I failed to mention in my description of the stop at the Whitsunday's that Admiral Fitzhalen had named Hamilton Island for his mistress Lady Hamilton.
Speaking of misnaming, we orbited in the Torres Straits for a couple of hours this morning unable to launch the tenders for our Monday stop at Thursday Island. Maybe that was the problem. I did get a nice sunrise picture of it; so my only new port on this cruise will continue to be a potential new port I suppose for another time. The Silversea tenders are its large lifeboats which have the stability of corks (but with fewer amenities), but the swell was excessive for them this morning. So after the reef pilot left the ship we departed Australian waters for now a 4 day sail to Komodo Indonesia where the swell might allow us to land and look at the lizards, or not. The weather forecast is for improving weather as we head away form Cyclone Olga which has been chasing us since south of Cairns.
Since it wasn't a holiday such as Whitsunday when Captain Cook discovered Thursday Island he did the best he could with naming it as he had exhausted the names of all his mistresses, the names of all his crew members and their mistresses, and most of the other days of the week. Cook didn't leave the ship here but rather sent his naturalist, Joseph A. Banks, who provided the natives with a second suit at half price. (Perhaps I have a few details confused).
At any rate, the duck was super at last night's formal dinner but I refused to drink wine that had a porcupine on the label. I have my standards. More in a few days.
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