THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
4^7 
are much bolder, and the country inland rifes to a mo- 1780. 
derate height, and appears to be well wooded throughout. ^ eb ^ UcU ~ y, a 
We often faw fires on this iiland during the night-time; 
hut none on the oppofite fhore. The tide runs through 
the Strait at the rate of between two and three knots an 
hour. 
In the morning of the 6th, we paffed to the Weftward of Sundays. 
Lufepara, at the diftanee of four or five miles; generally 
carrying foundings of five and fix fathoms water, and never 
lefs than four. We afterward fteered South by Eaft; and 
having brought Lufepara to bear due North, and deepened 
our water to feven fathoms, we altered our courfe to South 
by Weft, keeping the lead going, and hauling out a little, 
whenever w r e fhoaled our water. The foundings on the 
Sumatra fide we ftill found to be regular, and gradually 
fhoaling, as we approached the fhore. At five in the after¬ 
noon we faw the Two Sifters, bearing South by Weft half 
Weft; and, at feven, we came to an anchor in ten fathoms, 
about eight miles to the North of the iflands. The weather 
w r as clofe and fultry, with light winds, generally from the 
North Weft; but fometimes varying round as far as the 
North Eaft; and, during the night, we obferved much 
lightning over Sumatra. 
We weighed the next morning at five, and at eight were Monday 7. 
clofe in with the Sifters. Thefe are two very fmall iflands, 
well covered with wood, lying in latitude 5 0 q '\ South, lon¬ 
gitude 106 0 I2 X Eaft, nearly North and South from each 
other, and furrounded by a reef of coral ro£ks ; the whole 
circumference of which is about four or five miles. At 
noon we got fight of the iiland of Java to the Southward ; 
the North Weft extremity of which (Cape St. Nicholas) bore 
South; North Ifland, on the Sumatra fhore. South 27 0 Weft, 
3 O 2 and 
