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Sydney October 1802
Dear Sir
I wrote you very fully by the Speedy dated the last of June, By the letters I have now receivd I heard of your being laid up which is the reason of my not having heard from you -- In my last I informed you of the Investigators arrival here & what she had done, she sailed from hence 22nd July to prosecute her discoveries accompanied by the Lady Nelson, his first object is Endeavor Straits & the Gulph of Carpentaria and the North & North West Coasts, if he can finish Carpentaria before the NW Monsoon sets in, which I am doubtful of, in that case he proposes returning thru the Straits & going to the Feegee Islands taking the change of the Monsoon for his return to survey the N. NW. & SW Coasts -- I also informed you of the French Ships coming here, the Geographe had no more than 12 men to work her when she arrivd includg Officers the rest being in the last stage of Scurvy & Dysentery. I informed you of what they had done in the surveying busines, which has been extensive enough as they have circumnavigated all the West & SW Coasts of this Country but I do not think they have examind it so closely as not to have left much for Captain Flinders to do -- As he has not a sufficiency of Men to work both ships & to pursue [?] in the [indecipherable] in part of his voyage, when signifying his distress to me & his