Wednesday the 17th

"This day 5 months we left London and by a 'coincidence queer' are in sight of Point Nopean [sic] and the Entrance to the much desired Port Phillip, but I am before my Story – I went to bed heartily tired with my days work and was too lazy to get up very early, I commissioned one of the Boys to come and tell me which way the wind was, and what the prospects of the day were likely to be, about 7 my messenger arrived & informed me that it had been a clam [sic] all night and that at the time he was speaking there was a fine fresh breeze from the...

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... N.W which is dead against us blowing right out of the Entrance this was indeed bad news for me but I cannot help myself all that we can do is to keep close in by the Shore (which is at some distance from us) to the Eastward, tack & then try and beat to windward, the land which is visible is Cape Schanck Point Nopean [sic] being low land ..."

not being [previous two words deleted] is not yet in sight – The

Captn. went up in the Main

top & soon came down saying

that 4 vessells [sic] were in sight

two he could make out

to be coasters the other two

"... were large ones, he was not at first able to say whether they were running or beating to windward & few minutes sufficed to satisfy us that they were running out of Harbour, this piece of news made a considerable bustle and partly removed the fear that was entertained that the large vessell [sic] was the Andromache; about 12 oclock the two Coasters passed a head one fellow Hoisting his Ensign which we acknowledged but had no communication with him we hoisted our Ensign to the Barque which he answered and bore down to us we at the same time...

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... laid to until we came up when we found that he was the 'Thos. Laurie' Captn. Price from London & Port P. & then on his way to Sydney the Captn. requested him to report us at Sydney which he promised to do Mr. Bishop the Broker of this Ship is the owner of the 'Thos. Laurie' we passed too quick to have any further communication The wind tho: foul for us is fair for them the other large Ship passed us at too great a distance to do anything but pay us the compliment of hoisting his Ensign we have not been sufficiently close in to be able to speak..."

"... of the land seen to day [previous two words inserted above line], tomorrow morning will be the time to see it (DV) tho: I fear I must relinquish my journal as from the constant state of excitement that I am in I find writing almost impossible it is difficult to collect ones thoughts for an instant – 8 oclock the Captn. has just ordered the Ship put about we having beaten far enough to windward to to justify us in supposing that she will make the entrance on the other tack – The night is fine tho: I am a great deal too much excited to feel quiet and comfortable enough to enjoy it – the Captain expects to make... [page break] ... the Entrance to the Port by day light – Thursday the 18th (June) I turned in last night and slept very well till about ½ past 4 when I was disturbed by by hearing the Captains voice and an unusual bustle in the Ship I was to much interested to keep in bed so up I got and just put my head out of the Companion when I heard the voice of a man who was crying out “by the deep 10” and very soon let me into the Secret that we were close in between Point Nopean [sic]..."

"... and it was moonlight and therefore I could see that we were steering close in between the Headlands I could even hear the waves beating on the Rocks with tremendous vigour the tide too was tearing out with tremendous violence I was so cold (standing only in my Shirt) that I was forced to turn in again when I got up to breakfast I found that the Ship was quite unable to contend with the tide which was running out thro: an entrance which certainly was not wider than... [page break] 2 miles and the tide running at least 6 or 7 miles per hour and instead of finding the Ship right in between the Heads [end]..."