The tide ebbing very fast, the brig was soon in shoal water, but the
bottom being a soft mud and the weather calm there was no danger to be
apprehended, yet, says Grant: "As I am no friend to vessels being on the
ground by carrying out a hawser I soon hauled her off and brought yet her
nearer to Margaret's Island. We found this island to be in general flat,
but well covered with wood. Here we deposited some seeds but did not find
the soil equally rich with that of Churchill's Island." Having lost some
of their drinking water, the Commander writes: "Luckily I heard the
bullfrog, which is common in New South Wales, and I made towards the
thicket from whence his croaking issued and there found a present supply.
This arm reminded me of the appearance of Porchester Lake when the tide
is out. Indeed the entire view of Western Port has no small resemblance
to Spithead and Portsmouth Harbour. On the 17th we got under weigh and at
night brought up in 12 fathoms water with rather a foul bottom. In the
morning we discovered a sand shoal whereon the waves were breaking very
heavily close to us...We shifted our berth and brought up in a small nook
or bay which I named Elizabeth Cove in honour of Miss Elizabeth King,
daughter of Governor King, then at Sydney." The greater part of Grant's
survey of Western Port was completed by April 22nd, but the Lady Nelson
was detained there by bad weather until the 29th, when, at break of day,
she weighed and stood out of the port, passing to the westward of Seal
Islands.

Grant then proceeded to make a survey of the coast from Western Port
eastward as far as Wilson's Promontory, which he says he carried out for
a distance of seventy miles, but winter being now advanced little more
could be done in the way of surveying, and as the wet weather was
prejudicial to the instruments, he resolved to make the best of his way
to Sydney; bad weather caused the ship to put into Botany Bay, but she
eventually arrived on May 14th, 1801.