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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 13^th 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)