March ^ racatoa k°re Weft South Weft, about- nine miles diftant*
■ our latitude was 5 degrees 59 minutes South;.
Towards evening, the wind veering to- the Southward^ at fix.
o’clock we- came to, in thirty-two fathom water, over a muddy
bottom, the center of Mid-channel Ifland bearing North 58 deg.
Eaft, the Peak of Cracatoa Weft one-half South, and Prince’s
Ifland South 42 degrees Weft.,
From the 17th to the 2 iff, we plied in the Straights without
making fcarcely any progrefs. During the forenoons we had
calms, and fometimes light winds at South Weft. About noon;
a tolerable breeze generally fprung up at North Weft; which, towards
evening, conftantly drifted to the Southward. The nights
were generally fqually, with heavy rain and conftant thunder and
lightning, a ftrong current generally fetting to the North Eaft.,
A t fix-o’clock in the afternoon of the zoth, after Handing fome
hours to the North Weft, we came to in thirty-two fathom water,
over a bottom of foft mud. The extremes of Cracatoa bore
from South 65 deg. Weft to North 65 degrees Weft, fix miles:
diftant.. The weather being fqually, we fent down the.top-gallant
yards..
During the whole of the 21ft, we had light unfavourable
winds. In the forenoon the people were employed in fetting up
the foretop-maft rigging. A- Dutch ftiow' had anchored within a
mile of us in the evening of the 20th, and Captain Dixon being;
defirous to procure fome rice from her, and" a few necefiaries we
flood in need'of to repair the rigging,- the whale-boat was hoifted.
out this afternoon, and Mr, Carew, our Firft.Mate, fent on board;
1 the.
the fnow to enquire whether the Dutchman could fupplyus with 1788.
any of thefe particulars, but Mynheer was equally bare with our- .March'
felves.
At five -o’clock in the morning of the 22d we weighed, and
made fail, but the wind growing light and variable, and the current
againft us, we came to a little before noon, with the final!
bower, in twenty-fix fathom water, over a muddy bottom r the-
Peak of Cracatoa bearing Weft by South, about five miles diftant.
The weather being fine and calm, Captain Dixon embraced this-
opportunity of filling up our water j and at one o’clock the whaleboat
and jolly-boat were hoifted out, and our Captain took ten
hands on fhore for that purpofe. The boats returned at fix o’clock,
bringing three puncheons of water, being all the empty calks we-
had. Our people had purchafed a good quantity of cocoa-nuts
and pumpkins : they got forty cocoa-nuts for a dollar, and fifteen-
pumpkins for the fame money..
Though the Ifland o f Cracatoa is undoubtedly the moft healthy
of any one near the fame fituation, yet I do not find that there
are many inhabitants here, and thefe feem to be Malays. The
principal reafon that moft people do not fix their refidence here
probably is, that few ftiips flop at this ifland for refrelhment, but
generally proceed to Prince’s Ifland, which produces every,,thing
peculiar to this place, in equal abundance, and the watering place
is much more convenient.
The produce of this place is much the fame as Sumatra; fowls,
cocoa-nuts, pumpkins, &c. A number of; turtles were purchafed:
for the Ihip’s ufe.