Having got to the westward of the shoal, called Frederick Endric, at half- past two we entered the Straits, and bore away to the southward; and, in the afternoon, Monopin Hill bearing due E., we determined its latitude to be 2° 3' S., the same as in Mons. D'Apres' map, and its longitude 105° 18' E. At nine, a boat came off from the Banca shore, and having rowed round the ships, went away again. We hailed her in the Malaye tongue to come on board, but received no answer. At midnight, finding a strong tide against us, we anchored in twelve fathoms, Monopin Hill bearing N. 29° W.
On the 4th, in the morning, after experiencing some difficulty in weighing our anchors, owing to the stiff tenacious quality of the ground, we proceeded with the tide down the Straits; the little wind we had from the northward dying away as the day advanced. At noon, there being a perfect calm, and the tide making against us, we dropt our anchor in thirteen fathoms water, about three miles from what is called the Third Point, on the Sumatra shore, Monopin Hill bearing N. 54° W. The latitude, by observation, was 2° 22' S., longitude 105° 38' E. At three in the afternoon we weighed, and stood on through the Straits with a light breeze; and at eight, were abreast of the Second Point, and passed it within two miles, in seventeen fathoms water; a sufficient proof that this Point may be bordered upon with safety. At midnight, we again came to anchor, on account of the tide, in thirteen fathoms, Mount Permissang, on the island of Banca, bearing N. 7° E, and the First Point S. 54° E., distant about three leagues.
In the morning of the 5th, we weighed, and kept on to the S E; and at ten, passed a small shoal, lying in a line with Lusepara and the First Point, at the distance of five miles from the latter. At noon, the island of Lusepara bearing S., 57° 1/2 E., four miles distant, we determined its latitude to be 3° 10' 1/2 S., and its longitude 106" 15' E. The difference of longitude between the island Lusepara, which lies in the S. entrance of the Strait of Banca and Monopin Hill, which forms one side of the entrance from the N., we found to be 55', which is only two miles less than what is given in D'Apres' chart.
In passing this Strait, the coast of Sumatra may be approached somewhat closer than that of Banca. At the distance of two or three miles from the shore, there are ten, eleven, twelve, or thirteen fathoms, free from rocks or shoals; however the lead is the surest guide. The country is covered with wood down to the water's edge, and the shores are so low, that the sea overflows the land, and washes the trunks of the trees. To this flat and marshy situation of the shore, we may attribute those thick fogs and vapours, which we perceived every morning, not without dread and horror, hanging over the island, till they were dispersed by the rays of the sun. The shores of Banca are much bolder, and the country inland rises to a moderate height, and appears to be well wooded throughout. We often saw fires on this island during the night-time; but none on the opposite shore. The tide runs through the Strait at the rate of between two and three knots an hour.
In the morning of the 6th, we passed to the westward of Lusepara, at the distance of four or five miles; generally carrying soundings of five or six fathoms water, and never less than four. We afterward steered S. by E.; and having brought Lusepara to bear due N., and deepened our water to seven fathoms, we altered our course to S. by W., keeping the lead going, and hauling out a little, whenever we shoaled our water. The soundings on the Sumatra side we still found to be regular, and gradually shoaling as we approached the shore. At five in the afternoon we saw the Two Sisters, bearing S. by W. 1/2 W.; and at seven, we came to an anchor in ten fathoms, about eight miles to the N. of the islands. The weather was close and sultry, with, light winds, generally from the N.W.; but sometimes varying round as far as the N.E.; and, during the night, we observed much lightning over Sumatra.
We weighed the next morning at five, and at eight were close in with the Sisters. These are two very small islands, well covered with wood, lying in latitude 5° 0' 1/2 S., longitude 106° 12' E., nearly N. and S. from each other, and surrounded by a reef of coral rocks; the whole circumference of which is about four or five miles. At noon we got sight of the island of Java to the southward; the N.W. extremity of which (Cape St Nicholas) bore S.; North Island on Sumatra shore, S., 27° W., and the Sisters N., 27° E., distant four leagues; our latitude was 5° 21' S., longitude 105° 57' E.
At four in the afternoon we saw two sail in the Strait of Sunda; one lying at anchor near the Mid-channel Island, the other nearer the Java shore. Not knowing to what nation they might belong, we cleared our ships for action; and at six came to an anchor in twenty-five fathoms, four miles E. by S. from North Island. Here we lay all night, and had very heavy thunder and lightning to the N.W.; from which quarter the wind blew in light breezes, accompanied with hard rain.
At eight o'clock the next morning we weighed, and proceeded through the Strait, the tide setting to the southward, as it had done all night; but about ten, the breeze failing, we came to again in thirty-five fathoms; a high, island, or rather rock, called the Grand Toque, bearing S. by E. We were at this time not more than two miles from the ships, which now hoisting Dutch colours, Captain Gore sent a boat on board for intelligence. The rain still continued, with thunder and lightning.
Early in the afternoon the boat returned, with an account that the large ship was a Dutch East Indiaman, bound for Europe; and the other a packet from Batavia, with orders for the several ships lying in the Strait. It is the custom for the Dutch ships, as soon as their lading is nearly completed, to leave Batavia on account of its extreme unwholesomeness, and proceed to some of the more healthy islands in the Strait, where they wait for the remainder of their cargo and their dispatches. Notwithstanding this precaution, the Indiaman had lost, since her departure from Batavia, four men, and had as many more whose recovery was despaired of. She had lain here a fortnight, and was now about to proceed to Cracatoa, having just received final orders by the packet.
At seven in the morning of the 9th we weighed, and stood on through the Strait to the S.W., keeping pretty close in with the islands on the Sumatra shore, in order to avoid a rock near Mid-channel Island, which lay on our left. At half after ten, I received orders from Captain Gore to make sail toward a Dutch ship, which now hove in sight to the southward, and which we supposed to be from Europe; and, according to the nature of the intelligence we could procure from her, either to join him at Cracatoa, where he intended to stop, for the purpose of supplying the ships with arrack, or to proceed to the S.E. end of Prince's Island, and there take in our water and wait for him.