Page:Tales-of-Banks-Peninsula Jacobson 2ed 1893 cropped.pdf/86

The compiler has had placed at his disposal a number of log-books, which comprise the diary of George Hempleman. They are yellow with age, dating from November, 1835, at which time Captain Hempleman sailed from Sydney to Banks Peninsula, on a whaling voyage, in the brig Bee. It was on the 29th November that the brig left Pinch Gut, where she had been lying, and, after a short anchorage at Watson’s Bay, finally cleared the Heads, a terrible thunderstorm from the southward prevailing at the time. No damage, however, was done, and the vessel got clear of the coast without mishap. The usual events of a voyage followed, but on December 20th a poor woman who had stowed herself in the fore-hold “for love of Mr Wright’s nephew,” as it is quaintly put, was discovered. She was of course sent back to Sydney by the first opportunity, which happened to be in a whaling barque called the Governor Bourke, with 1200 barrels of oil aboard.

There were many vessels spoken, and most of them seem to have had a lot of oil aboard, showing how plentiful whales were in those days. The Bee, however, seems to have been a very leaky craft, for they had to pump ship every two or three hours. On Monday, December 21, they got a supply of vegetables from Lord Howe’s Island On January 11th, 1836, the first whale was captured. A sperm whale that yielded thirty-one barrels was caught on January 25, but the leak kept increasing, and on the 30th they tried to discover where the water came in by breaking out the run, but were unsuccessful.

On Saturday, the 6th of February, the East Cape was made, and the ship hove to for Natives to come aboard with pigs and potatoes. She got a good lot, and then stood away to the southward. On Wed-