Sep 23, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Sep 25, 1792
Revised Sep 16 2021
1 pm: Moderate Breezes and fair Weather
2 pm: Saw a Flock of Sea Birds in Pursuit of small Fry
4 pm: Ditto Weather
5 pm: Pumps worked as usual – Spoke the Assistant and found the William Terry Quartermaster one of those wounded by the Indians in the Streights died the Night before and was buried yesterday Morning
12 mid: Fresh Breezes and fine Weather
4 am: Ditto Weather
5 am: Out reefs and made all Sail after the Assistant – Saw several Tropic Birds People put to an Allowance of Water
8 am: At 8 the Assistant made the Signal denoting Danger and hauled to the Wind. Shortened Sail and hauled up after her – Saw shite shoal Water from West to SWbyS 2 or 3 Miles distant – The Assistant stood round the North End and at 5:50 Made the Signal to follow without Danger
10 am: Saw a Shoal of small Fry
11 am: People pointing the Sheet Cable, Sailmaker fixing Hoses to the Main Deck Awning
12 noon: At Noon Moderate Breezes and fine Weather
The Assistant ahead leading
The poor Fellow that died on board the Assistant was wounded in the Hip bone, but of so little Consequence did he think it at first that he fired several Musketts at the Indians afterwards and did not even know he was wounded till he was told. the Arrow was not one of those that are barbed and pointed with Bond, but one of the common wooden pointed ones, as were most of those they fired. yet one of them struck a Block and peirced it to the Sheeve and several stuck in the Sides and Deck a considerable Depth. they were smeared with a kind of white Paint, as was every thing we had from those Indians. whether there was any thing of Poison in the Composition we have not had an Opportunity to ascertain, yet the extreme Pain all that were wounded suffered and particularly this Man, seems to argue there was. to this extreme Pain is his Death attributed for it threw him into violent Convulsions in which it is thought he burst a blood vessel which brought on his Dissolution – he was Quartermast and assistant Sailmaker and one of the best Men on board the Brig
The Captain I understand is under Apprehensions we shall not be able to procure a sufficient Quantity of
Water at Timor this I imagine must be the reason the Ships Company are put to an Allowance when we have
so fair a Prospect of getting into a Port very shortly. on our first entering Endeavour Streights we were
not suffered to drink at any Time, but were never at any regular Allowance till now – at present
each Man is allowed a Pint of Water per Day, exclusive of his Grog, Pea soup and Water Gruel, in the
two last the Water has been reduced more than half some Time
Sep 23, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Sep 25, 1792