11th May.
The gale continued to 11 a.m., when it moderated; the tide being full at
about noon. Got underweigh at 1 p.m., and stood to the south-west, under
topsails, stemming a strong ebb tide to 3.30, when we came to anchor in
five fathoms (sand and shells), about three miles from the western shore
of the bay, Sloping Head bearing north by east five miles. The water of
the bay is much discoloured, being of a deep reddish-brown. In passing
down the shore we observed that the whole of what is shown on the chart
as a promontory, extending to the north of Sloping Head, is an island,
with a channel nearly half a mile wide, separating it from the main; to
the outer portion was given the name of Dolphin Island. At 4 p.m. left
the ship in the life boat, accompanied by Captain Dixon, Mr. Hall, and
four men, and took soundings for six miles to the south-west down the
centre of the bay, finding five and six fathoms all the way; the water
then shoaled to three fathoms, when, being within a mile of the head of
the bay, it became dark. Pulling about two miles to the south-east, it
gradually shoaled to one foot, when we grounded, and remained there till
11 p.m., when the tide being at full we pulled for the ship, but not
seeing her lights by 1 a.m. on the 12th, and the men being much fatigued,
we lay on our oars for an hour, and then took a stretch for two miles to
the south-south-east, to get under the shelter of the south-east shore of
the bay, when, having no anchor, we lay-to till daylight, by which time
the boat had drifted into heavy rollers under the high rocky land at the
south-west head of the bay; the wind having risen so much that the boat
was only kept afloat by keeping her head to the sea. As we could not
observe any spot at which we could land without the risk of swamping the
boat and wetting our firearms, we continued pulling towards the ship, the
ebb tide assisting us until 2 p.m., when just as all hands were becoming
thoroughly tired out, a boat was sent from the Dolphin to our relief,
with a timely supply of biscuit and brandy, which, with the assistance of
a tow-line, enabled us to reach the ship by 3 p.m., very thankful that we
had escaped what at one time appeared likely to have proved a serious
disaster.