The Sydney Gazette 26 November 1829

Captain Nolbrow of the Mermaid

Captain Nolbrow, who is well known here as an old commander, trading to our shores, arrived by the Calista. He has been singularly unfortunate, more so than we ever remember to have heard of in the instance of any surviving shipwrecked mariner. He sailed from Sydney in the Mermaid, Colonial Government cutter, for Port Raffles, which settlement, our readers are aware, the Government of the sister Colony has, by order from home, caused to be evacuated. On entering Torres' Straits, the Mermaid got ashore and was lost. All on board saved upon a rock.

In three days the ship Swiftsure, which sailed from this port, hove in sight, and took on board Captain Nolbrow and his crew. In three days she got on shore and was wrecked, all on board saved. In a day or two the Governor Ready, also from this port, passing within sight, took the shipwrecked people on board, and was in three days himself wrecked, but all the people saved.

The ship Comet, also from this port, soon after took the whole of the collected crews of the lost ships on board, and was herself wrecked also in a day or two, but all the people saved. At last the ship Jupiter, also from this port, came in sight and taking all on board steered for Port Raffles, at the entrance of which harbour she got on shore and received so much damage that she may be said to half wrecked. There however, Captain Nolbrow found the Government brig Amnity in which he embarked, and strange to say this vessel also was, as we have stated in the former part of this article nearly wrecked in Gage's Roads.