A reef connects the
south part of the island with the south shore of the entrance of the
river. In this harbour was found a very considerable quantity of coal of
a very good sort, and lying so near the water side as to be conveniently
shipped; which gave it, in this particular, a manifest advantage over
that discovered to the southward. Some specimens of this coal were
brought up in the boat.
About this time a small decked long boat arrived from Norfolk island, and
brought an account that the master of the American snow _Mercury_
had landed there the remainder of the people who had been left by Captain
Bampton in Dusky Bay. When the _Endeavour_ was wrecked there about
20 months before*, the governor, not having any vessel at Port Jackson
fit for such a purpose, had expressed a wish to the master of the snow,
to this effect, when he was about leaving New South Wales. The master
made no objection, only stipulating that he might be permitted to take
from the wreck such stores as he might be in want of, but to this the
governor could not give his sanction, leaving him only to make what terms
he could with any of the people belonging to her whom he might find
alive.
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