FL14374861

59

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Thur 18th Dec
1817

My Dear Father

Should this reach you before my letters from Batavia I
think you would be much surprised and as there is some pro-
-bality that such may be the case I shall run over
the voyage to this place in as brief a manner as possible - At
the Derwent to my comfort I met the missionaries in the Harriet
& having heard from that they arrived safe I shall begin from our
leaving the Derwent which was on the 13 May with a fair wind
and pleasing expectations, after having been detained much longer
than we expected - on the 19th had a smart gale & found a
leak under our stern, which induced the Capt to haul
up and go to the northward on the 1 June we made Lord
Howe Island & about the 11th Indian Head or the coast of N H- [indecipherable] we
were beating off till the 18th at which time tis supposed we were not
above three or four days sail from Sydney with a good Vessel

After passing Indian Head we had generally very plea-
sant weather along the coast of which was truly pictur-
esque though dangerous we had to anchor every evening
which & this made the passage much longer - We struck on
a reef on the 17 July but got off in the course of two