ish for the trepang amongst the islands in the vicinity of Java, and
upon a dry shoal lying to the south of Rottee; but about twenty years
before, one of their prows was driven by the north-west monsoon to the
coast of New Holland, and finding the trepang to be abundant, they
afterwards returned; and had continued to fish there since that time. The
governor was of opinion, that the Chinese did not meet them at
Timor-laoet, but at Macassar itself, where they are accustomed to trade
for birds nests, trepang, sharks fins, etc.; and it therefore seems
probable that the prows rendezvous only at Timor-laoet, on quitting
Carpentaria, and then return in a fleet, with their cargoes.

The value of the common trepang at Canton, was said to be forty dollars
the picol, and for the best, or black kind, sixty; which agrees with what
I had been told in Malay Road, allowing to the Chinese the usual profit
of cent. per cent. from Macassar to their own country.

About ten days before our arrival, a homeward-bound ship from India had
touched at Coepang; and had we been so fortunate as to meet with her, it
might have enabled me to put in execution the plan I had formed of
sending an officer to England, and returning to the examination of the
north and north-west coasts of Terra Australis. This plan was now
frustrated; and the sole opportunity of writing to Europe was by captain
Johnson, who expected to sail for Batavia in May, and promised to forward
our letters from thence. I committed to his care an account of our
examinations and discoveries upon the East and North Coasts, for the
Admiralty; with the report of the master and carpenter upon the state of
the ship, and the information I had obtained of the trepang fishery.

Our supplies for the ship, procured at Coepang, were rice, arrack, sugar,
and the palm syrup called _gulah_; with fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables
during our stay, and for ten days afterwards. The animal food consisted
of young _karabow_, a species of buffalo, and of small pigs and kids; the
karabow being charged at eight, the pigs at five, and kids at two rix
dollars each. Vegetables were dear and not good, and for many of the
fruits we were too early in the season; but cocoa-nuts, oranges, limes,
bananas, and shaddocks were tolerably plentiful. Tea, sugar candy, and
some other articles for our messes, were purchased at the little shops
kept by the Chinese-Malays; and poultry was obtained along-side by
barter.

To j