Page:Early voyages to Terra Australis.djvu/331

 THE houtman's abrolttos. 177

direct your course as much N. as E., in such a manner that, on reaching 30° S. lat., you shoukl find yourself ahout 950 or 1000 m. from the Cape of Good liope.

" These 950 or 1000 m. from the Cape being attained, it is advisable — wind and weather permitting — that you bear down upon the land Eendraght at 27° S. lat., or more to the N., so as to take thence such a course as will enable you to clear the Tryals Shoals,' lying about 20° ».S. lat., without danger, and to touch at the south coast of Java with ease, in order to have the weather-gage of the Straits of Sunda, and thus reach these straits without loss of time. It must be understood that this is about the time when the east monsoon blows south of the line, and that the said 900 or 1000 miles E. of the Cape may be reached between the beginning of March and the end of September. Observe, that the distance between the Cape and the land of Een- draght is, in reality, much shorter than the chart shows ; and it may happen, by the aid of currents, that the route may be found even shorter than it really is, so that the land might be reached in much less time than we are led to expect. Kemember, also, that the land of Eendraght has, south of 27° lat., many perilous sandbanks, and that the soundings are of sharp rocks. Consequently extreme cau- tion, and the constant use of the lead at night and in stqrmy weather is indispensably necessary, as at seven, six, or five miles from the coast the soundings are found to be one hun- dred, eighty, or seventy fathoms."

To these " perilous sandbanks and soundings of sharp rocks" belong also the Frederick Houtman Abrolhos, which, according to Horsburgh,- lie at 29° 10' S. lat., and 113° 57' E. long., and upon which many a ship of the company will

^ Appendix IV.

^ The western limit of these dangerous shoals, in long. 113° 20' E., and the south-easternmost patch called Turtle Dove, is in lat. 29° 10', long. 11.3° 57'. Horsburgh, London, 1838.