at West...this hurricane of wind increased so rapidly and with such fury
that we were obliged to let go the best bower and till all 3 anchors bore
the strain she dragged a little, struck top-gallant-mast. This squall
continued for 4 hours, then settled into a westerly gale with constant
thunder and lightning and at intervals very hard rain and also more sea
than I supposed possible in this cove. At 11 P.M. parted our warp, my
uneasiness at this was not a little however the S.B.* (* Small bower,
that is the port bower.) a little relieved by best bower held on at
night...

"Saturday, 26th December. From noon till 3 P.M. the gale continued to
increase and a sea got up still higher than it had yet been at any time
since the gale began...Made all as snug as possible for riding out the
gale, the hardest by far I ever saw in this country, and as it blew dead
on the shore outside nothing less than the greatest providence could have
saved us had we got to sea either of the times I attempted it. At
half-past 6 P.M. a lull with the appearance of good weather...7 P.M. the
weather looking very bad, made a run for Lady Nelson's Point, the gale
following us as hard as ever, at half-past 9 came to an anchor off Lady
Nelson's Point--at noon gale continued, however, we felt little here as
we lay right under the land.

"Sunday, 27th December. Between hours of 12 and 2 A.M. having caught
Henry Willis and John
Missing asleep in their watch, put both in irons.. 8 A.M. vessel
drove...she tailed in on a
mudbank, which obliged us to weight the best bower and with the long boat
lay it ahead to heave her off. At noon hove into 1/2 2 fathoms.

"Monday, 28th December. Wind at south-west at 3 P.M...up anchor and ran