s from
cuts and bruises received in scrambling over the rocks; and several were
affected by ophthalmia. Besides this the rainy season was approaching; it
commenced last year about the 18th of October, and as the weather was now
close and sultry and daily getting more unfavourable, the change was
evidently at hand.

October 13.

We therefore determined upon quitting the coast as soon as possible; and
as there was nothing to detain us here any longer we weighed the
following afternoon as soon as the tide commenced to ebb.

Our distance from the mouth was sixteen miles and the breeze blew
directly against us but, as the tide was running out with great strength,
we succeeded in reaching an anchorage in Brunswick Bay before dark; not
however without incurring considerable danger in passing through strong
tide ripplings when abreast of Rothsay Water; which caused me to suspect
that it communicated with Prince Frederic's Harbour.

In beating out of the river the cutter leaked a good deal, which showed
that our late repair at Careening Bay had not placed us without the pale
of danger: and I now began to fear that the leak had been occasioned more
from the defect of her fastenings than from the accident that happened to
her keel; so that we were in every respect as badly off as before the
cutter was careened. This made me decide upon instantly returning to Port
Jackson; but it was with great regret that I found it necessary to
resolve so; for the land to the westward appeared so indented as to
render the necessity of our departure at this moment particularly
vexatious.

October 14.

The next day therefore we passed out to sea to the westward of Baudin's
Keraudren Island.

The wind, upon leaving the coast, being West-South-West and
West-North-West, carried us as far to the north as 11 degrees 43 minutes
before we met with southerly winds; after which they gradually veered to
the south-east trade.

October 30.

On the 30th at midnight we were upon the parallel of 19 degrees 33
minutes, on which the Tryal rocks have been said to exist; in order
therefore to be on the safe side we tacked to the northward for four
hours and then passed back again until daylight when we resumed our
course.

October 31.

At ten o'clock a.m. we were in the latitude assigned to these rocks by
the brig Greyhound, the master of which vessel, on his arrival at Port
Jackson from China last year, published an account in the Sydney Gazette
of