24-6 ACCOUNT OF CELEBES, AMBOYNA , &C.

This is one of the moil dangerous parts of the navigations for fhips failing to orfrom the Moluccas , or the fpice-iflands, and there is no avoiding it without goinground to the fouth of Saleyer, which is a much more hazardous route, on account ofthe great number of fhoals and funken rocks which abound there, and are either notlaid down, or placed extremely inaccurately in the charts; though I know of a recentinftance of a Company’s fhip, which was obliged to take that route, having beendriven to leeward by the currents.

For this reafon, I am furprized that the Company have not erected a few goodbatteries, provided with heavy artillery, upon the middlemofl of the Budgeroons, inorder to block up this paflage to foreign vetfels, which mull fail clofe under this ifland,.and would, therefore, be forced to run under the guns of the batteries, whilft theywould have enough to do to work their fails, and would not be able to return the fire.The objection which might be made to this plan, namely, that this fpot does not affordany thing for the fubfiftence of the men who might be placed there, and perhaps noteven that moft neceffary of articles, frelh water, is eafily obviated, for the Company’srefidencies of Boelecomba and Saleyer, could conflantiy provide thofe who were garri-foned here, with every thing they wanted; befides, many men would not be required,for there could be no danger of ever being obliged to refift the attack of an enemyupon the ifland; for it would be iinpoflible for a boat to land if there were any bat*tery upon it.

As foon as we had come within two cables’ length of the middlemofl: ifland, inorder to pafs between it and the northernmofl, we were encountered by a ftrong cur-rent fetting with the utniofl violence to the weflward, fo that we were obliged to aflifl:the fleering of the fhip by manoeuvring with the fails. The current ran with fuchforce, that although we had a fliff gale nearly aft, and the (hip feemed to advanceupon the water full five leagues, we made, in effedt, little or no progrefs towardsgetting through the flrait. In about half an hoar, however, the current decreafed,and eight o’clock, P.M. we had cleared this dangerous paffage, and fleered for theifland of Cabyne.

In the mean time, a fmall veffel, which had been difpatched by the refident ofBontain and Boelecomba, with refrefhments for Mr. Van Pleuren, came alongfide ofus, while we were ftruggling with the force of the current; there was the greatefldanger of its being flove to pieces againfl the fhip’s fide by the violence of the rip-pling, and the Indians who were in it cafl off the rope, and we thereby loft one of ourfailors, who had been ordered into the boat to aflifl in handing over the things theybrought. As foon as the veffel fell aflern fhe fleered for Saleyer, and we very foonloft fight of her.

On the following morning at funrife, we faw the ifland Cabyne, bearing eafl-north-eafl and eafl by north, eight or ten leagues: we were flill likewife in fight of the coaflof Celebes , and of the ifland Saleyer. We fleered for the fouthern point of Cabyne $but we were prevented by calms from coming abreafl of it till the 2ift of February,when we alfo got fight of the iflands Pafiangane and Bouton, which form the flraitsof Bouton.

Bouton is a large, middling high, and woody ifland. It is a kingdom of itfelf, towhich the neighbouring iflands likewife belong. The King of Bouton is in alliancewith the Company, who pay him a yearly fum of one hundred and fifty rix-dollars innew Dutch coin, upon condition that he fhould not only permit the extirpation by theCompany of all the clove-trees in this and the neighbouring iflands, but alfo aflifl: them