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CHAPTER XI.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

1842.

AFTER leaving Singapore, I determined to pass through the Straits of Rhio, a route which I deemed the shortest and best for vessels bound through the Straits of Sunda. We had light winds and rainsqualls at the entrance of the strait; but towards the afternoon we were favoured with the northeast breeze, which carried us rapidly onward. At night I anchored, wishing to examine more particularly the charts extant, and to make what corrections I might deem neces

sary.

The next morning at daylight we again resumed our route, but in consequence of fog were obliged to anchor off the Dutch factory at Rhio, where a fort is established. This was first occupied in 1824, after the cession of Malacca.

The island contains but few inhabitants, and those few are not inclined to come under the Dutch authority. From all I could learn, there is very little inducement for a vessel to resort here for trade. The island is considered extremely unhealthy for foreigners during several months of the year.

When the weather cleared off, we again passed down the strait, and on our arrival off the southern point of the islands, we steered for the east point of Lintin, which island we passed on the 28th, on our way to the Straits of Banca.

On the morning of the 1st of March, we approached the northern entrance of the Straits of Banca, and got a view of these low and uninteresting coasts.

The same afternoon, we fell in with a barque, under Dutch colours, which refused to answer our hail as we passed; we immediately wore

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ship, and fired a shot; upon which they let fly all their halyards and sheets. A boat was sent on board with an officer, who discovered that she was manned by Malays, and that no one on board could speak English; however, he managed to understand that they were from Palambam, Sumatra, and bound to Singapore. Soon afterwards, we saw the Dutch establishment of Mintow; it is situated on a knoll, at the northern end of Banca, and had the Dutch flag flying over it. The greater part of Banca is low land; the northern end particularly so. There are, however, a few detached hills, of considerable altitude, which serve as sailing-marks during the passage through the straits. The southern end of the island rises, and appears to be of a different formation from the other parts, as its soil is thickly wooded. In the forest were seen numerous clearings, where people had been and were then burning charcoal, to obtain fuel for smelting the tin ores. The principal mining district lies towards the southern end of the island, in the swampy flat land at the foot of the isolated hills before mentioned. The ore is usually found at the depth of from six to twenty feet from the surface, in layers that run horizontally for two or three miles; these vary in thickness from six to twenty inches, and consist of heavy granulated particles, of a dark metallic lustre, mixed with white sand. The strata above the vein consists of vegetable mould, red and white clay, intermixed with pebbles of white quartz, and white sand, like that which is found with the metal. A stratum of steatite is said to be found underlying these ores of tin.

The process of working these mines is exceedingly rude; both Malays and Chinese are employed in them, but the latter are preferred on account of their greater perseverance and industry. I was told at Singapore that the amount of tin derived from Banca by the Dutch, was not half so great as that obtained while it was under British management, or that it is still capable of yielding. The ore is washed after its removal from the veins, which separates the earth, and leaves only the metal and stones; the last are separated by hand, and the metal is then smelted: to effect this, huge piles of alternate layers of ore and charcoal are formed; the fused metal escapes into a hole dug in the ground, from which it is dipped and poured into moulds, forming, when cool, the tin of commerce. Tin ore is found at Banca in great quantities, but its quality is inferior to that obtained from other places; and it rarely yields more than sixty per cent. of pure metal. The process of smelting is but seldom performed, generally not oftener than once or twice a year. Rude bellows of various forms are used in kindling the smelting fires; some of these are composed of large wooden cylinders with moving pistons, which give a

strong continuous blast; others are nothing more than a bamboo tube, through which the breath is forced upon the flame. The process for working the mines and extracting the metal from the ore, are similar in all the mining districts, and differ but little from those employed when the mines were first opened.

The Sumatra shore of the Straits of Banca is low, and appears to be covered with a dense forest. During the night we were visited by a heavy storm of thunder and lightning, with much rain. The next morning being pleasant, we got under way again, and passed rapidly through the straits; the southern outlet, however, called the Lucepara Passage, was not attained until nearly dark, and before reaching it we crossed many shoals, so near the surface as to leave but little water under our keels. An English vessel in advance of us hoisted a light after dark, and by taking it for our guide, we succeeded in passing through safely. This vessel was soon overtaken by us, and proved to be the barque Java, Lewis master, thirty-eight days from Batavia, and bound to Singapore. Having lost twelve of her crew by dysentery and but few of the survivors being able to perform their duty in consequence, she was returning to Batavia. The surgeon was sent on board, and the necessary medicines, &c., of which they were in great want, were supplied.

During the 2d and 3d of March, we had cloudy weather, with some rain, and at nightfall on the latter day, anchored near the Two Brothers. During the night, George Porter died. He was buried next day with the usual ceremonies. We got under way again at an early hour in the morning, and at evening found ourselves off North Island, near which we anchored. During the night we had lightning, thunder, and rain.

The next day we arrived off Hout's Island, at the entrance of the Straits of Sunda, when, the wind dying away, we were left at the mercy of a strong current setting in towards the island. To avoid danger we anchored, and lay until the turn of the tide; we afterwards passed round Zutphen's Island and Hog Point, anchoring for the night off Rajah Bassa.

As far as my experience goes, I can testify that Horsburgh's directions for the Straits of Sunda are safe and good, although perhaps not the most suitable for our navigators, for he makes the safety of the ship his principal aim, and gives directions so to navigate a large class vessel as to insure it; whilst my countrymen, although they always read him, are not disposed to pursue his directions exactly, believing that in following his advice more time is lost than a regard to sufficient

safety demands. Although such may be the case, it ought not to lessen the gratitude that navigators owe him for his East India Directory, a contribution to nautical information that cannot well be surpassed, either for general accuracy, or as regards the great number of satisfactory directions that it contains.

On the morning of the 6th, we again got under way, the men exhibiting their joy in taking this first real step on their homeward course, by running up the anchor quickly to the bows, and by the alacrity with which they performed their other duties. With a light wind from the eastward, we stood into the Indian Ocean, between the islands of Pulo Bessy and Crockatoa; the day was a delightful one, and being Sunday, when no unessential duty was performed, there was leisure to enjoy it. After divine service, the wind shifted to the northward and westward, and towards night we experienced severe squalls from that quarter, accompanied by lightning and torrents of rain. In the intervals between the gusts, the wind blew freshly, and on the morning of the 7th we found ourselves fairly launched on the blue waters of the ocean, pursuing rapidly our homeward course.

We were now truly on our route for home, and finding that the brigs detained us by their slower rate of sailing, I determined to part company with them, having some days previously given them directions what course to pursue in such an event: these will be found in Appendix XIV. We accordingly made all the sail that could be carried, and soon left them behind us. As we proceeded to the southward, the wind gradually hauled to the westward, and continued blowing strongly from that quarter until the 10th, on which day we reached the latitude of 14° S., and longitude 100° E.

The 11th was the first fine day since our departure from the straits; and on this day we had some slight indications that we should be favoured with the trades. On trying the temperature of the water, one hundred fathoms deep, we found it to differ from that at the surface only six degrees.

On the 12th, we had reached latitude 17° S., and longitude 98° E. The weather was now delightful, and we experienced the long swells of the ocean from the southward and eastward, together with moderate breezes from the same quarter. I determined now to run on that parallel of latitude; for I believed, judging from my experience in other seas, that steady trade-winds were more likely to prevail on it than farther to the southward.

On the 13th, we overtook an English barque. At this time, the crew began to be affected with catarrhs and influenza, and thirty

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