18th August 1898

Thursday

Diving party went away to examine the an- chor they reported by signal, that the 4 1/2 inch hawser had been parted by the explosion, but there was a lot of coral rock over the anchor 1 pm divers came on board and rported everything ready 2pm weighed anchor and got everything ready for picking up the lost anchor again but owing to the wind suddenly shifting to the Westward the Captain belayed everything. 4.3-0 Captain decided to chance it and if there was much trouble to give it up altogether, and proceed back to Gavatu, we steamed slowly over to the anchor, had a little trouble at first at the wind would keep blowing her head round as we was shackling on the chain at last we managed to get everything ready and we started pulling haul ley gain and after a decent spell of this we had the gratification of seeing the anchor show itself above water again, but the way the 3 1/2 in hawser was coiled round about it was something marvel ous, it would simply had been impossible for anyone to have done it by hand, it looked as if the anchor had been placed in a Wire Spud? net, we hoisted it right up to the Cat Davit, then proceeded out to sea and re- mained outside all night as it was too risky to at- tempt to get our anchorage in the dark as there was no land marks to go by, it was passed 10pm before we had got the anchor properly secured, we left everything as it was stood by hammocks then served out optional cocoa.