LOG OF ME. SIMPSON. 363 



The schooner seen yesterday remained at anchor, 

 and from the fact of her doing' so, I came to the 

 conclusion it could be no other vessel than the 

 Coquette J* seeing- her so far from her station, I 

 imagined there was something wron^, or that she 

 had heard the unfortunate termination of the expe- 

 dition, and was preparing- to leave ; I determined to 

 communicate with her before proceeding up Escape 

 River ; at half-past eight a.m., saw four natives on 

 the beach. 



At nine a.m., I left in the whaleboat for the 

 schooner — the small boat employed in watering-. At 

 half-past eleven a.m., I boarded the Coquette ; 

 Captain Elliott had heard by the Sea Nymph, from 

 Hobart Town, the fate of the expedition, and was 

 about leaving- for Sydney. She reported the ship 

 Lord Auckland, from Hobart Town, with horses, 

 having- been aground on the X reef for several 

 days ; she subsequently got off, and had proceeded 

 on her voyag-e, not having sustained any very 

 material damage 5 she had lost four anchors, and 

 the Coquette was going to try to pick them up. 

 Having explained to Captain Elliott my intention of 

 proceeding up the Escape River in the morning, he 

 volunteered to accompany me, and to supply two 

 hands, which enabled me to man my two boats, thus 

 making a most formidable party. 



* Which had been sent from Sydney to await the arrival of 

 Kennedy's Expedition at Port Albany, the period for which the 

 Ariel had been chartered for that purpose having expired. 



