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At three in the afternoon, a man, who was stationed at the mast-head, said he saw a great ripling, and on looking over the side, the bottom was distinctly seen; on this, we hauled off to the southward, and hove the lead, but got no ground, and the vessel going very fast, we immediately lost sight of the bottom, and soon afterwards steered west by south.
Hitherto, we had found the currents set us to the westward; but in the morning of the 21st, a strong ripling of a current set the vessel considerably to the east-south-east, which may easily be accounted for: the passage between New Guinea and Aigeu was quite open, and bore from us south-east, and I think that the current we now felt is an out-set; and as we had experienced a southerly current ever since we made the island of Morotia, it may be presumed that there is an indraught between the Celebes and Gilolo; and an out-set between Gilolo, New Guinea, and Aigeu, which is called "-Pitt's Passage."
The two largest of the islands just mentioned I judged to be about three miles in length; whether they were inhabited or not we could not discover: we passed to windward of them, and not being situated conveniently for making discoveries, or exploring unknown lands, we made the best of our way to the northward: just after we left these islands, we passed through a very strong ripling of a tide or current, and saw the trunks of several large trees in the water.
The dark woods and the open meadows contrasted more and more strongly; like light and shade, the earth and sky were not more distinct and apart; and the ripling stream, that rushed along with all the impetuosity of uneven ground.
On the 19th, we perceived a great ripling on the water, which appeared to be a strong current, and we afterwards found it had set the vessel considerably to the westward. At noon, the north-west point of Manere or Batachina bore east-north-east nine leagues distant; its latitude is 0° 16' south, and the longitude 126° 41' east.
At day-light, the island of Salayer bore from south 40° west to north 80° east, and the entrance of the streights north 70° west. On entering the streights, we found a very strong ripling of the sea, which we were apprehensive were overfalls; but we found it was a strong current setting to the westward. At noon, being through the streights, we hauled up west by south.
I first travelled along the sea shore, directly to the place where I first brought my boat to an anchor, to get upon the rocks; but now having no boat to take care of, I went overland a nearer way to the same height that I was before upon; when looking forward to the point of the rock, which lay out, and which I was forced to double with my boat, I was amazed to see the sea so smooth and quiet, there being no ripling motion, nor current, any more than in other places.
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