448 
SURVEY OF THE 1NTERTROPICAL 
1820. south head of Port Jackson ; but, from an un- 
Dec. 3. usual westerly current, we found ourselves, very 
nearly to our destruction, considerably out of 
4. our reckoning. At 2 h. 40 m. a.m., by the glare 
of a flash of lightning, the land was suddenly 
discovered close under our lee : we hauled to 
the wind immediately, but the breeze at the 
same moment fell, and the swell being heavy, 
the cutter made but little progress. Sail was 
made as quickly as possible, and as the cutter 
headed N.N.E., there was every likelihood 
of her clearing the land; but a quarter of an 
hour afterwards, by the light of another flash, 
it was again seen close to us, stretching from 
right a-head to our lee-quarter, and so near, 
that the breakers were distinctly seen gleaming 
through the darkness of the night. A third flash 
of lightning confirmed our fears as to the dan- 
gerous situation we were in ; and as there was 
not room to veer, the helm was immediately 
put a-lee ; but, as was feared, the cutter refused 
stays. We were now obliged to veer as a last 
resource, and the sails being manoeuvred, so as 
to perform this operation as quickly as possible, 
we fortunately succeeded in the attempt, and the 
cutter’s head was brought to the wind upon the 
other tack without her striking the rocks: we 
were now obliged to steer as close to the wind 
