rection of the wind and the state of the sea. At the anchorage off
Booby Island, being exposed to a swell, she made four inches of water in
an hour; but during the examination of Montagu Sound and the harbour we
last left it did not show at all: upon leaving Hunter's River and working
against a fresh sea-breeze, the leak gained more than three inches in the
hour; and in passing round Cape Torrens, the vessel being pressed down in
the water from the freshness of the sea-breeze, it gained as much as nine
inches in one hour and twenty minutes.

From the alarming increase of the leak it became absolutely necessary to
ascertain the full extent of the damage, in order that we might, if
possible, repair it, so as not to prevent the further prosecution of the
voyage, or at least to ensure our return to Port Jackson.

We were fortunately upon a part of the coast where the tides had a
sufficient rise and fall to enable us to lay her on shore without
difficulty; but the beaches in York Sound and Prince Frederic's Harbour
were all too steep for the purpose.

September 21.

The spring tides were now at hand; and, it being on this account very
important that it should be done as speedily as possible, I left the
cutter the following morning in search of a convenient place, in which I
was fortunately very soon successful; for at the bottom of the port in
which we had anchored we landed on the sandy beach of a bay which, to my
inexpressible satisfaction, was found in every way suitable for the
object we had in view. Deferring therefore any further examination for a
more convenient opportunity, I hastened on board and in the course of the
morning anchored the cutter close to the beach.

It has been already stated that the construction of the Mermaid was
rather sharp, so that it was necessary to land everything before it would
be safe to lay her on the ground: her masts were therefore struck and the
sails, being sent on shore, were suspended to trees and converted into
tents for the preservation of our provisions and stores and for
habitations for the officers and crew.

Our anchorage was four hundred yards distant from the beach; which, since
the vessel took the ground at low water, was as near as we could
prudently approach it but sufficiently close to protect our property from
the natives until everything was landed. None had as yet appeared, but,
the country having been lately fired, and the impression of a man's foot
having bee