The Sydney Gazette 28
August 1808
LOSS OF THE ‘DUNDEE’
The ‘Dundee’, Captain Cummings, sailed
from hence for the Fejees and Pulo Penang, or the Prince of Wales’s Island, on
Saturday, the 13th instant. At 8 am of the same day a heavy gale set
in which continued the whole of the day, and next morning the ship was upon a
lee shore, and every exertion to get her off the land proved ineffectual. On the
morning of the15th, being about 3 miles to windward of Hunter’s River, the gale
increased, and the sea running very high, it was found necessary to bear up, in
hopes of finding safe anchorage at the entrance of the River, as the only
possible means of saving the lives of the people, and possibly the ship: but
being unable to carry sail to keep the ship to windward, and a strong fresh
running out of the river, it was impossible to weather the breakers on the lee
sand shoals; and at 3 am of the15th she struck, the sea making a prodigious
breach over her as she lay until between 1 and 2 am when the vessel went to
pieces, and scarcely anything was saved. In so distressing calamity it is some
gratification to be informed that only two persons lost their lives that had
sailed in the vessel from Penang. The chief officer narrowly escaped being
drowned; for, being obliged to swim for his life, and having a greater distance
to go than his strength was adequate to, he sunk within a short distance of the
short, but was happily rescued from a watery grave by the well timed exertions
of several who had gained the shore, and were ….. of his imminent danger.
Captain Cummings with his officers and part of
the crew arrived in Sydney on ….day afternoon in the ‘Governor
Hunter’
(Captain P Cummings, a passenger on board the
‘Lady Barlow’ from India in 1809 died on the passage over SG 27/8/1809)
