Oct 1, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Oct 3-4, 1792
Revised Sep 16 2021
The SW Point of Coupang Bay N65°E 2 Miles A Point to the Southward of it S22°W 2½ Miles the SE Point of Pulo Samou S35°W 3 or 4 Leagues Pulo Cambing a small Island on the Samou shore S56W about 4 Miles – the NE Point of Samou N15°E ¾ Mile – Breakers running ½′ off it – Pulo Karee a snady Key in the Bay with some Trees upon it bore N30°W 4 or 5 Miles
Two small Points opened with the SW Point of the Bay at N12°E – The North & NE Points of Samou on at N50°W
At 1 AM Pulo Karee and the NW Point of the Bay on at N13°E – SW Point SSW½W – North Point of Samou N61°W
Pulo Karee N14°W 3 Miles Another small Isalnd N21°E 6′ NW Point Bay N3°E about 4 Leagues – A remarkable high peaked Hill N55°E farthest Point of the South side of the Bay N71°E 3 Leagues the Flag staff on the Fort SEbS ¼ or ½′ – the North Point of the Bay S66°W 3′ – the round NE Point of Pulo Samou S70 to N88°W 5 Miles – the North Point N70W 7 or 8 [?]
1 pm: Fresh Breezes and Squally Weather In 3rd reefs – Strong Squalls – As we advance up the Streight we gradually lose our SE wind and have Light Airs from the NW and WNW – At 1:10 Tacked and kept standing off and on under the NE Point of Samou – Saw a Snow with Dutch Colours lying off Copang. Made the Signal for a Pilot with a Gun and repeated it as did the Assistant – Standing off and on under the Point but finding the Tide against us at 4 brought up with Best Bower in 22 Fathom The Assistant brought to likewise – About ¾ Mile from the NE Point of Pulo Samou
5 pm: At 5:30 Lieutenant Guthrie was sent in the whale boat up to Coupang to wait on the Governor – At 11 he returned with the Captain of the Snow (in the Dtuch East India Companys Service) who gave Intelligence of the Loss of H.M.S. Pandora in Endeavour Streights of their Arrival here in the Boats and Departure for Batavia in [blank] last [blank]
6 am: Light Airs and Calms
7 am: Sent for the Assistants Launch and run out a Kedge. At 9:40 Weighed and made Sail – the Boats ahead leading – Shore of Timor rocky and barren, but great Numbers of Trees apparently much parched – At 10 abreast of the NE Point Samou had a pleasant westerly Breeze off it, which as we advanced increased into a Strong Breeze At 11:30 Brought up with the Small Bower in 16½ soft Ground – Saluted by the Fort with 15 Guns returned it with an equal Number
The Loss of the Pandora sensibly affected every one of us, from what we could understand of the Captain
of the Snow, she had attempted the Streight on the New Holland side, and not expecting the reef to
extend near so far as they found it, they ran on and struck upon it, almost before they thought of
looking out – with the Ship they lost [blank] of their own Crew and 4 of the Bountys Mutineers.
they had Time to get the Boats out and secure several Necessaries. I think he said they got to a
small barren Island near which the Ship struck and where they staid two or three Days to collect
themselves and get what they could from the Ship that would be of use to them. they then set out in
[blank] Boats to the Number of [blank] Men and in [blank] Days they reached the Island Timor –
before they arrived some Convicts from Botany Bay privately secured some Provisions and other Necessaries
and [secured?] a fishing Boat belonging to the Governor, in which 8 Men 1 woman and two Children made
their Escape, found their way thro those extensive reefs, passed endeavour streight and arrived at
Timor. these People Captain Edwards made Prisoners, and when he had got a small Vessel ready he took
them as such, with the Bountys to Batavia – another remarkable Circumstance attending these Escapes,
was his finding there a schooner the Mutineers had built at Otaheite, which he brought away with him,
intending her as a Tender, to go ahead of him in passing the Streights, but had lost her in a Gale of
Wind and heard nothing of her till his Arrival at Batavia, where no Doubt the Surprize on both sides
would be very great – We hoped to have heard something of Mr Peyreuse [Pérouse], but did not,
so that I am afraid the general Conjecture of his being lost is but too true, and it is not improbable
but these same streights may have been as fatal to him as to the Pandora. on mature Consideration we may
think ourselves very fortunate in getting thro them so well as we did
Oct 1, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Oct 3-4, 1792