de of the
inlet, the tide swept us upon a sandbank, over which, as the wind was
blowing obliquely upon it, the cutter continued to drive until the sails
were taken in and an anchor laid out astern to check her; but before we
could extricate her from the dangerous situation in which she was placed,
it was found necessary to lay out another bower-anchor, for there was a
rolling swell upon the bank, and every time it left her she struck very
hard upon the ground. Happily the tide was flowing, and as soon as the
vessel floated she was warped into a secure birth within the heads of the
inlet.

During the time that the cutter had been on the bank, which was two hours
and a half, she was continually striking; and at one time we heard a loud
crash which gave us reason to fear that some serious damage had happened.
At first it was thought either that the pintles of the rudder were broken
or that the stern-post was rent; but upon examination both appeared to
have escaped; and as no leak was observed during the night I indulged the
hope that the noise was not occasioned by any accident that would
inconvenience us, or oblige our premature return to Port Jackson. That
this hope proved to be fallacious will soon appear; and, had the extent
of the damage received been discovered before we left this anchorage, I
should not have ventured further up the coast, but have immediately
returned to Port Jackson. Had the tide been falling when the vessel
struck, instead of the reverse, our situation must have been attended
with more serious damage, if not our total loss; and therefore, comforted
by an ideal security, we consoled ourselves under our comparatively good
fortune.

July 21.

The next day was spent in watering, getting provisions to hand in the
hold, and refitting some temporary damage to the rigging. Mr. Hunter and
Mr. Cunningham ranged about the vicinity of the shore whilst Mr. Roe,
with a boat's crew, was employed in filling our empty water-casks from a
gully at the back of the beach.

Soon after the watering-party commenced their work some shrill voices
were heard near them among the trees: in a short time two natives made
their appearance and were easily persuaded to approach. They were
unarmed, and communicated with confidence, and apparently were disposed
to be friendly; one of them gave Mr. Roe a fishing-line spun and twisted
of strips of bark, to the end of which was attached a hook made from a
turtle-shell.

Our gent