He imagined that he had arrived at Hunter River, and was not convinced of his error till the vessel was within half a mile of an island at the entrance.* (* Reid's Mistake was so called because a seaman of that name had previously made a similar error, and lost his ship there.

The island lies at the entrance of Lake Macquarie (and still bears the name).

The wrecked vessel was the Martha, 30 tons, and doubtless was the ship which first saw King Island in 1799.) Here, as the Lady Nelson was in 17 fathoms water, and the weather was fair, a boat was lowered and Dr.Harris was sent to explore the place.

On his return the doctor reported that there was not the least sign of a river here, but that the sea broke heavily over an inlet behind the island.

He brought with him a native, who on first seeing the boat had run towards it crying out alternately "Whale boat" and "Budgeree (i.e.
good) Dick." It was supposed that this native had been given this name by some of the people sent in search of the convicts who had run away with the Norfolk.