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Historical Records of New Zealand Vol. II.

Sequel of the Journal of Pottier de l'Horne. — Departure from New Zealand

page 343

Sequel of the Journal of Pottier de l'Horne.
Departure from New Zealand.

Yesterday, at about 5 p.m., our boat having come back to the vessel, M. de Surville convoked all the members of the staff and the crewmaster to a council which we held in order to decide where we should go to get relief to our sorry position, after having lost more than the third of our crew, four anchors, four cables, a boat, and with the riggings and instruments of the vessel in a bad state. At last we decided that with all these things missing it was impossible for us to remain at sea for more than four months, especially after having lost sixty men, many of the others being ill, and the remainder in a bad way; and besides, we were short of provisions, so there was only one

page 345

thing for us to do, and that was to set sail towards the Spanish colonies, although this was prohibited to us by an article in the instructions of M. de Surville, which article was read to us, and an authentic report was made of this resolution, though we were to go on with our discoveries as much as it would be possible for us to do.

As soon as the council was over we rigged an attachment to the cable, and worked the capstan. This operation being very long, we could only set sail at 9 p.m. to get out of the bay, which we did, giving plenty of room to the rocky point. The different soundings gave from 7 to 15 fathoms. So by 10 o'clock we had the point on the starboard, going north. At the same time the route was set, as mentioned in our log-book. The wind was boisterous and squally, and lasted so until 1 a.m., when we got a very strong wind and a little rain.

This morning at 5 a.m. we saw the land very far away from south to south ¼ south-west, and then shortly after we lost sight of it.