MONDAY 22 NOVEMBER 1802

Next day, a boat was sent to fish with the seine upon Sweers’ Island, and an officer went to the opposite shore to dig for water; the botanists divided themselves into two parties, to visit both islands, and the carpenters began caulking the starbord side of the ship.  I repeated the observations under Inspection Hill, for the rates of the time keepers; and being informed on my return, that the midshipman of the seining boat had discovered a small hole containing a little muddy water, with a shell lying near it, I had the place dug out, through the sand and a stratum of whitish clay, to the depth of ten or eleven feet.  Under the clay we found a bottom of stone and gravel, and the water then flowed in clear, and tolerably fast.  This was a great acquisition; more especially as the spring was not far from the beach at the west point of Sweers’ Island, where the casks could be conveniently landed, and where we had had great success in fishing.

The gentlemen who visited Bentinck’s Island, found a small lake of fresh water at no great distance from the sea side; and it appeared that the interior part of Sweers’ Island, towards the northern end, was occupied by swamps.  This comparative abundance of water upon such low islands, and at the end of the dry season, seemed very remarkable; it may perhaps be attributed to the clayey consistence of the stratum immediately under the sand, and to the gravelly rock upon which that stratum rests; the one preventing the evaporation of the rains, and the other obstructing their further infiltration.

TUESDAY 23 NOVEMBER 1802

Early next morning the ship was removed to within two cables length of the west point, nearer to the spring; and lieutenant Fowler was established on shore with a party of seamen and marines, taking tents, a seine, and other necessaries for watering the ship and supplying us with fish.  The carpenters proceeded in their work of caulking; but as they advanced, report after report was brought to me of rotten places found in different parts of the ship—­in the planks, bends, timbers, tree-nails, etc., until it became quite alarming [WEDNESDAY 24 NOVEMBER 1802].  I therefore directed the master and carpenter to make a regular examination into all such essential parts, as could be done without delaying the service; and to give me an official report thereon, with answers to certain queries put to them.  After two days examination, their report was made in the following terms [FRIDAY 26 NOVEMBER 1802].

SIR,

In obedience to your directions we have taken with us the oldest carpenter’s mate of the Investigator, and made as thorough an examination into the state of the ship as circumstances will permit, and which we find to be as under: 

Out of ten top timbers on the larbord side, near the fore channel, four are sound, one partly rotten, and five entirely rotten.