Steering northward.'] TERRA AUSTRALIS. 299 
charge one of the Investigator’s warrant officers with the look-out isoa. 
on the fore castle. These precautions being taken, and the top sails wfdnesf 17. 
double reefed, our course was pursued to the N. by W. , with a fresh 
breeze and cloudy weather ; and at eight o’ clock the lead was cast, 
hut no bottom found at 35 fathoms. The Bridgewater was then 
about half a mMe on the starbord, and the Cato a mile on the lar- 
bord quarter ; and their distance seeming to increase at nine, when 
our rate of going was eight knots, the fore sail was hauled up to 
keep them in sight : wind then at S. E. by E. 
In half an hour, and almost at the same instant by the Investi- 
gator’s carpenter on the fore castle, and the master who had charge 
of the watch on the quarter deck, — breakers were seen a-head. The 
helm was immediately put down, with the intention of tacking from 
them ; but the Porpoise having only three double-reefed top sails 
set, scarcely came up to the wind. Lieutenant Fowler sprang upon 
deck, on hearing the noise ; but supposing it to be occasioned by 
carrying away the tiller rope, a circumstance which had often 
occurred in the Investigator, and having no orders to give, I re- 
mained some minutes longer, conversing with the gentlemen in the 
gun room. On going up, I found the sails shaking in the wind, and 
the ship in the act of paying off'; at the same time there were very 
high breakers at not a quarter of a cable’s length to leeward. In 
about a minute, the ship was carried amongst the breakers ; and 
striking upon a coral reef, took a fearful heel over on her larbord 
beam ends, her head being north-eastward. A gun was attempted 
to be fired, to warn the other vessels of the danger ; but owing to the 
violent motion and the heavy surfs flying over, this could not be 
done immediately ; and before lights were brought up, the Bridge- 
water and Cato had hauled to the wind across each other. 
Our fore mast was carried away at the second or third shock; 
and the bottom was presently reported to be stove in, and the hold 
full of water. When the surfs permitted us to look to windward, 
the Bridgewater and Cato were perceived at not more than a cable’s 
I 
