TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
HI 
Wellesleys Islands.] 
tents, a seine, and other necessaries for watering the ship and sup- 1802. 
plying us with fish. The carpenters proceeded in their work of Tuesday S. 
caulking ; but as they advanced, report after report was brought to 
me of rotten places found in different parts of the ship, — in the planks, 
bends, timbers, tree-nails, &c., until it became quite alarming. I 
therefore directed the master and carpenter to make a regular exami- Wednes. 24 
nation into all such essential parts, as could be done without delaying 
the service ; and to give me an official report thereon, with answers 
to certain queries put to them. After two days examination, their 
report was made in the following terms. Friday 26. 
SIR, 
In obedience to your directions we have taken with 11s the 
oldest carpenter’s mate of the Investigator, and made as thorough an 
examination into the state of the ship as circumstances will permit, 
and which we find to he as under c 
Out of ten top timbers on the larbord side, near the fore chan- 
nel, four are sound, one partly rotten, and five entirely rotten. 
We have seen but one timber on the larbord quarter, which is 
entirely rotten. 
On the starbord bow, close to the stem, we have seen three 
timbers which are all rotten. Under the starbord fore chains we find 
one of the chain-plate bolts started, in consequence of the timber and 
inside plank being rotten ; and also a preventer eye-bolt, from the 
same cause. 
On boring into the second futtock timbers from the main hold, 
close under the beams of the lower deck on the larbord side, we find 
one sound and two rotten ; and on lire other side, one sound and one 
rotten. 
On boring into one of the second futtock timbers in the cock- 
pit, on each side, we find it to be sound on the starbord, but on the 
other side rotten : the inside plank on both sides is rotten. On boring 
into one timber of a side in the after hold, we find them to be sound. 
