NEW SOUTH WALES. 91 



birds were perched upon it. The boat having returned we 

 resumed our course. 



On the 24th of November we experienced a severe thunder 

 storm. The ship was struck by lightning several times, and 

 the forward conductor was broken into many pieces, but 

 neither the rigging nor hull were damaged. The wind blew vio- 

 lently from the southwest, and during the continuance of the 

 storm the thermometer was observed to fall from 85 to 69. 

 After sunset, as the wind increased in strength, " all hands 

 were called," the topsails were close-reefed, and a signal 

 made for the rest of the squadron to adopt the same pre- 

 caution. Our position at meridian was, according to dead 

 reckoning, in latitude 32 56' 00" south, and longitude 160 

 20' 48" east. 



Two days after this storm we passed Lord Howe's Island 

 and Ball's Pyramid, and several other small islands, called 

 Admiralty Rocks. The two first mentioned are high, bleak, 

 rugged rocks. 



On the 27th we saw several fin-back whales, also a great 

 number of birds, among which were four or five very large 

 albatrosses. 



At 10 A. M. on the 27th, we made the coast of New Hol- 

 land, or New South Wales, on the weather-beam. At 7.40 

 P. M. descried Sydney light-house, and at 9 called all hands 

 to work ship into port. We then stood for the harbor, and by 

 10.37 anchored in seven fathoms water off the town of Sydney, 

 abreast of Fort JVFQuarie, without any of her citizens, or 

 the garrison's being aware of our character. The " Pea- 

 cock " followed in our track, and anchored within a cable's 

 length of us. The remaining vessels came in the following 

 day. 



The fact of our coming in here in the night, and that too 



