[FROM TIMOR.  TOWARDS CAPE LEEUWIN.]

FRIDAY 8 APRIL 1803

(Atlas, Plate XVI.)

When we stretched out of Coepang Bay on the 8th of April, the wind was light from the westward; in the afternoon we tacked towards Pulo Samow, hoping that a canoe seen under the land might have the two deserters on board; but this not being the case, they were given up.  At six in the evening, when we stood off, the town of Coepang bore S. 60 deg.  E., six or seven miles, and the north point of Samow distant one mile, with the north-west extremity behind it, S. 70 deg.  W. In this situation the depth was 74 fathoms, and soon afterwards 130 did not reach the bottom.

During the night the breeze veered to the south and eastward, and in the morning [SATURDAY 9 APRIL 1803] to north-east, and we coasted along the west side of Samow, four or five miles off, without getting soundings; it is woody, hilly land, but not mountainous, and toward the south end is quite low.  A woody islet, called Tios in the charts, lies off the south-west point, which is the sole thing like danger on the west side of Samow; but the tides run strong here, and make ripplings which at first alarm, from their great resemblance to breakers.

SUNDAY 10 APRIL 1803

It was evening on the 10th before we had any regular wind; it then sprung up from the southward, and at six, when we made sail,

Samow, north-west point, bore N. 48 deg.  E.
Tios, dist. 5 miles, the south extreme, S. 60 E.
Rottee, furthest visible parts, S. 511/2 deg.  E. to 18 W.

The island Sauw, or Savu came in sight to the westward next morning [MONDAY 11 APRIL 1803], and also a small isle called Douw or Dowa, lying off the west end of Rottee; at noon, when our latitude was 10 deg. 37’ 22” and longitude 122 deg. 351/2’,

Savu bore from the mast head, N. 76 deg. to 88 deg.  W.
Rottee, furthest visible parts, S. 84 to 45 E.
Dowa, distant ten miles, S. 35 to 20 E.

We tried for soundings with 230 fathoms of line, without finding ground; and it should appear that there is no bottom amongst these islands at any reasonable depth, unless very near the shores.

The wind was still light; and on the following day [TUESDAY 12 APRIL 1803] we had rain, thunder, and lightning.  Savu was seen in a clear interval towards evening, bearing N. 3 deg.  W., and another piece of land, apparently Benjoar, was perceived from the mast head to the N. N. W.; this was the last sight we had of these islands, for the breeze freshened up from the eastward, and at noon next day [WEDNESDAY 13 APRIL 1803] our latitude was 12 deg. 20’ south.