and had been previously seen by captain Cook in 1770; it seems
possible that these may be one and the same island, for the situation in
D'Entrecasteaux's chart is marked _doubtful_; but they are both laid down
in Plate XVI., and such additions made to what little could be
distinguished of Savu and Benjoar, as D'Entrecasteaux, Cook, Bligh. and
Dalrymple could furnish.

It was my intention on quitting Timor, if the leaky condition of the
schooner and the north-west monsoon did not oppose it, to pass southward
of all the Sunda Islands and direct for the Cape of Good Hope; but if
impeded, to run through some one of the eastern straits, get into the
north-east monsoon, and make for Batavia, or any port where the vessel
could be repaired. The veering of the wind to the westward of south,
accompanied by a swell and the occasional appearance of lightning in the
north-western quarter, made me apprehensive of being forced to this
latter plan; and we prepared a boarding netting to defend us against the
Malay pirates, with which the straits between Java and Timor were said to
be infested; the wind however came back to the eastward, although the
south-west swell continued, and we had frequent rain with sometimes
thunder and lightning.

FRIDAY 25 NOVEMBER 1803

On the 25th, our latitude was 12 deg. 48' and longitude 103 deg. 6', which was
past the meridian of Java Head, and beyond the ordinary limits of the
north-west monsoon. The schooner was leaky, more so than before, and the
pumps were getting worse; but hoping to reach the Cape of Good Hope, I
had wholly given up the idea of Batavia as lying too far out of the
track; Mauritius besides was in the way, should the vessel become
incapable of doubling the Cape without repairs.

Our course by compass was W. by S. for three days, and afterwards W. S.
W., with fresh south-eastern breezes and cloudy weather; but in the upper
regions of the atmosphere the wind was unsettled, showers of rain were
frequent, and it appeared that we were only just in time to save our
passage. On the 4th of December, in 19 deg. 2' south and 83 deg. 50' east, we had
a good deal of following sea from the eastward, whilst the ground swell
came from the south-west; and the jumble caused by these different
movements in the water made the vessel labour exceedingly. I varied the
course a point on either side, to keep the wind in the easiest direction;
but during this and the following day the leaks augmented so mu