15

1
George Frederick Sonnichsen
States I was Chief officer of
the Brig Maria bound from
Sydney to New Guinea with
an expedition for the Settlement
of that Island. We left Sydney
on the 26^th January. For the
first eleven or twelve days had
North East and Northerly Winds
until we neared the South Solitary
island. We then got strong S.S.E.
and S.E. Winds which lasted several
days gradually decreasing in
strength as we got North. In latitude
14° on or about the 15^th February
we had a heavy N.W. Gale
the ship listing hove to under the
lee of the main Top Sail, but
we found that she rolled so heavily,
and being afraid that the masts
would pull out of her, we ran
under bare poles. She was now
much easier, as before this she
labored so much that we were
under the impression that she
would strain herself to pieces.
She was hove to and run again
off and on as the Captain thought
it advisable to do. On the 21^st
of February we were in lat 21°
The wind changed to S.W. and
we steered N.N.W. Course and
the following day we steered