December,

1767 peftuous weather and contrary winds with fudden and impetuous gufts, which, as we had not a number of hands fufficient to bend the fails, often endangered our mafts and yards, and did great damage to our fails and rigging, especially at this time, as we were obliged to carry all the fail we could to prevent our falling into a deep bight, on the Celebes fhore. The ravages of the fcurvy were now univerfal, there not being one individual among us that was free, and the winds and currents being fo hard against us, that we could neither get westing nor fouthing to reach any place of refreshment; the mind participated in the fufferings of the body, and a univerfal defpondency was reflected from one countenance to another, especially among those who were not Thurí. 10. able to come upon the deck. In this deplorable situation we continued till the 10th, and it is not perhaps very eafy for the most fertile imagination to conceive by what our danger and distress could poffibly be encreased; yet debilitated, fick, and dying as we were, in fight of land that we could not reach, and expofed to tempefts which we could not refift, we had the additional misfortune to be attacked by a pirate; that this unexpected mischief might lofe none of its force, it happened at midnight, when the darkness, that might almost be felt, could not fail to co-operate with whatever tended to produce confufion and terror. This fudden attack, however, rather rouzed than depreffed us, and though our enemy attempted to board us, before we could have the least apprehenfion that any enemy was nea we defeated his purpose; he then plied us with w we supposed to be fwivel guns, and small arms, brifkly; but though he had the start of us, we foon turned his falute with fuch effect, that shortly afte funk, and all the unhappy wretches on board perishe was a small veffel, but of what country or how mar it was impoffible for us to know. The lieutenant one of the men, were wounded, though part of our running rigging was c fome other flight damage. We k a veffel which we had feen in th and we afterwards learnt that booter, who had more than his command. The fmallne

Hanger

en

the attack, an ne renga being 10 maca me: T in proportion to ne" zz, tupnou"? DA MICALL man, renderer 1: fata.

On Saturday the 1212.

ous fhoals called the Seer dati

tification to find that the wter

fet in, against which, an

ble for any hip to get a

it was now neceffary towa:: monfoon, and the ibiting o: tee car buried thirteen of car crew, an: n more were at the point of ecar officers were among the tick, as t myfelf, win din al cuties in a re impofiible that we fout keer or: chance of preferving those who were. geting on fhore at fome place, water ment might be procured: I there I would take advantage of our

ward, and endeavour to reac: ? nis fettlement of the Dutch upon, The next day we made

far from that place, and faw, wi for thoals, and fometime ter board, but what afterward other drift floating about, with a we suddenly found ourfeive: Lem the southward than we expect which had for fometime fet us to

to the careg the noris 26, 2 fet us to the fouthward during the ge hauled up eaft, and E. 4 N. intending to nave grov a the northward of a fanal, which has no name Eaft India Pilot, but which the Dutch call the by noon, however, we found ourigives upor u, w

water shallow

four fathoms,

ground

come sochor

December,

1767- peftuous weather and contrary winds with fudden and impetuous gufts, which, as we had not a number of hands fufficient to bend the fails, often endangered our mafts and yards, and did great damage to our fails and rigging, especially at this time, as we were obliged to carry all the fail we could to prevent our falling into a deep bight, on the Celebes fhore. The ravages of the scurvy were now univerfal, there not being one individual among us that was free, and the winds and currents being fo hard against us, that we could neither get wefting nor fouthing to reach any place of refreshment; the mind participated in the fufferings of the body, and a univerfal defpondency was reflected from one countenance to another, especially among those who were not Thurf. 1. able to come upon the deck. In this deplorable situation

we continued till the 10th, and it is not perhaps very eafy for the most fertile imagination to conceive by what our danger and distress could poffibly be encreased; yet debilitated, fick, and dying as we were, in fight of land that we could not reach, and expofed to tempefts which we could not refift, we had the additional misfortune to be attacked by a pirate; that this unexpected mischief might lofe none of its force, it happened at midnight, when the darkness, that might almost be felt, could not fail to co-operate with whatever tended to produce confufion and terror. This fudden attack, however, rather rouzed than depreffed us, and though our enemy attempted to board us, before we could have the least apprehenfion that any enemy was near, we defeated his purpose; he then plied us with what we supposed to be fwivel guns, and fmall arms, very brifkly; but though he had the start of us, we foon returned his falute with fuch effect, that shortly after he funk, and all the unhappy wretches on board perished. It was a small vessel, but of what country or how manned, it was impoffible for us to know, The lieutenant, and one of the men, were wounded, though not dangerously; part of our running rigging was cut, and we received fome other flight damage. We knew this pirate to be a veffel which we had feen in the dufk of the evening, and we afterwards learnt that the belonged to a free booter, who had more than thirty fuch veffels under his command. The fmallnefs of our veffel encouraged

the

December.

the attack, and her strength being fo much more than 1767. in proportion to her fize, fuppofing her a merchantman, rendered it fatal.

On Saturday the 12th, we fell in with the danger- Satur. 12. ous fhoals called the Spera Mondes, and had the mortification to find that the westerly monfoon was now fet in, against which, and the current, it was impotli→ ble for any ship to get as far westward as Batavia. As it was now neceffary to wait till the return of the eastern monsoon, and the thifting of the current; as we had buried thirteen of our crew, and no less than thirty more were at the point of death; as all the petty officers were among the fick, and the lieutenant and myfelf, who did all duties in a feeble condition; it was impoffible that we should keep the fea, and we had no chance of preferving those who were still alive, but by getting on fhore at fome place, where rest and refreshment might be procured: I therefore determined that I would take advantage of our being so far to the southward, and endeavour to reach Macaffar, the principal fettlement of the Dutch upon the island of Celebes.

The next day we made fome islands which lie not Sunday 13. far from that place, and saw, what sometimes we took for fhoals, and fometimes for boats, with men on board, but what afterwards appeared to be trees, and other drift floating about, with birds fitting upon them; we fuddenly found ourselves twenty miles farther to the fouthward than we expected, for the current, which had for fometime fet us to the northward, had fet us to the fouthward during the night. We now hauled up eaft, and E. & N. intending to have gone to the northward of a fhoal, which has no name in our Eaft India Pilot, but which the Dutch call the Thumb; by noon, however, we found ourselves upon it, our water fhallowing at once to four fathoms, with rocky ground. We now hauled off to the fouth weft, and keeping the boat a-head to sound, ran round the west fide of the fhoal in ten and twelve fathoms; our water deepening when we hauled off to the weft, and fhallowing when we hauled off eaft. Our latitude, by observation, when we were upon the fhoal, was 5° 20′ S. and the northermoft of the islands, called the Three Brothers, then bore S. 18 E. at the distance of five or

fix

1767. December.

Tuesday 15.

ހ

fix leagues. This island is, in the English Pilot, called Don Dinanga, but by the Dutch the North Brother.

Between the Three Brothers, and the main of Celebes, there is another island, much larger than either of them, called the Island of Tonikiky; but none of them are inhabited, though there are a few huts belonging to fishermen upon them all. The paffage between the shoal and this island is clear and good, with from ten to thirteen fathoms, and a fandy bottom; but the foundings are to be kept on the fide of the island in twelve fathoms, and never under ten: it is, however, very difficult and dangerous for fhips to fall in with the land this way without a pilot on board, for there are many fhoals and rocks under water. I ran in by a chart in the English East India Pilot, which upon the whole I found a good one, though the names of the islands, points, and bays, differ very much from thofe by which they are now known. When we got near to the Celebes fhore, we had land and fea breezes, which obliged us to edge along the coast, though our strength was fo much reduced, that it was with the utmost difficulty we could work the ftream anchor.

In the evening of Tuesday the 15th, we anchored at about the distance of four miles from the town of Macaffar, which, according to my account, lies in latitude 5° 10' or 5° 12' S. longitude 117° 28′ E. having spent no less than five and thirty weeks in our paffage from the Streight of Magellan.

I have been the more particular in my description of as much as I faw of this Streight, because all the charts, both English and French, that I confulted, are extremely deficient and erroneous, and because an exact knowledge of it may be of great fervice to our China trade : the fhips, by which that trade is carried on, may pafs this way with as little danger as the common one, which lies along the Praffel fhoals; and when they mifs their paffage to China, in the fouth-eaft monsoon, and lose the season, they may be fure of a clear channel here, and fair winds at W. S. W. and round to W. N. W. in November, December, and the four following months; I am also of opinion, that it is a better and fhorter way to go the N. E. and eastward of the Philippine Iflands, than to thread the Molucc, or coast

New