native fires in
sight in different directions.

"Tuesday, September 14th. At half-past 1 P.M. made sail in company with
the Investigator and worked to north-west where we anchored. On passing
her Captain Flinders hailed us and told me to be ready at 8 o'clock in
the morning to proceed to the south-east up the arm on Broad Sound. At 8
A.M. Captain Flinders and Mr. Brown on board. At half-past 8 A.M. weighed
and made sail, at 40 minutes past 10 A.M. grounded in 8 feet of water, at
40 minutes past 11 A.M. weighed and made sail across the entrance of the
river. From noon until 40 minutes past 1 P.M. stretching across the flats
of this arm, sounding from 9 feet to 3 1/4 fathoms, where we anchored.
Immediately moored with the kedge which in a little time she brought
home, moored with the bowers per cable one way and 25 fathoms the other,
found the tide of ebb to run at 4 P.M. 5 knots and 6 fathoms. At 5 P.M.
we began to touch the ground and perceived that our main keel was gone,
part of it coming up alongside. Sent some of the people out to look in
what situation our anchor lay and it was found that the best bower had
come home and the small parted 12 fathoms from the ring. I conclude the
ragged part of the main keel must have done it when she swung in ground,
we tried in vain with 10 or 11 hands to lift it out of its bed. As the
whole of this part of the flats are quicksands with a strong suction,
bent a good warp to its crown to weigh it by when the tide rose. At
half-past 1 A.M. the flood came to us with much noise and about a foot
high, in 15 minutes we floated and hove up to our best bower. By 5 A.M.
began again to ground, by 6 A.M. fast: at half-past 7 A.M. Captain
Flinders went in his boat in search of deeper water and found one place
nearer inshore where he thought it advisable to shift the Lady Nelson to,
when the tide would permit. Upon the south shore we saw several native
fires.

"Thursday, September 16th. At 2 P.M. loosed sails, sheeted home and
hoisted them, weighed and stood in shore. Found the strength of the tide
here to be 3 1/2 knots.

"Friday, September 17th. At half-past 5 P.M. Captain Flinders returned
having found the arm
to terminate in shoals of sand. At 3 A.M. weighed and made sail in order
to join the Investigator but by half-past 4 A.M. we grounded and there
were obliged to lye from the ebb falling so fast. Captain Flinders, Mr.
Brown and the boat's crew left us. Here we had an opportunity of lo