. T H E P A C I F I C O C E A N. 4 6 9 



height, and appears to be well wooded throughout. We *7%°- 

 often faw fires on this ifland during the night-time; but -,. , --T - Y 1j 

 none on the oppofite fhore. The tide runs through the 

 Straits at the rate of between two and three knots an hour. 



In the morning of the 6th, we patted to the Weftward of Sunday 6- 

 Lufepara, at the diftance of four or five miles ; generally 

 carrying foundings of five and fix fathoms water, and never 

 lefs than four. We afterward fleered South by Eaft; and 

 having brought Lufepara to bear due North, and deepened 

 our water to feven fathoms, we altered our eourfe to South 

 by Weft, keeping the lead going, and hauling out a little, 

 whenever we fhoaled our water. The foundings on the Su- 

 matra fide we flill found to be regular, and gradually 

 moaling, as we approached the fhore. At five in the afternoon 

 we faw the Three Sifters, bearing South by Weft half Weft j 

 and, at feven, we came to an anchor in ten fathoms, about 

 eight miles to the North of the iflands. The weather was 

 clofc and fultry, with light winds, generally from the North 

 Weft; but fometimes varying round as far as the North 

 Eaft ; and, during the night,, we obferved much lightning 

 over Sumatra. 



We weighed, the next morning at five, and at eight were Monday r , 

 clofe in with the Sifters. Thefe are two very fmall iflands, 

 well covered with wood, lying in latitude 5 o't South, lon- 

 gitude 106 12' Eaft, nearly North and South from each 

 other, and furrounded by a reef of coral rocks ; the whole 

 circumference of which is about four or five miles. At 

 noon we got fight of the ifland of Java to the Southward y 

 the North Weft extremity of which (Cape St. Nicholas) bore 

 South ; North Ifland, on the Sumatra fhore, South 27 Weft, 



