"Saturday, 19th December. Finished the pathway to watering-place, having made it level and fit to roll butts on. At 5 P.M. saw a large fire lighted on the opposite beach nearer the entrance of the harbour, it might be 6 or 7 miles from the vessel, and in a little time it was left, and nearer to us, at a little distance from the beach, another very large fire was made. Expecting from this that in the morning I should be able to speak to them I made a large fire abreast of where we lay, the natives could not miss seeing it. In the morning no fires were to be seen which was rather odd, as besides this nearest fire, last night there were several others in sight...A.M. I got a large board hung up at the entrance of the road to the well or spring on which was painted, in oil colours, directions for any stranger how to get to the watering-place... "Friday, 25th December. At noon suddenly taken with most violent squall at West...this hurricane of wind increased so rapidly and with such fury that we were obliged to let go the best bower and till all 3 anchors bore the strain she dragged a little, struck top-gallant-mast. This squall continued for 4 hours, then settled into a westerly gale with constant thunder and lightning and at intervals very hard rain and also more sea than I supposed possible in this cove. At 11 P.M. parted our warp, my uneasiness at this was not a little however the S.B.* (* Small bower, that is the port bower.) a little relieved by best bower held on at night... "Saturday, 26th December. From noon till 3 P.M. the gale continued to increase and a sea got up still higher than it had yet been at any time since the gale began...Made all as snug as possible for riding out the gale, the hardest by far I ever saw in this country, and as it blew dead on the shore outside nothing less than the greatest providence could have saved us had we got to sea either of the times I attempted it. At half-past 6 P.M. a lull with the appearance of good weather...7 P.M. the weather looking very bad, made a run for Lady Nelson's Point, the gale following us as hard as ever, at half-past 9 came to an anchor off Lady Nelson's Point--at noon gale continued, however, we felt little here as we lay right under the land. "Sunday, 27th December. Between hours of 12 and 2 A.M. having caught Henry Willis and John Missing asleep in their watch, put both in irons.. 8 A.M. vessel drove...she tailed in on a mudbank, which obliged us to weight the best bower and with the long boat lay it ahead to heave her off. At noon hove into 1/2 2 fathoms. "Monday, 28th December. Wind at south-west at 3 P.M...up anchor and ran to leeward of Lady Nelson's Point. "Tuesday, 29th December. Winds at south-west. Shifted to north-west and freshened into a gale with cloudy weather: thus has this kind of weather bound us here this last 12 days...Sent the first mate and a party to see and shoot some birds.