the back by a native, and several days elapsed before he considered himself out of danger.
“On the 20th,” remarks Commander King, “we were beginning to feel the effects of this fatiguing duty. One-fourth of the people who kept watch were ill with bilious or feverish attacks, and we had never been altogether free from sickness since our arrival upon the coast. Mr. Montgomery’s wound was, however, happily quite healed, and Mr. Roe had also returned to his duty; but Mr. Cunningham, who had been confined to the vessel since the day we arrived in Careening Bay (July 23d), was still upon the sick list. Our passage up the east coast, the fatigues of watering and wooding, and our constant harassing employment during the examination of the coast between Hanover Bay and Cape Levêque, had produced their bad effects upon the constitutions of our people. Our dry provisions had suffered much from rats and cockroaches, and this was not the only way these vermin annoyed us, for, on opening a keg of musket-ball cartridges, we found, out of 750 rounds, more than half the number quite destroyed, and the remainder so injured as to he useless.
“Aug. 26th. – As the wind now blew constantly from the S.W., or from some southern direction, and caused our progress to be very slow and tedious; and as the shore for some distance to the southward of Cape Latouche-Treville had been partly seen by the French, I resolved upon leaving the coast. The want of a second anchor was so much felt, that we dared not venture into any difficulty where the appearance of the place invited a particular investigation, on account of the exposed nature of the coast, and the strength of the tides, which were now near the springs: upon every consideration, therefore, it was not deemed prudent to rely any longer upon the good fortune that had hitherto so often attended us in our difficulties. Accordingly, we directed our course for Mauritius.”
After re-fitting at Port Louis, the Bathurst proceeded to King George the Third’s Sound, where she remained, in amicable intercourse with the natives, from Dec. 23d, 1821, until the 6th Jan. 1822. Between Jan. 14th and 29th, the whole of the west coast of New Holland, from Rottnest Island to the N.W. cape, with the exception of Shark’s Bay, was examined; and on the 8th Feb. we find Commander King again off Cape Levêque. Another remarkable escape is thus recorded in his journal:–
