Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/414

352 chart of 1801, he returned to his ship and we resumed our course to the northward.

At nine o'clock the next evening, having passed Indian Head in the morning, we rounded Breaksea-Spit, and, at midnight, brought to the wind, in order to make Lady Elliot's Island; but finding at daylight that a current had drifted us past it, we steered on, and, at ten o'clock discovered a group of low woody islets. They were named Bunker's Isles. It has since been ascertained that they abound with turtle and beche de mer, that latter of which, if not both, will at some future time become of considerable importance to the coasting trade of New South Wales.

On the 20th we anchored on the south side of Port Bowen, in the entrance of the inlet that extends to the southward within in the projection of Cape Clinton; but, in doing this, we were unfortunate enough to get aground, and receive very serious damage. After passing the Cape and hauling round its inner trend towards the sandy bay, we had to beat to windward to reach the anchorage, and, in the act of tacking on the western side of the inlet, the tide swept us upon a sand-bank, over which, as the wind was blowing obliquely upon it, the cutter continued to drive until the sails were taken in and an anchor