The next morning, the weather became very dark and tempestuous, with heavy rain; we therefore clewed all up, and lay by till we could see about us.  The two islands proved to be Pulo Tote, and Pulo Weste; and having made sail till one o’clock, we saw the Seven Islands.  We continued our course till two the next morning, the weather being very dark, with heavy squalls of wind, and much lightning and rain.  While one of these blasts was blowing with all its violence, and the darkness was so thick that we could not see from one part of the ship to the other, we suddenly discovered, by a flash of lightning, a large vessel close aboard of us.  The steersman instantly put the helm a-lee, and the ship answering her rudder, we just cleared each, other.  This was the first ship we had seen since we parted with the Swallow; and it blew so hard, that not being able to understand any thing that was said, we could not learn to what nation she belonged.

At six, the weather having cleared up, we saw a sail at anchor in the E.S.E.; and at noon, we saw land in the W.N.W. which proved, to be Pulo Taya, Pulo Tote bearing S.35 deg.E.  Pulo Weste S.13 deg.E.  At six in the evening, we anchored in fifteen fathom, with sandy ground; and observed a current running E.N.E. at the rate of five fathom an hour.

At six in the morning, we weighed and made sail, and soon after saw two vessels a-head; but at six in the evening, finding that we lost much ground, we came again to an anchor in fifteen fathom, with a fine sandy bottom.

At six o’clock the next morning, the current being slack, we hove short on the small bower, which soon after parted at a third from the clench.  We immediately took in the cable, and perceived that, although we had sounded with great care, before we anchored, and found the bottom clear, it had been cut through by the rocks.  After some time, the current becoming strong, a fresh gale springing up, and the ship being a great way to the leeward, I made sail, in hopes to get up and recover the anchor; but I found at last that it was impossible, without anchoring again; and being afraid of the consequences of doing that in foul ground, I determined to stand on, especially as the weather was become squally.

We were, however, able to make very little way till the next day, when, about three in the afternoon, we saw Monopin Hill bearing S. 3/4 E. and advancing very little, saw the coast of Sumatra at half an hour after six the next morning.  We continued to suffer great delay by currents and calms, but on Monday the 30th of November, we anchored in Batavia Road.

SECTION XI.

Transactions at Batavia, and an Account of the Passage from thence to the Cape of Good Hope.

We found here fourteen sail of Dutch East-India ships, a great number of small vessels, and his majesty’s ship the Falmouth, lying upon the mud in a rotten condition.