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Goin' to Sunda Straits, which p'raps you know, sar, is nigh a hundred miles fro' here." "And what may you be going to do there?" asked Nigel. "Goin' home to Krakatoa." "Why, I thought that was an uninhabited island. I passed close to it on my way here, and saw no sign of inhabitants." "Da's cause I was absint fro' home. An' massa he keeps indoors a good deal."
"Why just here?" "Why, we're opposite the Straits of Sunda, the worst place about these parts." "What for?" "Pirates. The Malays, you know. We're not over well prepared to meet them, I'm afraid. If they come we'll have to fight them the best way we can; and these calms are the worst thing for us, because the Malay proas can get along in the lightest wind, or with oars, when we can't move at all."
So another day passed and another night. An hour after midnight we took in the main topgallantsail, and lay by with our head to the south until six bells, when we wore ship, proceeding north again, and saw Java Head at nine o'clock to the minute. We now faced Sunda Strait, the channel that separates Java from Sumatra and unites the Indian Ocean with the Java Sea.
There were, in former days, celebrated throughout the three worlds, two brothers named Sunda and Upasunda living together and incapable of being slain by anybody unless each slew the other. They ruled the same kingdom, lived in the same house, slept on the same bed, sat on the same seat, and ate from the same dish. And yet they killed each for the sake of Tilottama.
I've got six and I'd give you the lot, only I must keep a little money to buy some fruit and vegetables for the crew from native boats as we go through Sunda Straits." He shook his head. "Take it," I urged him, whispering desperately. "No one can tell what " He smiled and slapped meaningly the only pocket of the sleeping jacket. It was not safe, certainly.
In the P.M. stood over for the Sumatra Shore, having the wind at South-South-West, a fresh breeze, and the current in our favour; but this last shifted and set to the Eastward in the Evening, and obliged us to Anchor in 30 fathoms, under the Islands which lay off Verekens point, which point constitutes the narrowest part of the Straits of Sunda.
There were others who gave it situations widely remote, such as in the Trapoban of the ancients, at present known as the island of Ceylon; or in the island of Sumatra; or in the Fortunate or Canary islands; or in one of the islands of Sunda; or in some favored spot under the equinoctial line.
During the four days they had been stranded there they had sighted in the distance two small native vessels, which did not approach. The owner concluded by asking any commander of a homeward-bound ship to report the yacht's position in Anjer on his way through Sunda Straits or to any British or Dutch man-of-war he might meet.
In March, the United States frigate Hornet captured the British brig Penguin, off the coast of Brazil. The last hostile act at sea took place in the Straits of Sunda, in the East Indies, where the United States brig-of-war Peacock captured the Nautilus, a British sloop-of-war. The three American vessels at sea when the war closed each came home crowned with laurels.
The City of Batavia is situated on a low flatt near the Sea, in the Bottom of a large Bay of the same name, which lies on the North side of Java, about 8 Leagues from the Straits of Sunda; it lies in 6 degrees 10 minutes South Latitude, and 106 degrees 50 minutes East Longitude from the Meridian of Greenwich, settled by Astronomical Observations made on the spot by the Reverend Mr.
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