Page:A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 2.djvu/273

Towards C. Leeuwin.]

The island Sauw, or Savu came in sight to the westward next morning, and also a small isle called Douw or Dowa, lying off the west end of Rottee; at noon, when our latitude was 10° 37′ 22″ and longitude 122° 35½′. We tried for soundings with 230 fathoms of line, without finding ground; and it should appear that there is no bottom amongst these islands at any reasonable depth, unless very near the shores.

The wind was still light; and on the following day we had rain, thunder, and lightning. Savu was seen in a clear interval towards evening, bearing N. 3° W., and another piece of land, apparently Benjoar, was perceived from the mast head to the N.N.W.; this was the last sight we had of these islands, for the breeze freshened up from the eastward, and at noon next day our latitude was 12° 20′ south.

Having been disappointed in procuring salt provisions and the means of sending an officer to the Admiralty from Coepang, I had necessarily given up the project of going back to the north coast of Terra Australis; but since the decay of the ship did not appear to have advanced so rapidly as was expected, I judged there would not be much hazard in taking this opportunity of executing the article of my instructions, which directed me "to examine as particularly as circumstances would allow, the bank which extends itself from the Trial Rocks towards Timor." Upon what authority the bank was thus described, I had no information; but that it did not reach so far as either Timor or Rottee, was proved by our having passed the west end of the latter island and sounded with more than 200 fathoms without finding bottom. It seemed to me probable, that if such a