind freshening ahead obliged us to come to.

"Monday, June 14th. At 3 P.M. weighed and began to tow up the River and by 7 P.M. came to in Bow Reach. At 5 A.M. weighed and proceeded up the river, by 9 A.M. came to in Sentry Box Reach.

"Tuesday, June 15th. At 3 P.M. weighed and made sail proceeding up the river--at half-past 7 A.M. pa.s.sed the first branch, and at 11 came to.

"Wednesday, June 16th. At 4 P.M., hove up and at 8 P.M. pa.s.sed the second branch, at 10 came to, at 1 A.M. hove up, and by noon pa.s.sed Portland Head.

"Thursday, June 17th. At 2 P.M. came to one reach above Portland Head. At 7 P.M. hove up and by one A.M. came to among the lower settlers. At 9 A.M. hove up and got a couple of reaches higher when we anch.o.r.ed, owing to the strength of the wind against us, one hour. People in the launch pulling.

"Friday, June 18th. At 2 A.M. dropped the settlement and at daylight began to deliver the provisions.

"Sat.u.r.day, June 19th. Finished the delivery of the provisions and began to take in corn from His Majesty's store.

"Tuesday, June 22nd. Employed taking corn. Made the signal for sailing with a gun, by noon we finished loading having got on board 520 bushels corn; hauled off to the stream.

Hawkesbury River to Sydney Cove.

"Wednesday, June 23rd. Employed getting ready to drop down and at 9 A.M.

hove up and began to tow down the river; by noon got as low as Simpson's farm.

"Thursday, June 24th. By 2 P.M. got down as low as the lowest settlers and then came to, the tides being done. At 3 P.M. hove up and got down a couple of reaches when we grounded on a mudbank, hove her off and at 8 A.M. hove up and at 10 got past Lover's Leap, at noon got down another reach.

"Friday, June 25th. At one P.M. came to in Portland Reach. At 8 A.M. hove up and by noon got two reaches below Sackville Reach.

"Sat.u.r.day, June 26th. Proceeding down the river, at 3 P.M. came to and at 9 A.M. hove up and by noon got below the first branch.

"Sunday, June 27th. At 9 A.M. hove up and proceeding down the river and by noon pa.s.sed the lower reach.

"Monday, June 28th. At 10 A.M. hove up and attempted to work down; by noon gained two reaches.

"Tuesday, June 29th. Gained one reach more in working, when from the sudden gusts of wind and lulls we were obliged to bring up. At 10 A.M.

the c.u.mberland pa.s.sed us bound up. At 10 A.M. hove up and gained by noon only one more reach and there was forced to let go our anchor.

"Wednesday, June 30th. At 11 P.M. hove up and towed down a couple of reaches when we were obliged to bring to. At 11 A.M. hove up and by noon nearly reached Mangrove Point; wind favouring us, set main-sail and stay sails.

"Thursday, July 1st. At 3 P.M. came to below Mangrove Reach, 6 A.M. hove our small bower to the bows and found its stock gone.

"Friday, July 2nd. Tacking down the river--by 3 P.M. came to at Long Island; at 10 A.M. weighed and made sail down the river. At noon pa.s.sed the Francis schooner lying at Mullet Island.

"Sat.u.r.day, July 3rd. At 9 A.M. the Francis weighed and stood up the river; at noon weighed and towed down towards Broken Bay.

"Sunday, July 4th. At 6 P.M. after having attempted to get out were obliged to come to in 4 fathoms water. At 6 A.M. hove up and made sail down the bay, at 7 A.M. pa.s.sed Pitt.w.a.ter, at 8 got abreast of the South Head, at 10 the North Head of Port Jackson bore west-south-west 4 miles.

"Monday, July 5th. Fresh winds and a high sea. By 4 P.M. entered the heads and at half-past 7 P.M. came to at Garden Island. Commander waited on the Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

CHAPTER 7.

THE LADY NELSON AND THE INVESTIGATOR EXAMINE THE NORTH-EASTERN Sh.o.r.eS OF AUSTRALIA.

In the previous chapter it has been told how Captain Flinders arrived at Port Jackson on May 9th, 1802, ten days before the departure of the Naturaliste and how he had brought news to Hamelin of his meeting with the Geographe in Encounter Bay. On his way to Sydney, Flinders had charted nearly the whole of the South Coast of Australia from Cape Lewin to Wilson's Promontory--a small portion only escaping his notice--and had entered and surveyed Port Phillip.

Immediately on his arrival he consulted with Governor King as to the future explorations of the Investigator. They came to the conclusion that it would be injurious both for the ship and for her crew to attempt another survey of the South Coast at that season of the year, and decided that the Investigator, in company with the Lady Nelson, should proceed to the northward along the Australian coast and then to the westward, if it were possible, to examine the Gulf of Carpentaria before the November following when the north-west monsoon might be expected.