The Porpoise and Cato on Wreck Reef (1803)

On the 9th of September, 1803 Commander Flinders wrote to Governor King of New South Wales a letter that included the following passage: “I think it proper to notice to your Excellency that the great extensions of Lieutenant Fowler and his officers and company, as well the passengers belonging to the Investigator, in saving His Majesty’s stores, have been very praiseworthy; and I judge that the precautions that were taken will exonerate the commander of the Porpoise from the blame that might otherwise be attached to the loss of His Majesty’s armed vessel.” Ship Name: Cato  Nationality: British Ship Type: Private Merchant Vessel  Tonnage: 450 Year Wrecked: 1803 Location Wrecked: Wreck Reefs in the Coral Sea Lives Lost: 3 Ship Name: HMS Porpoise  Nationality: British  Ship Type: 10-Gun Sloop  Tonnage: 308 Tons  Year Wrecked: 1803 Location Wrecked: Wreck Reefs in the Coral Sea Lives Lost: None  Sources:  https://transcripts.sl.nsw.gov.au/section/series-68-reports-concerning-wreck-hm-ships-porpoise-and-cato-1805 https://flinders.rmg.co.uk/displayResourced4e2.html?ID=1000&ResourceType=Essay https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22588786 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/625783/5766 https://collections.sea.museum/objects/49045/cannon-ball-from-cato-or-hms-porpoise;jsessionid=06BB3EE6F7790DE36429577AA7248624?ctx=5d1b29f9-b406-464a-992e-bb14ccb6b30e&idx=24 https://silentworldfoundation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Signals90_pp2-9_Wrecks-Reefs-guano.pdf https://books.google.com/books?id=-iKaY4dvhBkC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=purpose+and+cato+shipwreck&source=gbs_navlinks_s https://books.google.com/books?id=dQJXAAAAcAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=purpose+and+cato+shipwreck&source=gbs_navlinks_s https://books.google.com/books?id=tQ48AQAAMAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=purpose+and+cato+shipwreck&source=gbs_navlinks_s https://books.google.com/books?id=s9IObFCc-BUC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=purpose+and+cato+shipwreck&source=gbs_navlinks_s https://books.google.com/books?id=Ax1JAAAAcAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=purpose+and+cato+shipwreck&source=gbs_navlinks_s https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15726/page/955