The next morning, we made sail and steered west-north-west, looking out for the shoal and running along its eastern side about four miles distant.  This reef is very large, and its eastern side is bound with rugged rocks, and when the water is smooth there is no breaker on it.  At four in the afternoon, we rounded the shoal at two miles distance, and steered for the south end of Bouton, which we passed early the next morning, and soon afterwards passed the streights, steering west half north.  When you are to the eastward of Camborra, the entrance of the streights of Bouton may be known by three small islands which lie off the east point that forms the streights, one of which is large, and the other two are small:  off the large one lie several rocks, but at no great distance.  The only chart we had on board, which took any notice of these islands and the shoal, was one of Hamilton Moore’s, which we found tolerably correct, except in some instances where the islands are misplaced, as St. Matthew’s Islands, Toucambessis, the south end of Bouton and Kercolang, with some other trifling differences; however, upon the whole, it may be called a good chart.

At day-light, the island of Salayer bore from south 40 deg. west to north 80 deg. east, and the entrance of the streights north 70 deg. west.  On entering the streights, we found a very strong ripling of the sea, which we were apprehensive were overfalls; but we found it was a strong current setting to the westward.  At noon, being through the streights, we hauled up west by south.  The best passage through these streights is between the two small islands, the southernmost of which lies close to -Salayer_.  The island of Salayer appears to be well inhabited, and cultivated to advantage, as each piece of ground was fenced in, and the houses appeared to be very good ones.

The course from the streights of Salayer to -Cambona_ is east by south eighty-four miles:  they lie west by north half north, and east by south half south, about five miles through:  the entrance to the westward is in 5 deg. 45’ south latitude, and 120 deg. 3’ east longitude.  This latitude was determined by a good meridional altitude, and the longitude by the time-keeper and lunar observations, so that there is a very considerable mistake in Hamilton Moore’s chart respecting the position of these streights.  At three in the afternoon, a man, who was stationed at the mast-head, said he saw a great ripling, and on looking over the side, the bottom was distinctly seen; on this, we hauled off to the southward, and hove the lead, but got no ground, and the vessel going very fast, we immediately lost sight of the bottom, and soon afterwards steered west by south.  At the time we were on this bank, the south end of Salayer bore south-south-east, and the north end, east.