es from the coast
of Celebes; here the land near the sea is of a moderate height,
but the back land is remarkably high.

On the 7th, we saw two large proas, in the south-west; we were
standing towards them, and as they were at some distance from
each other, the one bore down and joined the other, and both
stood for the land; we however judged it necessary to be prepared
for them all the succeeding night: they might have been trading
vessels, but as they can conceal their numbers, and as we knew
that these seas are infested with piratical vessels of that
description, it was necessary for us to be on our guard.

At noon we were in latitude 1 deg. 47' south; longitude
118 deg. 50' east, and no part of the Celebes shore in sight. I
am convinced, from the many observations made for the longitude
here, by myself, as well as by Lieutenants Bradley and
Waterhouse, that the west coast of Celebes is laid down in all
the charts which I have seen, much farther to the westward than
it should be. On the 8th, in the evening, we were looking out for
the Little Pater Nosters, being near the latitude of their north
end, as determined by Captain Carteret; but although we stood to
the westward all night, we saw nothing of them; I therefore
suppose they lay nearer the Celebes shore than we were at this
time.

On the 9th in the morning, observing the water much
discoloured, we sounded, and had thirty-five fathoms over a sandy
bottom; soon after, we saw, from the mast-head, a small sandy
island, bearing south-west by west: at noon we were within five
miles of it, and observed several shoals breaking to the
northward and southward of it, with some dry patches of sand.
These shoals have been taken by some for the Little
Pater-Nosters, but are called by the Dutch, the Triangles; they
lie in latitude 2 deg. 58' south; longitude 117 deg. 53' east:
they are so very low, that a ship in the night would be ashore
before they could be perceived; there are good soundings at some
distance to the eastward of them.

The whole time we had been in this strait, the wind had been
variable from south-south-west to west-north-west; in the night
it sometimes inclined in very light airs from south-south-east to
south. On the 11th, in the afternoon, as we were standing to the
westward, the water appeared suddenly of a very light colour, and
on looking over the side, we perceived the ground under the ship:
before we had time to heave a cast of the lead, it a