102 
VOYAGE OF THE POTOMAC. 
[January;, 
wished ; so that Hog Island, on the coast of Sumatra, was not 
made until January the twenty-ninth. The wind was light and 
baffling ; indeed, perplexing would be a better term ; and, after 
succeeding in doubhng the small islands called Cocoas, off the 
northwest extremity of Hog Island, the long-looked-for coast of 
Sumatra hove in sight. This land can be seen at a great dis- 
tance, sometimes as far as thirty leagues at sea. The range of 
mountains extending from one end of this immense island to the 
other, are some of them very high, and vary in distance from the 
southwestern shore, from fifteen to twenty-five miles. 
The approach to the coast of Sumatra by a vessel of the 
Potomac's dimensions, is attended with much danger ; and the re- 
sponsibility of such a command, when unaided and unattended 
by a consort, to ensure safety to life in case of accident, must 
ever be accompanied with feelings of anxiety painfully intense. 
Coral reefs are numerous ; and in light weather, when the sea 
is smooth, there are no breakers to indicate their position, which 
renders it indispensable for a ship with a heavy draught of water 
to proceed with the greatest caution. The leads, which were 
kept constantly going, indicated the most irregular soundings, 
varying more than one hundred fathoms in the course of a few 
rods. 
It is to be remembered that the northwest monsoon, sometimes 
called the little monsoon, which some authors say blows from 
November to May, does not always do so ; and though the prevail- 
ing winds within one or two hundred miles of the coast of Suma- 
tra may be from the northwest, yet there are many intervals of 
calms, thick, cloudy weather, and sometimes heavy squalls, which, 
though generally of short duration, may frequently be entitled to 
the appellation of gales. The rise and fall of the tides appears 
to be governed by no laws, except those of the winds ; indeed, 
the currents in these seas will be found to depend, principally, on 
the prevailing winds. 
More than one hundred and fifty miles from this coast, a cur- 
rent had been found to run from west to northwest, and varying 
very much in velocity. On approaching the coast it became 
very irregular, sometimes from north-northwest, and then chang- 
ing more to the westward, the intervals being quite uncertain. 
From these causes it will be perceived, that the Potomac's ap- 
