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24 Dec 1847 This port has again become a harbour of refuge for shipwrecked crew - H.M.'s schooner Bramble, Lieutenant Yule, having arrived here on Thursday last with Mr. Beel, the master of the brig Mary, of Liverpool, bound from Sydney to Manila. The return of the Bramble to this port I am happy to say will be of great advantage to us - Lieutenant Yule intending to remain here until the 3rd proximo, and in the meantime make a minute survey of the Bay about the mouth of the Brisbane, and lay down good positions for anchoring vessels - so as to enable them to load without coming up the river. The annexed letter, addressed to the editor of the Moreton Bay Courier, will be read with interest by those parties who are located in or connected with the district of Wide Bay : Sir, Having ascertained that public attention is directed to Wide Bay, as a convenient port for embarking the produce of some parts of the Moreton Bay district in small vessels, I consider a few remarks on the subject may prove interesting to those who consider Wide Bay worthy of notice. I therefore beg to inform you, for the information of the public, through the medium of your journal that soon after leaving Moreton Bay, in company with the Rattlesnake, we anchored in Port Curtis, which we carefully surveyed, and having discovered a safe wide passage into it by the southern shore, the port may be considered a very secure and commodious harbour, and easy of access. Having completed the survey of Port Curtis I was despatched by Captain Stanley for Moreton Bay on the 29th of November, first calling at Wide Bay for the purpose of surveying it. I arrived thereon the 1st December, but not considering it safe to take the Bramble over the bar without previously sounding it, I anchored in the vessel outside, and sounded the bar in my boat whenever the violence of the surf would permit. I find that the breakers are continuous from point to point, the entrance into the inner bay being blocked up by the bar, which I never crossed without being in so little as three fathoms water, which might do for small vessels in even water, but would prove fatal to those in attempting to beat out against the rollers and surf I witnessed on Wide Bay bar. I am, Sir, your very obedient servant, C. B. YULE, Lieutenant and Commander. Brisbane, SG & SGTL Vol 5 p 2 ^ back to top ^ |
