40 degrees 37 minutes south. They met with this misfortune
in the middle of last February; soon after which a certain number of them
resolved to attempt the reaching Port Jackson in the ship's long boat,
leaving the commander and about thirty people to stay by the wreck. The
boat being prepared, 17 people embarked in her, and sailed; but meeting
with much bad weather they were again wrecked, being driven on shore on
the coast near Point Hicks. Here they all landed, and endeavoured to
travel northward, but dropped off one by one and lost each other daily,
until the number was reduced to five, the three who had arrived (the
supercargo, a sailor, and a Lascar), the first mate of the ship, who had
undertaken the navigation of the long boat, and the carpenter. These two,
from excessive fatigue, had been unable to proceed any further, and had
stopped the day before their companions in this miserable journey had
been taken up by the fishing boat.
To look for these unfortunate people, a whale boat was dispatched the
following day, properly provided with such comforts as were necessary for
persons in their weak and wretched condition.
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