Left Arrow
Right Arrow
Fateful Voyage

PreviousFryer Voyage Page 13HomeJohn FryerFryer Voyage Page 15Next

Revised May 19 2021

John Fryer's Narrative of the Launch Voyage - Page 14

after we were thro the Reef into smooth water — we try'd to [? ?] to windward in order to get under the lee of the Reef or on [?] In hopes of catching some fish — but the current [?] nothing thro the Passage and over the Reef that we could do nothing with it — we however kept as near to the passage as possible in order to ascertain the Latd with degree of correctness. at [last?] we had a good observation. Captn Bligh had his [azimuth?] and I had an old Quadrant. that Latd that we obserd in 12°45′S [?]. we at the time suppose our [?] 5 or 6 miles to the Northward of the Passage so that the Passage lay in 12°50—[?] South - after our observation May 29, 1789 we bore away to the NW - Friday 29 about three oclock we came to grapnel under the Reef and tryd to catch some fish but had

no success — we then steer'd in for a small Island where we thought to find some Birds but this Island proved to be a Barren rock — then we steer'd for a larger Island — When we land just at sunset the Tide being out we found several oysters it was so soon dark that we could not pick up any great Quantity in deed on first landing — we were like so many drunken men, in setting so long in the Boat and being so weak that when I first landed — my head was so light that I fell down — after it was Dark—part of us went into the boat and the other part stay'd to sleep onshore — in the morning at break of day — I told Mr Bligh that we had better haul the Boat onshore and part of us go and see what here could be found — Captn Bligh said yes Mr Fryer let us do it, the Boat was hauld onshore