Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/427

] surveyed with scrupulous attention, was found to be generally in good condition.

The island of Amboyna, called Ambon by the natives, was then the Dutch government in India, which ranked next to the general one of Batavia.

The latitude of the place of the observatory, towards the western extremity of the town, was found to be 3° 41′ 40″ S. and its longitude 126° 9′ E.

The variation of the compass there, was 1° 13′ 20″ W.

A flat dipping needle gave 3° of inclination.

Although the heat was oppressive, the thermometer varied regularly every day, only from 22° to 25°.

The barometer kept constantly at 28 inches two lines, its variation not exceeding one line.

At the place where we lay at anchor, the time of high water, at the full and change of the moon, was at half an hour past twelve at noon, and the water rose about eight feet. The tides take place twice a day.

The road of Amboyna forms a channel about 10,200 toises in length, and its mean breadth is about 3,400 toises. In many places, towards the sides, there is good anchorage, notwithstanding that the bottom, in some situations, is coral. About