Smith. — Exploration of Tasman Bay. 443 



anchor was quickly hauled in, the mizzen and the top sails set 

 at the same moment ; but hardly had we fallen off on our course 

 when the wind fell, and came round to the north. Just then 

 the current took us broadside on, and carried us again within 

 half a cable's length of the unfortunate Whirlpool Point. A 

 stream-anchor could not hold us, and it became necessary to 

 add the smaller anchor and chain. 



We then towed off shore with three hawsers, which, with 

 difficulty, took us a cable-length off the land. This movement 

 was repeated, but we were so contraried by difficulties that at 

 5 p.m. we had to content ourselves with anchoring about a cable- 

 length and a half from the shore. We had been engaged thirteen 

 hours in this continued and hard labour, removing, mooring, 

 and lifting a number of anchors and cables, and were still less 

 far advanced than in the morning. Hardly had the boats, 

 laden with anchors and cables, reached a short distance from the 

 ship when the current would sweep them away to the south- 

 ward with irresistible violence, and the longest tow-line was 

 thus reduced to a half-cable or more. In this fatal basin the 

 punishment of the Danaids was renewed for us, and it seemed 

 as if some evil genius wished each day to destroy in an instant 

 the fruit of our greatest efforts. 



For several days I had suffered from pains in my side, and 

 the successive fatigue of the day had not contributed to lessen 

 them. All night long a strong wind from the N.W. and W.N.W. 

 prevailed with squalls, but a clear sky. Our chain, now well 

 tried, assured o.ur position, otherwise it would not have been 

 without inquietude. 



27th January. — At 7.30 a.m. I went in the yawl to look for 

 a spot to place a stream-anchor at four cables' length to wind- 

 ward of the ship, in order that we might haul towards the other 

 side of the bay, where we should be in a position to get under 

 way with the prevailing wind. To my great surprise, in sound- 

 ing at 200 or 300 fathoms from the pass I found all that space 

 occupied by a sand-bank covered with only 15 ft., 12 ft., and 

 even 11 ft. of water at low tide. Beyond that the depth suddenly 

 returned to 22 and 24 fathoms, and formed a narrow channel 

 along the island. The presence of that sand-bank proved to 

 me that the pass was even more dangerous than I had thought 

 for a ship drawing so much water as ours ; but, on the other 

 hand, I was pleased with the discovery, because it offered a 

 point of safe support for the stream-anchors which I wished to 

 place there. 



Directly I returned on board I sent the long-boat to place a 

 stream-anchor towards the sand-bank, and it returned with the 

 end of the three hawsers with which it was furnished. At the 



