To A.H., Esq., (?Alfred Holden)

Narara Cottage.

Sir,

You have doubtless ere this, heard of the unfortunate fate of the Traveller. I wrote to you last evening, on Mr. V. and myself returning from the wreck, but it appears that Moses Carrol, the person by whom the letter was to have been taken, will not leave until the latter end of the week, and Mr. V. having a lad going to Brisbane Water, I thought it advisable to let you know as soon as possible the facts of the case. It is the general opinion here that the two men in charge of the vessel, were exceedingly blamable, and that they were not at all trustworthy to have so much property under their protection; in fact, to be plain, there are a great many things that were shipped at Mr. Hargrave's Wharf, both for Mr. V. and myself, that were not  in the vessel when she was wrecked, which makes the affair bear a different aspect. We have just examined the cases and find them to have been opened and a portion of the contents taken out, this must have been done in Brisbane Water, as my brother in law went on board at Pittwater, and never left the goods until we brought them up in the punt. I think these things ought to be inquired into. I have carefully examined the entrance to the lake, and I have no hesitation in saying, that it is far from a bad entrance, in fact much superior to that I have been led to expect. At dead low water we found four feet of water on the Bar, and with common care, a vessel of 50 tons could be brought in, and after once inside, a more beautiful Harbour I never saw. I have explained in my letter yesterday of the vessel being leaky, and not fit for the place, nor indeed had she a cable or anchor on board that was fit to hold a boat half her size; had her stores been good she could have been got off without damage after she struck, still it does not take off from the persons in charge, the stigma that rests on their characters, and the insolent manner in which they (the sailors) behaved to Mr. V., was beyond anything you can fancy on such an occasion.