248 DANGEROUS POSITION. [1845. 



of the reef ! Our only chance now was to await the sea 

 breeze, but this did not visit us until nearly two o'clock, 

 during which interval we were in a state of dreadful sus- 

 pense, as in the event of blowing from its old direction 

 nothing but certain wreck awaited us, and from the 

 very small quantity of water which remained on board, 

 it is probable that we should have experienced the 

 greatest distress. 



Fortunately the kedge, or the hawser attached, had 

 fouled sufficiently amongst the rocks to serve the purpose 

 as a spring for canting us, and having already brought 

 a fair strain on it, we watched most anxiously for the 

 coming sea breeze. About 1. 45, when a light air sprung 

 up, sail was made, the cable and hawser cut in succession, 

 and once more she glided on in safety, but it was not 

 until the 26th, after a most tedious and harassing beat, 

 that we recovered our ground and weathered Maratua ; 

 and by getting in with the Borneon shore, cleared this 

 overpowering current, which had so long held us embayed, 

 with reefs under our lee, as far as could be seen to the 

 eastward, from our mast-heads. 



It was, indeed, fortunate that we made the mistake we 

 did on first sighting Maratua, on the 25th, as the pilot 

 most certainly intended to have taken us to the eastward 

 of Maratua, which would have entailed certain loss. The 

 safe channel in approaching the Pantai is by the western 

 sides of Maratua and Kakuban, and round the eastern 

 end of Sangalaki, hauling up westerly until the mouth of 

 the river bears W.N.W., when that course will carry you 

 in. The ' Samarang ' drew sixteen feet, and nothing 

 going in or coming out, brought her up on that line. 



