1846.] CARIMATA CHANNEL. 191 



enough of these matters, and began to look forward with 

 more anxiety to restoring her to her old moorings in Ports- 

 mouth Harbour. The entire region about the Carimata 

 Channel requires a searching investigation ; on both sides 

 we had reason to doubt the accuracy of the existing charts, 

 passing over shoals, and noticing sand banks not exhi- 

 bited on the charts. 



Having worked through this channel, we found our- 

 selves, on the morning of the 8th of July, near Pulo 

 Baby, the wind fair, but weather very thick, and noticing 

 a ship at anchor waiting for finer weather, we followed 

 her example. Here we caught a glimpse of the land, 

 weighed the following morning, and keeping the Java 

 coast aboard, ran for the Strait. About 4, P.M., noticing 

 strong ripples off one of the points, the anchor was let go, 

 in seven fathoms, on a rocky ledge not laid down. The 

 impetus of the ship, added to a current of 3f knots, 

 tried the strength of anchor * and cable. During our 

 detention here, we examined the neighbourhood of the 

 Button Rock, for a shoal off the western side. We 

 found it to have as little as 2f fathoms, but the rapidity 

 of the current probably prevented the lead from showing 

 less ; nevertheless, it was pretty well probed by oars at 

 twelve feet, without finding rock. Weighing from this 

 position, we dropped down to Anjer, where we anchored 

 that evening. On paying my respects to the Governor, 

 he tendered every possible civility, and as I was far from 

 well, he wished me to take up my quarters on shore. 

 The shortness of our stay rendering this scarcely worth 

 the trouble, he most kindly directed milk, and other 



* One of Porter's 30 cwt., it was bent by this extraordinary strain, 

 but not injured. 



