1803.
October.
Saturday 29.
A distance of two miles between the islands seems to present a fair opening; but there is a reef of low rocks on the west side, and the ripplings and whirlpools caused by the meeting of the tides take away the command of a vessel in light winds; so that, although I went through safely in the Cumberland, the passage can be recommended to a ship only in a case of necessity. The latitude of our anchorage under the northern island, from a supplement of the moon's meridian altitude, was 11° 24⅔′ south; and the longitude by time keeper, from altitudes of the star Altair, 136° 28½′ east, but it is placed in 1′ less, conformably to the positions fixed in the Investigator. A head land seen in latitude 11° 18′, was probably the northern extremity of this island, and of the whole chain; at least nothing beyond it could be perceived.
In steering out of the channel we were carried near the western rocks by the tide; but the water was deep, and a breeze soon took the schooner out of its influence. At noon our observed latitude was 11° 21′, the northern island bore N. 67° to S. 48° E., and the furthest part of the southern land S. 5° W.; the wind was light at north-east,(Atlas,
Plate I.) and until midnight we steered north-west to get off the coast; our course was then more westward towards Timor, where I proposed to stop for a supply of water and provisions.
(Pl. XVI.) our latitude was 9° 28′ south, longitude 127° 12′ east, and I was surprised to see already the high land of Timor extending from N. ½ W. to W.N.W.; the first was probably the north-east extremity of the island, and distant about twenty-three leagues, but the high land in the latter bearing could scarcely be nearer than thirty-five leagues. This distance, with ten feet elevation of the eye on the schooner's deck, would give
