covered with wood bore south-east half east, four or five miles distant.  This island is in latitude 00 deg. 03’ south, longitude 119 deg. 54’ east; it lies off the opening of a large bay.  On the 5th, we were in the latitude of 00 deg. 50’ south, and longitude 119 06’ east, and were about six or seven leagues from the coast of Celebes; here the land near the sea is of a moderate height, but the back land is remarkably high.

On the 7th, we saw two large proas, in the south-west; we were standing towards them, and as they were at some distance from each other, the one bore down and joined the other, and both stood for the land; we however judged it necessary to be prepared for them all the succeeding night:  they might have been trading vessels, but as they can conceal their numbers, and as we knew that these seas are infested with piratical vessels of that description, it was necessary for us to be on our guard.

At noon we were in latitude 1 deg. 47’ south; longitude 118 deg. 50’ east, and no part of the Celebes shore in sight.  I am convinced, from the many observations made for the longitude here, by myself, as well as by Lieutenants Bradley and Waterhouse, that the west coast of Celebes is laid down in all the charts which I have seen, much farther to the westward than it should be.  On the 8th, in the evening, we were looking out for the Little Pater Nosters, being near the latitude of their north end, as determined by Captain Carteret; but although we stood to the westward all night, we saw nothing of them; I therefore suppose they lay nearer the Celebes shore than we were at this time.

On the 9th in the morning, observing the water much discoloured, we sounded, and had thirty-five fathoms over a sandy bottom; soon after, we saw, from the mast-head, a small sandy island, bearing south-west by west:  at noon we were within five miles of it, and observed several shoals breaking to the northward and southward of it, with some dry patches of sand.  These shoals have been taken by some for the Little Pater-Nosters, but are called by the Dutch, the Triangles; they lie in latitude 2 deg. 58’ south; longitude 117 deg. 53’ east:  they are so very low, that a ship in the night would be ashore before they could be perceived; there are good soundings at some distance to the eastward of them.

The whole time we had been in this strait, the wind had been variable from south-south-west to west-north-west; in the night it sometimes inclined in very light airs from south-south-east to south.  On the 11th, in the afternoon, as we were standing to the westward, the water appeared suddenly of a very light colour, and on looking over the side, we perceived the ground under the ship:  before we had time to heave a cast of the lead, it appeared to be deeper, and we had ten and twelve fathoms; but I am inclined to think, from what I saw of the bottom, that there could not have been more than five or six:  the bottom was