After We Had Got
About Eight Leagues Off, S.S.W. From The Before-Mentioned Point Of
Banka, We Steered
S.W. by W. the current setting N.W. which made our
course nearest W. by S. In this course
We proceeded five leagues, and
anchored in 8 f. on ooze, about nine at night.
In the morning of the 9th, we descried Lucepara, N.N.W. seven leagues
off, and steered towards it, till we had it N. two leagues. In this
course we passed over a spit, where we had only 4-1/2 f. and 4-3/4. But
on nearing Lucepara, we had 5-1/4 f. all ooze. We then steered N.W. by
N. till Lucepara was N.E. of us, having 5 f. and the same ground. We
then, went W.N.W. having always ooze, till we were within two leagues of
the Sumatra shore in 6 f. The isle of Lucepara bore then E.S.E. 3-1/2
leagues off; and a hill on Banka with a deep swamp, N. by W. being about
a sail's breadth open of the point of Sumatra, which bore N. by W. 1/2
W. from us, about three leagues off. We steered thence away with the
said point N. by W. Having 6-1/2 and 7 f. soft ground, till we came
within a league of the point, where edging too near we had but 5-1/2,
and only 4-1/2 in the boat hard by us: But, if we had kept a little
farther from the point, we might have gone in 7, 8, 9, and 10 f. all
through the strait, borrowing carefully with the lead upon the Sumatra
shore; whereas by keeping nearer to Banka than Sumatra, the soundings
are very variable, sometimes deep, and sometimes shallow, and mostly
foul ground. On the Sumatra shore, even if coming into shoal water, the
ground is mostly soft ooze, and the soundings far more regular and
certain.
In the evening of the 12th May, having brought the N.W. point of Banka
to bear N.E. we opened two smooth hills with a little hummock between
them; one of these hills being the northermost land of Banka, and
bearing N.E. nine leagues, from the N.W. point of that island. This
night we steered N.N.E. to get through the channel between Lingan and
the N. end of Banka, having 23, 22, 20, 18, and 16 f. all ooze, till we
came near the entrance, and afterwards 15, 14, 13 f. in going through
the passage. Lingan rises at first in three islands, the northermost
being larger than both the other two, being near two leagues long and
full of hummocks. Among these three islands there are certain fragments
of isles intermixed, like so many hay-cocks, which is a good mark
whereby to know these islands. From the smooth hill which is the north
end of Banka, to the south-westermost isle of Lingan, it is N. by W. ten
leagues.
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