Happily these signals at last had the desired effect, for at ten o’clock the boat came alongside.  Mr. Baskerville had failed in reaching Repulse Point but obtained some useful information as to the trend of the land round the point, which still appeared to extend to the southward; they had not been able to land, but had encountered much danger from the small size of the boat, which shipped a great deal of water, so that by the time it arrived they were completely drenched with the spray of the sea.  They had only observed our signals for a few minutes before their arrival; for the flashes of the guns and the lights of the port-fires were so confused with lightning and the fires of the natives on the shore that they could not be distinguished from each other.  Soon after they arrived on board heavy rain commenced, and fell during the greater part of the night.

February 15.

The ensuing day the weather was still squally and unsettled.  In the afternoon the launch and another boat were sent in search of our lost anchor but returned at night without success; for the tide was so strong that the buoy did not watch.  The next morning it was again intended to resume the search, but the weather clouded in and threatened to be so bad that all further attempts were abandoned.

This succession of bad weather, and our having only one anchor left, made me feel the necessity of leaving this part, and giving up for the present the examination of this interesting place; and as we wanted both wood and water, which we had found no opportunity of obtaining here on account of the tempestuous state of the weather, it was purposed we should go to Port George the Fourth, which place would afford both security for the vessel and facility for procuring these articles.  This delay might also be made serviceable by employing a part of the crew at the same time in the boats in examining the islands in Rogers Strait, and tracing the continuation of the mainland behind the islands that form the south-east coast of Camden Bay, of which we knew nothing.  After doing this I hoped to be able to continue the examination of the deep bay behind Montgomery’s Islands, and connect that part with the gulf or strait behind the Buccaneer’s Archipelago in which we now were; but our loss of anchors made all this very dangerous and, indeed, nothing could be done without very fine weather, of which there was at present unfortunately no appearance.

But a greater and more serious hindrance was that our provisions were very much reduced in quantity, and that we had not more than enough to last, upon a full allowance, for the voyage to Port Jackson; the hope however of procuring more information of this part of the coast was so inviting that I did not despair of effecting something in a fortnight worth the delay.  We had dry provisions and water on board for about ten weeks, so that with fine weather we could have retarded our departure for ten or twelve days without much risk.