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A distance of two miles between the islands seems to present a fair opening; but there is a reef of low rocks on the west side, and the ripplings and whirlpools caused by the meeting of the tides take away the command of a vessel in light winds; so that, although I went through safely in the Cumberland, the passage can be recommended to a ship only in a case of necessity. The latitude of our anchorage under the northern island, from a supplement of the moon's meridian altitude, was 11° 24⅔′ south; and the longitude by time keeper, from altitudes of the star Altair, 136° 28½′ east, but it is placed in 1′ less, conformably to the positions fixed in the Investigator. A head land seen in latitude 11° 18′, was probably the northern extremity of this island, and of the whole chain; at least nothing beyond it could be perceived.

In steering out of the channel we were carried near the western rocks by the tide; but the water was deep, and a breeze soon took the schooner out of its influence. At noon our observed latitude was 11° 21′, the northern island bore N. 67° to S. 48° E., and the furthest part of the southern land S. 5° W.; the wind was light at north-east, and until midnight we steered north-west to get off the coast; our course was then more westward towards Timor, where I proposed to stop for a supply of water and provisions.

A moderate trade wind, coming generally from S.E. in the first part, and E.N.E. in the latter part of the day, carried us to the longitude of the northern Cape Van Diemen; beyond that, the winds were light and variable, and frequently at south-west, which alarmed me lest the unfavourable monsoon should set in before we could get far enough to be out of its influence. Nov. 6 at noon, our latitude was 9° 28′ south, longitude 127° 12′ east, and I was surprised to see already the high land of Timor extending from N. ½ W. to W.N.W.; the first was probably the north-east extremity of the island, and distant about twenty-three leagues, but the high land in the latter bearing could scarcely be nearer than thirty-five leagues. This distance, with ten feet elevation of the eye on the schooner's deck, would give