and though the mount was hid in the clouds, we judged it to be in the same direction as the Cape; latitude observed 39 deg. 24’.  The wind increased in such a manner as to oblige us to close-reef our top-sails, and strike top-gallant yards.  At last we could bear no more sail than the two courses, and two close-reefed top-sails; and under them we stretched for Cape Stephens, which we made at eleven o’clock at night.

At midnight we tacked and made a trip to the north till three o’clock next morning, when we bore away for the sound.  At nine we hauled round Point Jackson through a sea which looked terrible, occasioned by a rapid tide, and a high wind; but as we knew the coast, it did not alarm us.  At eleven o’clock we anchored before Ship Cove; the strong flurries from off the land not permitting us to get in.

In the afternoon, as we could not move the ship, I went into the Cove, with the seine, to try to catch some fish.  The first thing I did after landing, was to look for the bottle I left hid when last there, in which was the memorandum.  It was taken away, but by whom it did not appear.  Two hauls with the seine producing only four small fish, we, in some measure, made up for this deficiency, by shooting several birds, which the flowers in the garden had drawn thither, as also some old shags, and by robbing the nests of some young ones.

Being little wind next morning, we weighed and warped the ship into the Cove, and there moored with the two bowers.  We unbent the sails to repair them; several having been split, and otherwise damaged in the late gale.  The main and fore courses, already worn to the very utmost, were condemned as useless.  I ordered the top-masts to be struck and unrigged, in order to fix to them moveable chocks or knees, for want of which the trestle-trees were continually breaking; the forge to be set up, to make bolts and repair our iron-work; and tents to be erected on shore for the reception of a guard, coopers, sail-makers, &c.  I likewise gave orders that vegetables (of which there were plenty) should be boiled every morning with oatmeal and portable broth for breakfast, and with pease and broth every day for dinner for the whole crew, over and above their usual allowance of salt meat.

In the afternoon, as Mr Wales was setting up his observatory, he discovered that several trees, which were standing when we last sailed from this place, had been cut down with saws and axes; and a few days after, the place where an observatory, clock, &c. had been set up, was also found, in a spot different from that where Mr Wales had placed his.  It was, therefore, now no longer to be doubted, that the Adventure had been in this cove after we had left it.

Next day, wind southerly; hazy clouded weather.  Every body went to work at their respective employments, one of which was to caulk the ship’s sides, a thing much wanted.  The seams were paid with putty, made with cook’s fat and chalk; the gunner happening to have a quantity of the latter on board.