ing the gale, and in
consequence had been trampled underfoot by the other horses and so much
injured that we were compelled to destroy it. About an hour before dark
we reached, with a fresh and favourable breeze, a point between the two
largest of the Sir Charles Hardy's Islands, where one of the anchors was
let go and, upon its dragging, another was let go, which dragged also,
until we were close to the lee shore, when it held, fortunately, till
after daylight of the morning of Wednesday the 4th instant when, the
cable parting, the brig went ashore broadside onto the reef which extends
for about half a mile from the base of the bold rocky island. The waves
breaking over the ship, the masts were cut away and fell over the side.
The smallest boat was then launched and immediately broke in pieces.
While the wreck of a masts was being cleared away by a good swimmer
called Muller, a Dutchman, in order to get a clear sea to launch the
ship's large boat, our party took the opportunity of feeding and watering
the horses, and in the meantime the tide had fallen so much that Muller
found footing. The boat was launched safely and, on being asked by
Captain Kirby, I went ashore with Mr. Martin, the supercargo, and a part
of the crew. We found we could wade on shore; and, on the previous
evening having seen the masts of a ship on the other side of the island,
Mr. Martin and I went across and found it was a vessel which had sunk
within half a mile of the shore in deep water.

At the abandoned camp of the shipwrecked crew we found a copy of The
Argus newspaper of the 14th June, a barrel of peas, fragments of paper
bearing the names of the Lady Kinnaird and Captain Chorley on them, a
part of a child's dress, etc.

On our return to the wreck of a Firefly, we found the crew very busily
engaged in carrying stores on shore on their backs, as Captain Kirby did
not like using the boat for that service, being afraid of having it
injured. In the evening we fed and watered the horses, and Mr. Campbell
offered to remain on board if he got someone to assist him to attend to
the horses during the night; but as there were drunken sailors on board,
and I thought the breaking up of the old Firefly not improbable, I did
not like remaining or asking anyone else to do so. After the ship struck,
the officers and crew considered themselves under no discipline, taking
from the stores whatever they wanted, and, I am sorry to say, much of the
Expedition sp