The Logbooks of the Lady Nelson: With the journal of her first commander Lieutenant James GrantLee, Ida
History
The Logbooks of the Lady Nelson: With the journal of her first commander Lieutenant James Grant
Lee, Ida
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Grant, James, 1771 or 2-1833; Lady Nelson (Ship)
"Tuesday, January 26th. At half-past 12 bore away for Elephant Rock. At 5
P.M. the south extreme of Three Hummock Island bore south by east
distance 19 or 20 miles...At sundown extremes of Governor King's Island
bore south-west to west by north distance 11 or 12 miles. At 8 P.M.
shortened sail and threw her head off shore intending to have lain off
and on all night, this was done. At 4 A.M. made sail for land and we
exactly made Elephant Rock right ahead therefore the distance between
Three Hummock Island and Elephant Rock is north 65 west distance 44 miles
true by compass north-west by west. We then stood on for the sandy capes
or bluffs and by half-past 9 A.M. the largest and perpendicular one bore
south by west distant 8 or 9 miles, this I named Cape Farewell. I took a
departure from it intending to run to Cape Albany (Otway); the wind from
4 A.M. has blown at east-north-east and from that to north-east with its
usual hazy dirty weather, in consequence of which we kept our wind till
noon to be certain of clearing the shoals and breakers lying off this end
of the island. At noon saw the looming of the western end of the island
bearing distant perhaps 12 miles, the direct distance from Mid Hummock of
that island to Cape Farewell is north 51 degrees west distance 56 miles
true but by compass north-west a little westerly."
CHAPTER 6.
THE DISCOVERY OF PORT PHILLIP.
On leaving King Island, Murray, on January 30th (civil time),* (* In this
chapter civil time is given in the author's observations. The time in the
logs throughout is according to nautical reckoning, i.e. the day
beginning at noon before the civil reckoning.) returned again to Western
Port and next day, at 4 A.M. he sent Mr. Bowen with 5 men in the launch
to examine the harbour to the westward which is now known as Port Phillip
and at the head of which stands the city of Melbourne. On Wednesday the
launch returned and the first mate reported that he had found a good
channel into the harbour which was "a most noble sheet of water." He also
reported that he saw no natives but only their huts. Shortly afterwards
Murray himself entered the newly discovered Port in the Lady Nelson.
Murray arrived there on February 14th and anchored at 3.30 P.M. in a
sandy cove off a point of the shore which lay distant a quarter of a mile
to the south-west. He named a high mountain Arthur's Seat; a cluster of
islands where black swans were plentiful Swan Isles; a bold rocky point
to the east-south-east Point Paterson and a long sandy point Point
Palmer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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