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Fateful Voyage

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Revised Sep 16 2021

Flinders's Providence Logbook Sep 18, 1792

Remarks Tuesday September 18th 1792 H.M.S. Providence Amongst Islands off the South Coast of New Guinea

Bearings

PM At Anchor

The NWestermost of the Small Keys (Passage Keys) S81°W 3′ or 4′ – Three small Islands N27°W to North – The nearest ½ Mile distant – the NW End of U on East End of U N35°E – Islands at Intervals to Passage Island N56°E Black rock Island S85°E which Bearing is likewise the NEastermost of the nearest Group of rocky Keys – the High Mountain S70°E – A small rocky Island ¾ Mile distant S38°E to S10°E

AM At 16th Anchor Place

NW End of U N39°E – Two North Passage Keys N42°E and the South Key N85°E distant 1 Mile NW end of large Island N78°E which at the last Anchor Place bore S22°W – Distant Land S42°E 3 or 4 Leagues Several Intermediate Islands –
Several Islands or Lands from that at Intervals to S12°E – A rock above water 2 or 3 Miles distant S25°E another about the same Distance more to the Northward

 1 pm: Fresh Gale and fair Weather

 2 pm: Saw three Canoes full of Indians going towards the Assistant – Saw them making towards the Boats, fired two swivels over them and they went ashore

 5 pm: At 5..20 Weighed both Anchor's Found the Arm of the Best Bower Anchor broke off and Cable much rubbed – Made Sail after the Boats in Company with the Assistant – At 6..30 Anchored in 8 Fathom hard rocky ground and surrounded by rocky Keys and reef some not more than ½ Mile distant – Tide running 5 Knots Ship steered on both Tides with great Caution and Hands kept by the Small Bower Anchor – An additional half Allowance of Grog served to the People

 4 am: Strong Breezes and Cloudy Weather

 5 am: At 5 Threatning bad Weather Began to heave at 6.50 Weighed with a strong Tide setting to Eastward Assistant leading between the reefs and Keys – Boats ahead sounding

 8 am: At 8 Passing between Keys ¾ Mile across – 7 Fathom water – a clear Passage to the Westward but fell into Shoal water and the Weather being hazey and dangerous to run

 9 am: At 9.20 we came to in 6 Fathom with Small Bower coarse sandy Bottom – Struck Top Gallant Masts and sent the Boats to the Westward to sound

12 noon: At Noon Strong Gales and thick cloudy Weather several high distant Islands in sight to the SSE

We had seen those three Canoes creeping along the Shore, apparently with the Design of getting to Windward of us, however as we were in a Condition to despise any Attempt they could make, we were more concerned for the Situation of the Ship which thus surrounded with rocks Keys and Shoals, and the Anchor's in hard Ground was become a serious object of Attention and it seems the Captain was determined to change his Birth if possible to get better Ground and the Boats making the Signal for good Anchorage about 2 Miles to the Westward we set about getting up the Anchor's with all the Despatch possible. the Best Bower coming up with with [sic] an Arm broke off was a melancholy Proof of the badness of our Situation – when we came down to where the Boats had sounded, the Ground was found to be not near to good as had been imagined, we accordingly tryed a little farter with the Boats and Brig ahead, but Dark coming on we were necessitated to bring to in the Place we did, which proved to be much worse than that we had left. we had shoal water two or three Cables lengths from us and rocks almost all round us very little farther off the Ground we Anchor'd in was rocky and very little hold for the Anchor. a Tide running 4 or 5 Knots and Wind fresh, in the Situation we had nothing to trust to, but to steer the Ship carefully that the Stream might affect her as little as possible, the Goodness of our Anchor and the Divine Providence – with great Joy we saw the Day break and the Ships still safe – the Boats & Brig were sent ahead and had regular Soundings and we followed thro Passages which necessity could only make us take, however at our next Anchorage the Prospect was quite different we saw an open Sea in the Quarter we wanted to go and were not without our Hopes that we had passed all or greatest Part of the Difficulties attendant on the unexplored Streights. we looked back on the Dangers we had passed with some Satisfaction at being clear of them. Upon a retrospect it will appear that what we have seen of Endeavour Streight by no means promises that the Navigation thro' it will become general

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