Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 1.djvu/477

 water from the frahns of the. sea. breeze, it Ism gained as much as nine inch in one hour and twenty minute. From the alarming increase of the leak, it became absolutely necessary to ascertain the full extent of the damage, in orcr that we might ff possible, repair it, so as not to prevent the further prosecution of the voyage, or at least to ensure our return to Port Jackson. We were fortunately upon a Part of the coast where the tides had a suffent rise and fall to enable us to lay her on shore without difficulty; but the beaches in York Sound and Prince Fre. deri�'s Harbour were all too steep for the pur- pose. The spring tides were now at hand; and, it being on this account very important that it should be done as ptxiily as possible, ! le the cutter the following morning in search of a convenient plae, in which I was fortunately very soon successful; for, at the bottom bf the port in which we had anchored, we landed on the sandy beach of a bay which, to my inexpressible satis- faction, was found in every way suitable for the object we had in view. Deferring, thref'ore, any further examination for a more co. nvenient op- Fortunity, I hastened on board, and, in the course of the morning, anchored the cutter close to the beach.

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