During our absence the shore of the bay of anchorage had also been examined and several pools of water were discovered, from which we filled our empty casks. Mr. Cunningham ascended the hills which rose nearly perpendicularly for at least 400 feet; they were thickly clothed with trees and plants from which he obtained a large addition to his collection. In wandering about through the spinifex upon the cliffs he saw four small kangaroos; and near the waterholes one of the crew saw a fifth, of a gray colour and of a larger size than usual.
Our people were now all laid up with sores upon their feet and legs from cuts and bruises received in scrambling over the rocks; and several were affected by ophthalmia. Besides this the rainy season was approaching; it commenced last year about the 18th of October, and as the weather was now close and sultry and daily getting more unfavourable, the change was evidently at hand.
October 13.
We therefore determined upon quitting the coast as soon as possible; and as there was nothing to detain us here any longer we weighed the following afternoon as soon as the tide commenced to ebb.
Our distance from the mouth was sixteen miles and the breeze blew directly against us but, as the tide was running out with great strength, we succeeded in reaching an anchorage in Brunswick Bay before dark; not however without incurring considerable danger in passing through strong tide ripplings when abreast of Rothsay Water; which caused me to suspect that it communicated with Prince Frederic's Harbour.
In beating out of the river the cutter leaked a good deal, which showed that our late repair at Careening Bay had not placed us without the pale of danger: and I now began to fear that the leak had been occasioned more from the defect of her fastenings than from the accident that happened to her keel; so that we were in every respect as badly off as before the cutter was careened. This made me decide upon instantly returning to Port Jackson; but it was with great regret that I found it necessary to resolve so; for the land to the westward appeared so indented as to render the necessity of our departure at this moment particularly vexatious.
October 14.
The next day therefore we passed out to sea to the westward of Baudin's Keraudren Island.
The wind, upon leaving the coast, being West-South-West and West-North-West, carried us as far to the north as 11 degrees 43 minutes before we met with southerly winds; after which they gradually veered to the south-east trade.
October 30.