All night fresh breeze and squally, at daylight rather more moderate, at half-past six despatched the whaleboat, fully manned and armed and provisioned for two days, and Jackey and his two companions. I gave charge of the boat to Macnate, my chief officer. I did not think there was any necessity to go myself, as Jackey said they were not likely to fall in with any natives. Captain Elliot volunteered his services and accompanied the party. Employed watering ship, found water very abundant all over Albany Island.
Saturday, May 12th, 1849.
At half-past one P.M. the whaleboat returned, having got the papers, etc., secreted by Jackey in a hollow tree. A rat or some animal had pulled them out of the tree, and they were saturated with water, and I fear nearly destroyed; they consisted of a roll of charts and some memorandum books. The charts with care may be deciphered. The following is Mr. Macnate's statement:
May 11.
At eight A.M. we rounded Fly Point, set sail and steered South by West, the boat going about five knots, just laying along the shore. At ten A.M. crossed a bank with only nine feet of water on it, passed a reef about three miles from Fly Point, and half a mile from the shore; from former shoal had three and four fathoms to the entrance of the river. At half-past eleven A.M. entered the mouth of a river, near the centre of Newcastle Bay; here we lost sight of Albany Island, making the distance from it about fourteen miles; the entrance of this river is about one mile and a half wide; on the northern half of the entrance the water is deep, three fathoms; on the southern side there is a sandbank, nearly dry at low-water.
From the entrance we went South-South-West five miles, when the river narrowed to about the third of a mile, we had from six to two and a half fathoms all the way in. From here we went into the branch of the river that ran about south, the main river going west. The entrance to the branch is about two cables' lengths wide, we went in a southerly direction about six miles, when the river narrowed to forty feet; here we landed at half-past three P.M. Leaving two hands in charge of the boat, walked about two and a half miles, where Jackey found the papers, they had been pulled out of the hollow trunk where he had placed them, and were much damaged, being saturated with water. We then went half a mile to where Jackey had camped, to look for a pair of compasses he had left; could not find them, but found a notebook that Jackey had been drawing sketches in; from here we went to another camp to look for the compasses, but did not find them. At half-past five came back to the boat and camped for the night, none of us could sleep on account of the mosquitoes and flies, etc.
At six A.M. started down the river; at eight calm, got into the main river, had breakfast. At half-past eight, a light breeze from the eastward. At eleven passed within half a mile of two native canoes with seven men in each, stood towards them, they immediately paddled away. At one rounded Fly Point, and at half-past one got alongside the brig.
Sunday, May 13, 1849.
Fresh breeze from South-East and fine all day. At eight A.M. both vessels hoisted the ensign half-mast. At three P.M. having put the remains of Messrs. Wall and Niblet in a coffin, left the ship in the two boats with nearly all the ship's crew cleaned, and pulled to the southern end of Albany Island, landed and went up to the highest hill on that part of the island, and on the top, a clear open place, we dug a grave and interred the remains of the unfortunate individuals Thomas Wall and Charles Niblet, reading the funeral service over them; about ten or twelve of the natives were present, and we fully explained to them what we were doing, they conducted themselves with propriety when the funeral service was being read. Poor Jackey was much affected, and could not refrain from tears.
The spot I selected is the most conspicuous on the island, and would be an excellent site for the erection of a monument to the memory of the unfortunate men who perished on the late ill-fated expedition.* At each end of the grave I planted two large bushes, and on the top were placed several large stones. A bottle was suspended over the grave, with a paper in it, stating who was interred, with the date, etc.; and at sunset we returned on board.