G() ARRIVE AT SYDNEY. 



ran off afFrig'hted^ leaving' behind their baskets^ 

 which were filled with a small blue greg*arious crab^ 

 common upon the sandy beaches. 



After leaving" our anchor a g'e under Keppel's 

 Island^ we continued working' to the southward 

 ao-ainst a strono- S.E. wind. On the 24th while 

 standing' in for the land^ about 11 p.m.^ the ship was 

 suddenly found to be within a cable's length of the 

 rocks off the N.E. end of Facing* Island^ on which 

 we were fortunate in not having' to spend our 

 Christmas. Next day a water-snake ( Hypotropliis 

 Jvkesii) four feet two inches long' was caug-ht when 

 we were several miles off the land ; it had acciden- 

 tally been hooked by the tail by some one fishing* 

 for albacore_, several of which fine fish were taken 

 hereabouts. We rounded Breaksea Spit on De- 

 cember 29th^ and two days afterwards arrived at 

 Moreton Bay, Avhere we found the Bramble. 



During- our stay at Yule's Eoads^ we had much 

 g'loomy blowing* weather^ with drizzly rain^ and a 

 heavy g'ale from N.E. to N.N.E. After replenish- 

 ing- our nearly exhausted stock of water, we sailed 

 for Sydne}^;, which we reached on Januar}^ 14th^ 

 1848. During' this passage we were much aided 

 by the strong current^ and had usually the wind 

 between S.E. and E.S.E.^ with occasional calms. 



F'eh, 2nd, 1848. — During our absence from Sydney^ 

 and since our arrival^ some events of great impor- 

 tance to the colony had occurred. Pubhc attention 

 had been strongly directed towards the question of 



