JAVA. 23 



foiitheni fide of Sumatra, fuch as vexes the weflern coafts of 

 Africa. " It begins, fays Mr. Marjden *, to airnme its form at feme 

 *' diftance from the place where it breaks, gradually accumii- 

 " lating as it moves forward, till it gains a height, in common, of 

 " fifteen to twenty feet, when it overhangs at top, and falls like 

 " a cafcade, nearly perpendicular, involving itfelf as it defcends ; 

 " the noife made by the fall is prodigious, and, during the ftill- 

 ** nefs of the night, may be heard many miles up the country. 

 " It forms fometimes but a fingle range along the fhore ; at 

 " other times, there is a fucceffion of two, three, four, or more, 

 " behind each other, extending ; perhaps half a mile out to 

 " fea. The number of ranges is generally in proportion to the 

 " height and violence of the furf." 



Java is feparated from the ifland of Sumatra, by the narrow Java. 

 ftreights of Sunda ; their depth is from thirty to fifty fathoms, 

 and in fome places are no foundings ; the voyager is advifed of 

 the approach to Java by vaft drifts of bamboos, and flocks of the 

 booby t, or, according to Mr. A/beck''^ reference, the Pekcanus 

 pifcator of Linnczus, The currents are itrong in the narrowed 

 part, and from January to April ufually run from the weftward; 

 the reft of the year from the eaftward. 



The ftreights begin with great breadth between Sumanca 

 bay in Sumatra, and Welcome bay in Java. Sumanca and other 

 peaks mark the former. Frince\ ifland lies near the Javanefe Prince's 

 fliore, and is known by a fmall mount called Java head, or the *^^'^°' 

 Fico. The latitude of the anchoring place in Kafuarus bay, is 

 6" 36' 15" fouth. This ifland is univerfally wooded, and vegeta- 



• Sumatra, p. 28. f Catefty, j, 87. 



tion 



