52' S. Our Course E. Northerly Sixteen
Leagues, And A Current Setting N.W. At Sun-Set We Took In
Our sails,
that we might not overshoot the straits of Desalon, called Solore by
the natives.[424] Keeping our lead
Going all night, while under easy
sail, we had first twenty fathoms, the high land being then north, and
drove thence into thirty-three and forty-seven fathoms, fearing a shoal
about two-thirds of a league from Celebes, on which the sea breaks at
low-water. The passage, or straits, on the Celebes side, is very
dangerous, and full of sunken ground, wherefore we hauled off to the
Desalon side, giving it a good birth, having a peaked hill next the
sea-side, rising like an island. When you are to the westward, this hill
bears N.N.E. When it bears north, then you are athwart the west end of
the shoal, and then will the island on your starboard-hand bear E.N.E.
so that you may boldly steer through in the middle between the two
islands. When the peaked hill bears N. by W. then you are athwart the
east end. This east end of Desalon shews like an island, and will
deceive you till you come to it; but when you have brought the north end
of the point E.N.E. you may be bold, as being now clear of the
before-mentioned shoal. It is about four leagues between these islands,
and we came within half a mile of the island on our starboard. While
going through, the wind took us suddenly short, but on sounding, we had
no ground at fifty-five fathoms.
[Footnote 424: The passage between the S.W. extremity of Celebes and the
Sallyee islands seems here meant. - E.]
The afternoon of the 1st February we were abreast the point of the
island, bearing S. of us, and the two islands which make the straits lay
from each other N. and S. distant five small leagues. The morning of the
2d we had sight of the south part of Desalon, S.W. by S. and the north
part W. by N. eight leagues off. We steered E. by N. the wind at N. by
E. Our latitude being 5 deg. 52' S. and Desalon ten leagues off. The morning
of the 3d the south end of the isle of Cambyna bore N.E. by E. and a
small island or hummock N.E. eight or nine leagues off. In the morning
of the 4th we were in latitude 5 deg. S. with the wind at N.E. and at 3 p.
m. we saw land E. by N. which we made to be Boeton or Botun. The 5th,
being three or four leagues off Cambyna, we found the current carrying
us to the northwards. The 7th at day-break we neared Botun, and the 8th
saw another island called Tingabasse, or Tockan Bessy, rising round
and flat.
The 9th we had sight of two Curra-Curras between us and Botun, on
which we sent the skiff to one of them, which brought one Mr Welden, who
had formerly belonged to the Expedition, and a Dutchman, both of them
being bound for Banda.
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