208 
VOYAGE OF THE POTOMAC. 
[FelDruary, 
southerly winds generally prevail near the south coast of the 
islands which form this strait, from February to September ; while 
from November to March, strong westerly winds are frequent, 
producing a westerly current, setting along the coast of Java and 
the islands to the east. On most parts of this coast are sound- 
ings near shore, and good anchorage in several bays, frequented 
but little, however, by strangers. Vessels should keep mid- 
channel, with boats ahead in light winds, as the passage is dan- 
gerous, tides strong, with numerous eddies, which are liable to 
horse a ship on the rocky shore of Java. On Bally there is a 
burning mountain. 
On the ninth of May eighteen hundred and one, the ship 
Active, G. Nichols master, arrived on the coast of Sumatra, 
making, as is now usual among ships. Hog Island, as the first 
point. In coasting along the western side, there appeared to be 
a great many breakers, some of which lay at a considerable dis- 
tance, particularly from the western ' extreme ; where, by the 
charts, there is a shoal eight or ten miles off, though they did not 
appear to the captain to be more than four or five miles from the 
shore. He sailed along from two and a half to three leagues 
from the coast, but did not see breakers which appeared to extend 
more than a mile from shore. 
He passed between this island and the Cocoas, which he found 
to be very erroneously laid down on the charts, which place 
them northeast six or seven leagues from the northern extremity 
of Hog Island ; instead of which, they lay nearly west from said 
extremity at the distapce of about six leagues. 
His destination was the Port of Muckie, which not being 
laid down on any chart, or noticed in any sailing directions, and 
the accounts of persons differing no less than twelve miles in the 
latitude assigned to it, he had to proceed with the utmost caution. 
The charts he had were English, of the latest date at that time ; 
but still he found no reliance could be placed on them. The 
country around Muckie was very inaccurately dehneated, and the 
winds and weather still more imperfectly described in the East 
India Directory. 
On the fourteenth of May, eighteen hundred and thirty-two, 
after many days of anxiety and fatigue, he came to anchor, with- 
out accident, at Muckie* During the whole of the time while 
