On the 17th, we had heavy gales from the E. by N., with a rough tumbling sea, and the weather overcast and boisterous.  On the 18th, the wind still continuing to blow strong, and the sea to run high, we altered our course to S.W. by S.; and at noon, being in latitude 12 deg. 34’, longitude 112 deg., we began to steer a point more to the westward for Pulo Sapata, which we saw on the 19th, at four in the afternoon, bearing N.W. by W., about four leagues distant.  This small, high, barren island, is called Sapata, from its resemblance of a shoe.  Our observations, compared with Mr Bayley’s time-keeper, place it in latitude 10 deg. 4’ N. longitude 109 deg. 10’ E. The gale had, at this time, increased with such violence, and the sea ran so high, as to oblige us to close-reef the topsails.  During the last three days, the ships had outrun their reckoning at the rate of twenty miles a-day, and as we could not attribute the whole of this to the effects of a following sea, we imputed it in part to a current, which, according to my own calculations, had set forty-two miles to the S.S.W., between the noon of the 19th and the noon of the 20th; and is taken into the account in determining the situation of the island.

After passing Sapata, we steered to the westward; and at midnight sounded, and had ground with fifty fathoms of line, over a fine sandy bottom.  In the morning of the 20th, the wind becoming more moderate, we let out the reefs, and steered W. by S. for Pulo Condore.  At noon, the latitude was 8 deg. 46’ N., longitude 106 deg. 45’ E.; and at half-past twelve we got sight of the island, bearing W. At four, the extremes of Pulo Condore, and the islands that lie off it, bore S.E. and S.W. by W.; our distance from the nearest islands being two miles.  We kept to the N. of the islands, and stood for the harbour on the S.W. end of Condore, which, having its entrance from the N.W. is the best sheltered during the N.E. monsoon.  At six, we anchored, with the best bower, in six fathoms, veered away two-thirds of the cable, and kept the ship steady with a stream-anchor and cable to the S.E.  When moored, the extremes of the entrance of the harbour bore N. by W., and W.N.W. 1/4 W.; the opening at the upper end S.E. by E. 3/4 E.; our distance from the nearest shore a quarter of a mile.

As soon as we were come to anchor, Captain Gore fired a gun, with a view of apprising the natives of our arrival, and drawing them toward the shore, but without effect.  Early in the morning of the 21st, parties were sent to cut wood, which was Captain Gore’s principal motive for coming hither.  In the afternoon, a sudden gust of wind broke the stream-cable, by which the Discovery was riding, and obliged us to moor with the bower-anchors.