Correspondence with the Colonial Secretary's Office

2 requested the Captain to put them on shore at the most accessible port. As we were then in about lat 20° N. long. not certain, the ship was steered for Moreton Bay. This was on Monday Feb 19 when the wind was beginning to moderate. On the following day however the wind changed to S.W. & blew so strong that the Captain thought it expedient to run North. When the wind again moderated he put in for Clevland [sic] Bay - a steady S.E. trade blowing.

On Friday Feb. 23^rd we sighted a reef in lat --- long --- and on Sunday morning early reefs were reported ahead. We were then supposed to be passing through Flinders opening. Reefs were sighted throughout the day generally bearing S.W. and W. The ship's course was, as a rule, altered to avoid these reefs, and to do so hauling sometimes N.W., N., N.E., and even E., I should consider the general course on Sunday to be N.W. Towards evening we sighted land bearing, I believe, S.W. or W.S.W. A great portion of this night we had our mainsail "aback". On Monday morning about 2.45 we just touched a reef, which however we passed over without damage to the ship; a few minutes afterwards we grounded. The tide rising we soon floated off this reef and grounded on another

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[left margin, next to Line 8] Feb 19^th

[left margin, next to Line 9] Feb 20^th

[left margin, next to Line 16] Feb 23^rd

[left margin, next to Line 17] Feb 25^th

[left margin, next to Line 31] Feb 26^th