PASSAGES. 



95 



15 fathoms ; the tide sets in a line with the straits, the flood to the 

 north, the ebb to the south : it is high water at full and change, at 

 the northern entrance of the strait, about 10 o'clock ; strength of the 

 tide from 1 to 3 miles per hour. In rounding Lingin Island, if at 

 night, it would be advisable to give it a berth of from 3 to 4 miles, 

 and pass around it in from 15 to 18 fathoms depth of water. After 

 passing Lingin Island, if it is thought preferable, the route by Gaspar's 

 Straits may be taken. In the season of the northeast monsoon, this 

 may be preferable to that by the Straits of Banca, as the wind will be 

 more likely to hold, and the route may be pursued during the night. 

 There are some shoals in these straits which have been recently 

 examined by the late surveyors, the positions of which are now well 

 ascertained. The east or west channel may be taken, according to cir- 

 cumstances. Accidents in passing through these straits ought to be 

 imputed more to carelessness, than the want of good charts and direc- 

 tions to pass through them. The sailing directions for Banca Straits, 

 as given by Horsburgh, were found in the main correct ; the only 

 difficulty is in passing through the Lucepara Passage after nightfall. 

 There are many places of shoal water, but the bottom is soft, and not 

 much danger to be apprehended. I should recommend always anchor- 

 ing on the approach of night, while in the straits. After getting 

 through the Lucepara Passage, we found good anchorage under the 

 Two Brothers ; the next night anchored off North Island, and the 

 day after reached Hout's Island, at the entrance of the Straits of 

 Sunda. Here we also anchored, owing to a loss of wind and being left 

 to the action of a strong tide. On its making in our favor, with some 

 breeze, we proceeded round Zutphen's Island and Hog Point, and 

 anchored off Rajah Bassa. The weather was what is usually experi- 

 enced at the end of the northeast monsoon, — cloudy with light winds 

 during the day, and thunder-squalls with copious rains during the 

 night. We left the Straits of Sunda, between the islands of Pulo Bessy 

 and Crockatoa, with the wind from the eastward, but we had not 

 been long in the Indian Ocean before we encountered the north- 

 westerly monsoon, with severe squalls accompanied with lightning and 

 rain. This kind of weather, with strong winds, continued until we 

 reached the latitude of 14° south and 100° east longitude, and may 

 be expected to prevail towards the end of the monsoon. The north- 

 east monsoon of the China Seas, is identical in point of time with 

 the northwest monsoon of the Indian Ocean ; and during the south- 



