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April 1790 to December 1790 -Lieutenant King sails for Batavia. Meets with a dangerous shoal. Discovers Tench's-Island. A description of the inhabitants. Prince William-Henry's Island described. Touches at Kercolang. A description of the inhabitants, their cloathing and utensils. Passes through the Streights of Salayer. Arrival at Batavia. Interview with the governor. Batavia described.
The commander of the Supply had intended to go through the streights of Macasser; but when to the westward of Kercolang, meeting with strong gales from the westward, he bore away to the southward, running down near the small islands which are on the western coast of Gillola; and going to the westward of the island of Bouro, to the southward of Bouton, and between Salayer and Celebes, had fine weather and favourable winds.
The only chart we had on board, which took any notice of these islands and the shoal, was one of Hamilton Moore's, which we found tolerably correct, except in some instances where the islands are misplaced, as St. Matthew's Islands, Toucambessis, the south end of Bouton and Kercolang, with some other trifling differences; however, upon the whole, it may be called a good chart.
At day-light the next morning, we saw an island bearing north-west, which is called Kercolang in the charts; finding we could not weather the south end, we bore up to go to the northward of it. At noon, it bore from north 68° west to south 41° west: our latitude was 4° 25' north, and the longitude, by lunar observation, 126° 50' east.
Another island, called Kerolang in the charts, bore from north to north 14° east; having a remarkable hummock on the east end of it. At eight o'clock in the morning of the 6th, being close under the east side of Kercolang, we saw a canoe with a matt sail coming towards us: the natives soon came under the stern without any signs of fear.
At noon, a breeze springing up from the northward, we made sail, and many of the canoes followed us to a considerable distance. The latitude of the north end of Kercolang is 4° 28', and the longitude of the center 126° 31' east.
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