16 July 1788

At eight, A. M. on the 16th of July, the rocks off the entrance of Port Stephens bore north-west by west distant three leagues.  Lieutenant Shortland very much regretted that this place had not been surveyed; had it been known to afford safe anchorage, it would have been much more prudent to put in there and wait for a change of wind, than to attempt keeping the sea in circumstances so very unfavourable, with ships so little calculated to run along a great extent of lee shore.  This day the Prince of Wales being two or three miles to the leeward, the signal was made for her to tack into the fleet.  At nine in the evening the wind coming to the east-south-east, Lieutenant Shortland fired a gun, and made the signal to veer ship and sail on the other tack.  At this time the Prince of Wales was about five miles on the lee bow of the Alexander, and the Borrowdale and Friendship close in company; but by twelve at midnight the Friendship only was in sight.  At two, the wind shifting again to the south-south-east, the signal was once more made to veer ship, and change the tack, as lying off east would clear the coast; a strong current setting to the southward.

19 July 1788

Lieutenant Shortland, having now lost sight of the Prince of Wales and Borrowdale, was fully determined to go to Lord Howe Island to wait a day or two for them, expecting that they might probably touch there with similar intentions.  On the 19th, therefore, he steered a direct course for that island, with a strong gale at south-west, but as this wind, which was exactly favourable to the intended course of the voyage, and made the anchoring place off Lord Howe Island a lee shore, continued unvaried, and blew very hard on the 20th, it appeared best to relinquish the design of calling there.  At two in the afternoon, therefore, Lieutenant Shortland again altered his course and sailed north-east by north.  The Prince of Wales and Borrowdale transports, were seen no more throughout the voyage, and it has since been known that they took another course; but the Friendship continued close in company with the Alexander.  About noon this day, the men at the mast head discovered a very extensive shoal on the larboard beam, bearing from north by west to north by south, distant between two and three leagues.  It trended north by east and south by west, and was judged to be in length about three leagues and a half.  The breadth could not be ascertained, for, while the ship ran along it, the sand bank was seen to extend as far as the eye could discern.  It lies in latitude 29 deg.. 20’. south, and in longitude 158 deg.. 48’. east, and was named by Lieutenant Shortland, Middleton Shoals.

21 July 1788