[1] The Advance was originally employed between the Tweed River and Sydney but when she was purchased by Messrs, David Cairncross and William Rooke, she was placed in the trade between Port Stephens and Botany Bay carrying shells for lime burning purposes in which she remained till she has wrecked.
John Smith did not give any special caution about not going down after taking off the hatches; there might have been about three parts of a bucket of charcoal and a quarter of a pound of sulphur; on Sunday afternoon be heard that M'Lean was lying dead on board the schooner.
[2] The particulars of the wreck on 11 February 1884 are related by one of the crew: The Advance in ballast got underway for Port Stephens at about 7 o’clock yesterday (Monday) morning, from the Government wharf, Botany Bay there was a light breeze from the SE at the time, but the weather was overcast, and the wind gradually freshened till, about three quarters of an hour afterwards, it was blowing a strong gale.
It is middle of the North Head of Botany Bay, and about half a mile from La Perouse The surf breaks in with great violence during SE gales into the bight and as the water is full of jagged rocks for some.
distance from the base of the almost perpendicular cliffs, which rise to some height, it can well be Imagined that the crew of a vessel going ashore here in very heavy weather would have but little chance of saving their lives[1] The location of the shipwreck is approximately 33°59′57″S 151°14′20″E / 33.99919°S 151.2390°E / -33.99919; 151.2390, but the wreck has not been discovered.