July 1.
We had now the prospect of being obliged to keep under sail during the remainder of the night.

An attempt was made to veer, in order that, by laying to with her head off shore, we might have time to recover the cable, without endangering the security of the vessel; but, from the weight of the chain at the bow, this manoeuvre could not be effected; fearing, therefore, to drift any more to the westward, in which direction we were making rapid way, I was under the necessity of slipping the chain, by which we lost one hundred fathoms of cable, which we could but badly spare: being now freed from the impediment, the brig's head was placed off shore; and after making sail, we fired several muskets and showed lights, as signals to the Dick, who, it afterwards appeared, kept a light up for our guidance; but the weather was so squally and thick, with almost constant rain, that it was not seen by us.

It was half-past twelve o'clock when we made sail to the North-East by East, deepening from fourteen to sixteen fathoms, and when the hillocky summit of Cairncross Island bore South by West, beyond which bearing we did not know how far we could proceed with safety; we tacked to the South-South-West, and proceeded in that direction until the island bore South, when we were in fourteen fathoms.

Having thus ascertained the depth of this space, which was about three miles in extent, it was occupied during the remainder of the night; which, being very dark and squally, was passed by us in the greatest anxiety.

At day-dawn we were joined by our companions, and, as it was not possible from the state of the weather to regain the anchors we had lost, made sail towards Turtle Island, on our way to which we passed Escape River: both of these places reminded us of former perils, but the recollection of our providential preservation on those occasions, as well as on many others during our former voyages, increased the grateful feelings which we now felt for our safety and protection during the last night, the anxieties and circumstances of which can never be obliterated from our minds.
Our course was directed entirely by the chart I had previously formed; for the weather was so thick that for the greater part of the way no land could be seen to guide us: by noon we had passed between Cape York and Mount Adolphus, and in a short time rounded the north end of Wednesday Island, and were steering between it and the North-West Reef.
After passing the rock off Hammond's Island, we steered West by South 1/2 South, but were obliged to haul up South-West by West to pass to the southward of a small shoal, some part of which was uncovered (the time of tide being nearly low water, spring tide): this shoal lies in a North 50 degrees West direction, from the low rocky ledge off the north end of Good's Island, and is distant from it about a mile and a half.