1765. made fail. We found the current ftill very strong

November.

Thurid, 14.

Friday 15.

1

to the eastward; and at two, we anchored again
in fourteen fathom, Pulo Taya bearing N. W.
N. diftant between seven and eight leagues. The
veffel which we had feen the day before under
Dutch colours, still lying at anchor in the fame
place, I fent a boat with an officer to speak with
her: the officer was received on board with great
civility; but was extremely furprised to find that
he could not make himfelf understood, for the
people on board were Malays, without a fingle
white man among them: they made tea for our
men immediately, and behaved with great cheer-
fulness and hospitality. The veffel was of a very
fingular conftruction; her deck was of flit bam-
boo, and she was steered, not by a rudder, but
by two large pieces of timber, one upon each
quarter.

The next morning, at fix o'clock, we weighed and made fail: at two, Monopin Hill bore S. by E. diftant about ten or eleven leagues, and had the appearance of a small island. It bears S. by W. from the Seven Islands, and is diftant from them about twelve leagues: its latitude is 2° S. From the Seven Islands we fteered S. W. by S. and had regular foundings from twelve to seven fathom, and foon after faw the coaft of Sumatra, bearing from W. S. W. to W. by N. at the dif tance of about seven leagues. In the evening, we Saturd. 16. anchored in feven fathom; and the next morning at four, we made fail again, and continued our course S. by E. till the peak of Monopin Hill bore eaft, and Batacarang Point, on the Sumatra fhore,

November.

S. W. to avoid a fhoal, called Frederick Hen-1765. drick, which is about midway between the Banca and Sumatra fhore: the foundings were thirteen Saturd, 16, and fourteen fathom. We then steered E. S, E. and kept mid channel to avoid the banks of Palambam River, and that which lies off the westermost point of Banca, When we were abreaft of Palambam River, we regularly thoaled our water from fourteen to feven fathom; and when we had paffed it, we deepened it again to fifteen and fixteen fathom. We continued to fteer E. S. E. between the Third and Fourth Points of Sumatra, which are about ten leagues distant from each other the foundings, nearest to the Sumatra fhore, were all along from eleven to thirteen fathom; and the high land of Queda Banca appeared over the Third Point of Sumatra, bearing E. S. E. From the Third Point to the Second, the courfe is S. E. by S. at the diftance of about eleven or twelve leagues. The high land of Queda Banca, and the Second Point of Sumatra bear E. N. E. and W. S. W. of each other. The Streight is about five leagues over, and in the midchannel there is 24 fathom. At fix o'clock in the evening, we anchored in thirteen fathom; Monopin Hill bearing N. W.; and the Third Point of Sumatra, S. E. by E. diftant between two and three leagues. Many fmall veffels were in fight, and most of them hoifted Dutch colours. In the night we had fresh gales and fqualls, with thunder and lightning, and hard rain; but as our cables

I

2

were

1765. November.

Sunday 17.

Tuesday 19.

were good, we were in no danger, for in this place the anchor is buried in a stiff clay.

In the morning the current or tide fet to the S. E. at the rate of three knots; at five we weighed, with a moderate gale at weft and hazey weather, and in the night the tide shifted, and ran as ftrongly to the N. W.; fo that it ebbs and flows here twelve hours.

On the 19th, we spoke with an English fnow, belonging to the Eaft India Company, which was bound from Bencoolen to Malacca and Bengal. We had now nothing to eat but the fhip's provifions, which were become very bad, for all our beef and pork stunk intolerably, and our bread was rotten and full of worms; but as foon as the master of this fnow learnt our fituation, he generously sent me a sheep, a dozen fowls, and a turtle, which I verily believe was half his ftock, befides. two gallons of arrack, and would accept nothing but our thanks in return. It is with great pleafure that I pay this tribute to his liberality, and am very forry that I cannot recollect his name, or the name of his veffel. In the afternoon, we worked round the First Point of Sumatra, and our foundings on the north-fide, at the distance of about a mile and a half from the fhore, were fourteen fathom. At half an hour after three we anchored, and fent a boat to found for the fhoals which lie to the northward of the island called Lafipara, which bore from us S. E. by S. diftant about fix leagues. Little wind, and a strong tide of flood

to

November.

1

to the northward, prevented our working between 1765. thefe fhoals and the coast of Sumatra till the afternoon of the 20th: the foundings were very regu- Wednes, 20, lar, being nine or ten fathom as we stood over to the island, and five or fix when we stood over to Sumatra. As this Streight has been often navigated, and is well known, it is not neceffary to infert all the particulars of our paffage through it; I fhall therefore only fay, that at fix o'clock in the evening of Tuesday the 27th, we fteered between Tuesday 27. the islands Edam and Horn, and entered the road of Batavia. At eight, we anchored without the fhips, Onruft bearing W. N. W. diftant five or fix

miles.

CHAP.

1765. November.

CHA P. XIII.

Tranfactions at Batavia, and Departure from that Place.

TH

HE next day, which by our account was the 28th, but by the account of the Dutch at Wednef. 28. this place, was the 29th, we having loft a day by

having steered weftward a year, we anchored nearer to the town, and faluted the water fort with eleven guns, which were returned. We found here above a hundred fail great and small, and among others, a large English fhip belonging to Bombay, which faluted us with thirteen guns.

There is always lying here a Dutch Commodore belonging to the Company, who, among his countrymen, is a person of very great confequence. This gentleman thought fit to fend his boat on board of me, with only the cockfwain in her, who was a very dirty ragged fellow: as foon as he was brought to me, he asked whence I came, whither I was bound, and many other queftions, which I thought equally impertinent, at the fame time pulling out a book, and pen and ink, that he might fet down the answers; but as I was impatient to save him this trouble, he was desired immediately to walk over the fhip's fide, and put off his boat, with which he was graciously pleased to comply.

When