18 days at sea in open boats
The 99 survivors spent two nights on Escape Cay, before setting out for Timor-Kupang in the four remaining boats, the closest European settlement in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). They arrived in Timor after an arduous 18 day, 2200 km voyage through the Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait and across the Arafura Sea.
The boats followed a westerly course through what is now called Denham Pass. They made landfalls on Cape York and a few islands in the Torres Strait. The two yawls were sent ashore at Freshwater Bay where they found a good stream. On Mt Adolphus Island they were attacked by islanders while negotiating for water.
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Surgeon Hamilton:
"On entering a very fine bay, we found excellent water … As we passed round the bay, two canoes, with three black men in each, put off and paddled very hard to get near us. They stood up, waved and made many signs for us to come to them. But as they were perfectly naked, had a very savage aspect, and having heard an indifferent account of the natives of this country, we judged it prudent to avoid them."
Captain Edwards named Little Adolphus Island "Plum Island" after they had landed there and tried to eat some "nonda" plums, which they did not find very nourishing or thirst-quenching. Early next morning they landed on Horn Island, where they heard the howling of dingoes-referred to as "wolves" by Surgeon Hamilton.
As they made their way through Prince of Wales Channel into the Arafura Sea later that day, for Thomas Hayward the sight of the Torres Strait islands receding on the horizon was probably accompanied by some pithy comments and muttered oaths. He would have wished never to set eyes on these islands again. After all, having been one of the "loyalists" who went with Captain Bligh in the Bounty's launch, this was the second time in as many years that he found himself in the same waters in a small open boat: in peril, uncomfortable, cramped, exposed, hot, hungry and thirsty!