night, to wait for the Etoile. She did not come up with us till eight
o’clock in the evening, and we entered the passage, keeping in the
middle of the channel, which is about six or seven miles broad. At half
past nine o’clock we bore north and south with the Isle of the Passage,
and the middle of South Island bore from south to S. by E. I then
steered W. by S. at one o’clock in the morning, then lay-to with the
larboard-tack till four o’clock in the morning. Before, and in the
passage, we sounded several times with the hand-lead, finding no bottom
with twenty and twenty-five fathoms of line. On the 19th at day-break we
came near, and ranged the coast of Celebes at the distance of three or
four miles, It is really difficult to see a finer country in the world.
In the back-ground there appear high mountains, at the foot of which
extends an immense plain, every where cultivated, and covered with
houses. The sea-shore forms a continued plantation of cocoa-nut trees,
and the eye of a sailor, who has but just left off salt provisions, sees
with rapture great herds of cattle grazing in these agreeable plains,
embellished with groves at various distances. The population seems to be
considerable in this part. At half an hour after noon we were opposite a
great village, of which, the habitations, situated amidst the cocoa-nut
trees, for a considerable space, followed the direction of the coast,
along which you find eighteen and twenty fathoms of water, bottom of
grey sand; but this depth decreases as you approach the shore.
This southern part of Celebes is terminated by three long points, which
are level and low, and between which there are two pretty deep bays.
Towards two o’clock we chased a Malayo boat, hoping to find somebody in
it who might have practical knowledge of these shores. The boat
immediately fled towards the shore, and when we joined her within reach
of musket-shot, she was between the land and us, and we were in no more
than seven fathoms of water. I fired three or four guns at her, which
she did not attend to. She certainly took us for a Dutch ship, and was
afraid of slavery. Almost all the people of this coast are pirates, and
the Dutch make slaves of them whenever they take any. Being obliged to
abandon the pursuit of this boat, I ordered the Etoile’s canoe to sound
a-head of us.
[Sidenote: Difficulty of the navigation in this part.]
We were at this time almost opposite the third point of Celebes, named
Tanakeka, after which, the coast tends to N. N. W. Almost to the N. W.
of this point are four isles, of which the most considerable named
Tanakeka, like the S. W. point of Celebes, is low, level, and about
three leagues long. The three others, more northerly than these, are
very small. It was not necessary to double the dangerous shoal of
_Brill_ or the Spectacles, which I take to be north and south of
Tanakeka, at the distance of four or five leagues to the utmost. Two
passages lay before us, one between point Tanakeka and the isles, (and
it is pretended that this is followed by the Dutch) the other between
the isle of Tanakeka and the Spectacles; I preferred the latter, through
which the course is more simple, and which I took to be the widest.
I ordered the Etoile’s boat to direct her course in such a manner as to
pass within a league and a half of the isle of Tanakeka, and I followed
her under top-sails, the Etoile keeping in our wake. We passed over
eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve fathoms of water, steering from W.
N. W. to W. by N. and then west, when we came into thirteen, fourteen,
fifteen, and sixteen fathoms, the northermost isle bearing N. N. E. I
then recalled the Etoile’s boat, and stood S. W. by S. sounding every
half hour, and always finding fifteen or sixteen fathoms, bottom of
coarse grey sand and gravel. At ten o’clock in the evening, the depth
encreased; at half past ten o’clock we sounded in seventy fathoms, sand
and coral; then we found none with 120 fathoms of line. At midnight I
made signal for the Etoile to hoist in her boat, and carry as much sail
as she could, and I steered S. W. in order to pass mid-channel, between
the Spectacles and a bank called Saras, sounding every hour without
finding bottom. Whenever the wind is not brisk or favourable for
doubling the Spectacles, it is necessary to anchor on the coast of
Celebes, in one of the bays, and to wait for settled weather there;
otherwise you run the risk of being thrown upon this dangerous shoal by
the currents, without your being able to prevent it.
[Sidenote: Continuation of the direction of our course.]
The next day we saw no land; at ten o’clock we stood to W. S. W. and at
noon had an observation in 6° 10′ south latitude. Then reckoning that we
had doubled the bank of Saras, at least being sure, by observation, of
being to the southward of it, I steered west, and after making five or
six leagues by this course, I stood W. by N. sounding every hour without
finding bottom. Thus we kept in the channel between the Sestenbank and
the Hen (_Poule_), to the northward, and the Pater-noster and Tangayang
to the southward, carrying all sails set, both night and day, in order
to get time to sound, by gaining upon the Etoile. I was told, that the
currents here set towards the isles and bank of Tangayang. By the
observation at noon, which was in 5° 44′, we had, on the contrary, at
least nine minutes of difference north. The best advice I can give, is
to keep such a course as to be out of soundings; you are then sure of
being in the channel; if you approach too near the southern isles, you
would begin to find only thirty fathom of water.
We made sail all the day of the 21st, in order to view the isles of
Alambaï. The French charts mark three of them together, and a much
larger one to the S. E. of them, seven leagues distant. This last does
not exist where they place it; and the isles of Alambaï are all the four
isles together. I reckoned myself in their latitude at sun-set, and
steered W. by S. till we had run the length of them. During day-time we
had dispensed with sounding. At eight o’clock in the evening we had
forty fathom of water, bottom of sand and ooze. We then stood S. W. by
W. and W. S. W. till six in the morning; then reckoning that we had
passed the isles of Alambaï, we stood W. by S. till noon. During night
we always found forty fathom, bottom of soft ooze, till four o’clock,
when we found only thirty-eight. At mid-night we saw a boat coming
towards us; as soon as she perceived us, she hauled her wind, and would
not bear down to us, though we twice fired a gun. These people are more
afraid of the Dutch, than of the firing of guns. Another boat, which we
saw in the morning, was not more curious to come near us. At noon we
observed in 6° 8′ of latitude, and this observation further gave us a
distance of 8′ north of our reckoning.
[Sidenote: General remarks on this navigation.]
We were now past all the dangers which are so much dreaded in the
navigation from the Moluccas to Batavia. The Dutch take the greatest
precautions to keep those charts secret by which they sail in these
parts. It is probable that they magnify the dangers; at least I have
seen very few in the straits of Button, Saleyer, and in the last passage
we had now left, though all these three parts had been described to us
at Boero, as perilous beyond measure. I own that this navigation would
be much more difficult from east to west. The points of landfall to the
eastward are not fine, and can easily be missed, whereas those to the
west are fine and safe. However, in both courses, it is essential to
have good observations of latitude every day. The want of this help
might lead one into dangerous mistakes. We could not, in these last
days, compute whether the currents set us eastward or westward, as we
had had no bearings.
[Sidenote: Inexactness of the known charts of this part.]
I must here mention, that all the French charts of these parts cannot be
depended upon. They are inaccurate, not only in regard to the position
of the coasts and isles, but even in the essential latitudes. The
straits of Button and Saleyer are extremely faulty; our charts even have
omitted the three isles which make this last passage narrower, and those
which ly to the N. N. W. of the isle of Tanakeka. M. d’Après, at least
mentions, that he does not answer for the exactness of his chart of the
Moluccas and Philippines, because he had not been able to obtain
satisfactory memoirs concerning that part. For the safety of navigators,
I wish that all those, who compile charts, would display the same
candour. The map which gave me the greatest assistance, is that of Asia,
by M. d’ Anville, published in 1752. It is very good from Ceram to the
isles of Alambaï. On the whole course I have verified, by my
observation, the exactness of his positions, and of the bearings which
he gives to the most interesting parts of this difficult navigation. I
shall add, that New Guinea, and the isles of Papua come nearer the truth
in this map, than in any other which I had in my hands. I do this
justice to M. d’Anville’s work with pleasure. I have known him
particularly; and he seemed to me to be as good a citizen as he was a
good critic, and a man of great erudition.
From the 22d in the morning, we continued our course W. by S. till the
23d, at eight o’clock in the morning, when we steered W. S. W. We found
47, 45, 42, and 41 fathom; and the bottom, I shall say it once for all,
is here, and upon the whole coast of Java, an excellent bottom of soft
ooze. We still found seven minutes difference north by the altitude at
noon, which we observed in 6° 24′. The Etoile had made signal of seeing
the land by six o’clock in the morning; but the weather becoming
squally, we did not then perceive it. After noon I shaped our course
more to the southward, and at two o’clock we discovered at masthead the
north coast of the isle of Maduré. At six o’clock we set it, bearing
from S. E. by S. to W. ½ S. The horizon was too thick to enable us to
compute at what distance it was. The soundings in the afternoon
constantly gave forty fathom. We saw a great many fishing-boats, some of
which were at anchor, and had thrown out their nets.
[Sidenote: Sight of the isle of Java.]
The winds, during night, varied from S. E. to S. W. We ran close-hauled,
with the larboard tacks on board; and from ten o’clock in the evening
had soundings in 28, 25, and 20 fathom. At nine o’clock in the morning,
when we had approached the land, we found 17 fathom, and at noon only
ten. The great lands of point Alang upon Java, then bore S. E. by S. of
us, about two leagues; the isle of Mandali S. W. 9° W. two miles; and
the most westerly lands, W. S. W. four leagues. Having these bearings,
we observed in 6° 22′ 30″, which was pretty conformable to our estimated
latitude, pricking off our point at noon upon the chart of M. d’ Après,
according to the bearings I found.
[Sidenote: Geographical observations.]
1st, That the coast of Java is there placed nine or twelve minutes more
to the southward than it ought to be, by the mean result of our meridian
observation.
2d, That the position of point Alang is not exact in it, as he makes it
run W. S. W. and S. W. by W. whereas it really runs from the isle of
Mandali W. by S. for about 15 miles; after which it turns to the
southward, and forms a great gulph.
3d, That he gives too little extent to this part of the coast; and that
if we had followed the bearings on his chart, we must, from noon to
noon, have made thirteen miles less to the westward; either because the
coast had really so much more extent, or because the currents set us to
the eastward.
[Sidenote: Meeting some Dutch ships.]
Besides a great number of fishing-boats, we saw in the morning four
ships, of which two stood the same course as ourselves, and displayed
Dutch colours. Towards three o’clock we joined one of them, and spoke
with her; she was a snow from Malacca, bound for Japara. Her consort, a
three-masted ship, likewise coming from Malacca, was bound for Saramang.
They soon came to an anchor upon the coast. We ranged it, at the
distance of about three quarters of a league, till four o’clock in the
evening. We then steered W. by N. in order not to get deeper into this
gulph, and to pass on the off side of a coral-bank, which is about five
or six leagues off shore. As far as this part, the coast of Java is not
much elevated near the sea-shore, but in the interior parts we perceived
high mountains. At half past five o’clock, the middle of the isles of
Carimon-Java bore N. 2° W. about eight leagues.
[Sidenote: Course along Java.]
We stood W. by N. till four o’clock in the morning, then west till noon.
The day before we had sounded in nine and ten fathom near the shore; we
deepened our water by seven o’clock in the evening; when we found 30,
and in the night 32, 34, and 35 fathom. At sunrise we saw no lands, only
some ships; and, as usual, an infinite number of fishing-boats.
Unluckily it was a calm almost the whole 25th, till five o’clock in the
evening. I say unluckily, by so much the more, as it was necessary we
should have sight of the land before night, in order to direct our
course in consequence thereof, between Point Indermay, and the Isles of
Rachit, and afterwards to keep towards the offing of some rocks under
water, which are to the westward of them. From noon, when we had
observed in 6° 26′ of latitude, we steered W. and W. by S. but the sun
set before we could see the land. Some of our people thought, but
without any certainty, that they perceived the blue mountains, which are
forty leagues off Batavia. From six o’clock in the evening to midnight,
we steered W. and W. by N. sounding every hour in twenty-five,
twenty-four, twenty-one, twenty, and nineteen fathoms. At one o’clock in
the morning we ran W. by N. from two o’clock to four, N. W. then N. W.
by W. till six o’clock. My intention, expecting to be in the middle of
the channel between the isles of Rachit and the land of Java at one
o’clock in the morning, was to get to the northward of the rocks. We
sounded thrice in twenty fathoms, than twenty-two, next twenty-three,
and I then reckoned myself three or four leagues to the N. N. W. of the
isles of Rachit.
[Sidenote: Error in the reckoning of our course.]
I was very much out in my reckoning. On the 26th, the rays of the rising
sun shewed us the coast of Java, bearing from S. by W. to west, some
degrees north, and at half past seven o’clock we saw from mast-head the
isles of Rachit, about seven leagues distant, bearing N. N. W. and N. W.
by N. These bearings gave me a prodigious and dangerous difference with
the chart of M. d’Après. But I suspended my judgment till the
observation at noon should determine whether this difference was to be
attributed to the currents, or whether the chart ought to be charged
with it. I steered W. by N. and W. N. W. in order to view the coast
well, it being in this part extremely low, and without any mountains in
the interior parts. The wind was at S. S. E. S. E. and E. pretty fresh.
[Sidenote: Causes of this error.]
At noon the southermost point of Indermay bore E. by S. 2° S. about four
leagues distant; the middle of the isles of Rachit, N. E. five leagues
distant, and the mean result of the altitude observed on board, placed
us in 6° 12′ of latitude. By this observation, and the bearings, it
seemed to me that the gulph between the isle of Mandali and point
Indermay, is in the chart laid down less broad from E. to W. by
twenty-two minutes than it really is, and that the coast is therein laid
down 16′ more southerly than our observations place it. The same
correction must take place in regard to the isles of Rachit, by adding,
that the distance between these isles and the coast of Java, is at least
two leagues greater than that which is expressed in the chart. In regard
to the bearings of the several parts of the coast from each other, they
appeared to me to be exact enough, as much as we could judge of it by
our successive estimations made by sight, and as we ran along. Upon the
whole, the differences above-mentioned are very dangerous for one who
sails in this part in night-time.
All this morning we had found twenty-one, twenty-three, nineteen, and
eighteen fathoms. The E. S. E. breeze continued, and we ranged the coast
at three or four miles distance, in order to pass to the southward of
the hidden rocks, of which I have already spoken, and which are laid
down five or six leagues to the westward of the isles of Rachit. At one
o’clock in the afternoon, a boat which lay at anchor a-head of us, made
sail upon the starboard-tack, which made me think that the current then
changed, and became contrary to us. We spoke with her at two o’clock; a
Dutchman who commanded her, and who seemed to be the only white man on
board, having some mulattoes with him, said, he was bound for Amboina
and Ternate; and that he came from Batavia, from whence he was
twenty-six leagues by his reckoning. After coming out of the passage of
Rachit, and passing within the rocks which are under water, I wanted to
stand N. W. in order to double two sand-banks, named Perilous Banks,
which run pretty far out to sea, between the points Indermay and Sidari.
The wind would not admit of it, and as I could only stand W. N. W. I let
go a stream anchor, at seven o’clock in the evening, in thirteen
fathoms, oozy bottom, about a league off shore. We could only ply with
very short and unsafe tacks between the rocks under water on one side,
and the perilous banks on the other. We had sounded since noon in
nineteen, fifteen, fourteen, and ten fathoms. Before we anchored, we
made a short board to the offing, which brought us into thirteen
fathoms.
We weighed on the 27th, at two o’clock in the morning, with the
land-breeze, which this night came from the west, whereas on the
preceding nights they had veered all round from north to south by the
east. Having steered N. W. we did not see the land again till eight
o’clock in the morning, it being then very low, and almost overflowed;
we kept the same course till noon, and from our setting sail to that
hour, our soundings varied from thirteen to sixteen, twenty, twenty-two,
twenty-three, and twenty-four fathoms. At half past ten o’clock we found
a coral bottom; I sounded again the moment after, and the bottom was
oozy as usual.
At noon we observed 5° 48′ of latitude; we could not see the land from
the deck, as it is so very low. We set it from mast-head, bearing from
south to S. W. by W. at the computed distance of five or six leagues.
This day’s observation, compared with the bearings, did not differ above
two or three minutes, which this part of Java is placed too much south
in the chart of M. d’Après; but this difference is equal to nothing,
because, to make it real, we must suppose the computation of the
distances of the bearings perfectly exact. The currents had still set us
to the northward, and I believe likewise to the westward.
[Sidenote: New error in our reckoning.]
The weather was very fine all day, and the wind favourable; in the
afternoon I shaped our course a little more to the northward, in order
to avoid the shallows of the point of Sidari. At midnight, thinking to
have past them, we stood W. by S. and W. S. W. then S. W. seeing that
the water, which was nineteen fathoms at one o’clock, was successively
encreased to twenty-seven fathoms. At three o’clock in the morning we
perceived an isle, bearing N. W. ½ N. about three leagues. Being then
convinced that I was more advanced than I at first thought, and even
being afraid of passing by Batavia, I came to an anchor, in order to
wait for day-light. At sun-rise we discerned all the isles of the bay of
Batavia; the isle of Edam, on which there is a flag, bore S. E. by S.
about four leagues, and the isle of Onrust, or of Careening, S. by W. ½
W. near five leagues: thus we were ten leagues more to the westward than
we had thought; a difference which may have been occasioned both by the
currents, and by the inaccuracy with which the coast is laid down in the
chart.
At half past ten o’clock in the morning I attempted to set sail, but the
wind dying away immediately, and the tide being contrary, I let go a
stream-anchor under sail. We weighed again at half an hour after noon,
standing in for the middle of the isle of Edam, till we were within
three quarters of a league of it. The cupola of the great church at
Batavia then bearing south, we steered for it, passing between the
beacons which indicate the channel. [Sidenote: Anchorage at Batavia.] At
six o’clock we anchored in the road in six fathoms, oozy bottom, without
mooring, as it is usual here to be content only with having another
anchor ready to let go. An hour after, the Etoile anchored to the E. N.
E. at two cable’s lengths from us. Thus, after keeping the sea for ten
months and a half, we arrived on the 28th of September, 1768, at one of
the finest colonies in the universe, where we all looked upon each other
as having completed our voyage.
Batavia, by my reckoning is in 6° 11′ south latitude, and 104° 52′ east
longitude, from the meridian of Paris.
-----
Footnote 126:
_Galere tentée_: we suppose M. de Bougainville means a galley, with
her awnings spread. F.
Footnote 127:
Of six feet French measure each.
Footnote 128:
The word Sultan is not of Arabic, but of Tartarian origin; but early
introduced into the Arabian language by the Turks that were in the
service of the Caliphs. F.
-----
_CHAP. VIII._
_Stay at Batavia, and particulars concerning the Moluccas._
The unhealthy season, which here generally begins at the end of the
monsoon, and the approach of the rainy western monsoon, determined us to
make our stay at Batavia as short as possible. [Sidenote: Ceremonies at
our arrival.] However, notwithstanding our impatient desire of leaving
it, our wants forced us to pass a certain number of days there, and the
necessity of getting some biscuit baked, which we did not find ready,
detained us longer than we had imagined. On our arrival, there were
thirteen or fourteen of the Dutch company’s ships in the road, one of
which was a flag ship. This is an old ship which is left at this
station; it has the jurisdiction of the road, and returns the salute of
all the merchant ships. I had already sent an officer to inform the
governor-general of our arrival, when a barge from this flag ship came
on board, with a paper written in Dutch, which I knew nothing of. There
was no officer in the barge, and the cockswain, who doubtless acted in
his stead, asked me who we were, and required a certificate, written and
signed by me. I answered him, that I had sent my declaration on shore,
and so I put him off. He returned soon after, insisting upon his first
demand; I sent him away once more with the same answer, and he put up
with it. The officer who had been sent to the general, did not return
till nine o’clock in the evening. He had not seen his excellency, who
was in the country, and he was brought before the _Sabandar_, or
introducer of strangers, who appointed him to return the next morning,
and told him, that if I would come on shore, he would conduct me to the
general.
[Sidenote: Visit to the general in the country.]
Visits are made very early in this country, on account of the excessive
heat. We set out at six o’clock in the morning, conducted by the
sabandar M. Vanderluys, and we went to M. Vander Para, general of the
East-Indies, who was at one of his country-houses, about three leagues
from Batavia. We found him a plain, but civil man, who received us
perfectly well, and offered us all the assistance we could be in need
of. He appeared neither surprised nor displeased at our having touched
at the Moluccas; he even approved of the conduct of the chief resident
at Boero, and of his good proceedings in our behalf. He consented to
have our sick put into the hospital of the company, and immediately sent
orders thither for their reception. As to the supplies which the king’s
ships were in want of, it was agreed, that we should give in an account
of our demands to the sabandar, who should be charged with providing us
with every thing. One of the perquisites of his place was to gain
something by us, and something by the undertakers. When all was settled,
the general asked me, whether I would not salute the flag; I answered I
would, on condition that the salute was returned gun for gun from the
place. Nothing, says he, is more equitable, and the citadel has got the
proper orders. As soon as I was returned on board, I saluted with
fifteen guns, and the town answered with the same number.