from N.N.W. to W.S.W.  We got out our long-boat and weighed the stream anchor, and at nine made sail.  We found the current still very strong to the eastward; and at two we anchored again in fourteen fathom, Palo Taya bearing N.W. 1/2 N. distant between seven and eight leagues.  The vessel which we had seen the day before under Dutch colours, still lying at anchor in the same place, I sent a boat with an officer to speak with her:  The officer was received on board with great civility; but was extremely surprised to find that he could not make himself understood, for the people on board were Malays, without a single white man among them:  They made tea for our men immediately, and behaved with great cheerfulness and hospitality.  The vessel was of a very singular construction; her deck was of slit bamboo, and she was steered, not by a rudder, but by two large pieces of timber, one upon each quarter.

The next morning, at six o’clock, we weighed and made sail; at two Monopin Hill bore S. by E. distant about ten or eleven leagues, and had the appearance of a small island.  It bears S. by W. from the Seven Islands, and is distant from them about twelve leagues:  Its latitude is 2 deg.  S. From the Seven Islands we steered S.W. by S. and had regular soundings from twelve to seven fathom, and soon after saw the coast of Sumatra, bearing from W.S.W. to W. by N. at the distance of about seven leagues.  In the evening, we anchored in seven fathom; and the next morning at four we made sail again, and continued our course S. by E. till the peak of Monopin Hill bore east, and Batacarang Point, on the Sumatra shore, S.W. to avoid a shoal, called Frederick Hendrick, which is about midway between the Banca and Sumatra shore:  The soundings were thirteen and fourteen fathom.  We then steered E.S.E. and kept mid channel to avoid the banks of Palambam river, and that which lies off the westernmost point of Banca.  When we were abreast of Patambam river, we regularly shoaled our water from fourteen to seven fathom; and when we had passed it, we deepened it again to fifteen and sixteen fathom.  We continued to steer E.S.E. between the third and fourth points of Sumatra, which are about ten leagues distant from each other:  The soundings, nearest to the Sumatra shore, were all along from eleven to thirteen fathom; and the high land of Queda Banca appeared over the third point of Sumatra, bearing E.S.E.  From the third point to the Second, the course is S.E. by S. at the distance of about eleven or twelve leagues.  The high land of Queda Banca, and the second point of Sumatra, bear E.N.E. and W.S.W. of each other.  The strait is about five leagues over, and in the mid-channel there is twenty-four fathom.  At six o’clock in the evening we anchored in thirteen fathom, Monopin Hill bearing N.1/2 W. and the third point of Sumatra, S.E. by E. distant between two and three leagues.  Many small vessels were in sight, and most of them hoisted Dutch colours.  In the night we had fresh gales and squalls, with thunder and lightning, and hard rain; but as our cables were good, we were in no danger, for in this place the anchor is buried in a stiff clay.