1803.
November.
Sunday 6.
the height to be more than 9000 feet, had it been seen in the horizon; but it was perceptibly above, and this land is therefore probably not much inferior to the peak of Teneriffe. I did not measure its altitude above the horizon with a sextant, or the elevation might have been more nearly ascertained.
The westward current had hitherto not exceeded half a mile an hour; but the next dayTuesday 9. it was one mile, and on the day following one and a quarter to the W.S.W. We had then regained the trade wind, and our situation at noon was 10° 3½′ south and 125° 15′ east; the northern part of Timor was obscured by haze, the nearest land visible bore N. 75° W. about eight leagues, and the southern extreme W. 5° S. On the 9thWednes. 9. the round hill upon Rottee came in sight, and bore S. 78° W. at noon, when our latitude was 10° 32¼′ south and longitude 124° 0′ east. We carried all sail to gain Samow Strait before dark; but it was eight o'clock when we hauled round the low south-west point of Timor, in soundings from 6 to 14 fathoms within a quarter of a mile of the reef. There were lights on both shores, which were useful in directing our course up the strait; but having unfavourable winds, the northern outlet was not quite reached at noon next day;Thursday 10. and it was near five in the evening before we anchored abreast of Fort Concordia. This was the thirtieth day of our departure from Wreck Reef, and two days might be deducted from them for the deviations and stoppages made for surveying; the indifferent sailing of the schooner was also against making a quick passage, for with all the sail we could set, so much as six knots was not marked on the log board; yet notwithstanding these hindrances, and the much greater of my six-weeks voyage in the boat to Port Jackson and twelve days stay at Wreck Reef, the Bridgewater had arrived at Batavia only four days' before we anchored in Coepang Bay. Had not the unfortunate accident happened to the Porpoise, I have little doubt that we could, with the superior sailing of that ship, have reached the longitude of Java Head on the fortieth, perhaps on the thirty-fifth day of our departure from Port Jackson.
