1767- Our latitude, by obfervation, when we were upon the fhoal
December. \ ’
v.— ----- 1 was 50 20' S. and the northermoft of the iflands, called the
Sunday i3. Three Brothers, then bore S. 8x E. at the diftance of five or
fix leagues. This ifland is, in the Engliih Pilot, called Don
Dinanga, but by the Dutch the JSIorth Brother.
Between the Three Bothers, and the main o f Celebes, there
js another ifland, much larger than either o f them, called the
Ifland o f Ton ik ik y; but none o f them are inhabited, though
there are a few huts belonging to fifliermen upon them all.
The paflage between the fhoal and this ifland is clear and
good, with from ten to thirteen fathom, and a fandy bottom;
but the foundings are to be kept on the fide of the ifland in
twelve fathom, and never under ten: it is, however, very
difficult and dangerous for fhips to fall in w ith the land this
way without a pilot on hoard, for there are many llioals and
rocks under water. I ran id by a chart in the Englifh Eaft
India Pilot, which upon the whole I found a good one,
though the names o f the iflands, points, and bays, differ
very much from thofe by which they are now known.
When we got near to the Celebes fftore, wd had land and
fea-breezes, which obliged us to edge along the coaft,
though our ftrength was fo much reduced, that it was with
the utmoft difficulty we could work the ftream anchor.
Tttefday ij. In the evening o f Tuefday the 15th, we anchored at about
the diftance o f four miles from the town o f Macaflar, w hich,
according to my account, lies in latitude s b 10 'or ^° I2/S.,
longitude n y ° 28' E. having fpent no lefs than five and thirty
weeks in our paflage from the Streight of Magellan.
I have been the more particular in my defcriptiori o f as
much as I fa w o f this Streight, becaufe all the charts, both
Englifh and French, that I confulted, are extremely deficient
and
409
and etroneous, and becaufe an exadl knowlege o f it may be * 767.
of great fervice to our China trade: the fhips by which that ,Decembe^
trade is carried on, may pafs this way with as little danger T“ f<Uj,,s‘
as by the common one, which lies along the Prafiel Ihoals ;
and when they mifs their paflage to China, in the fouth eaft
monfoon, and lofe the feafon, they may be fure of a clear
channel here, and fair winds at W. S. W. W'. and round to
W. N.W. in November, December, and the four following
months: I am alfo o f opinion, that it is a better and fhorter
way to go to the N. E. and eaft ward o f the Philippine Iflands,
than to thread the Moluccas, or coaft New Guinea, where
there are Ihoals, currents, and innumerable other dangers,
as they were forced to do when the French were cruizing for
them in the common paflage during the laft war.
Vol. I. 3 G CHAP.