our stay in Zeba Bay. The tides were
scarcely perceptible and their rise and fall uncertain from the steep
bank on which we had anchored.

After quitting the bay we made every possible progress towards Timor; and
as long as we kept between the Islands of Savu and Rottee we found no
perceptible current against us, although the wind was constantly from the
South-East.

October 26.

On the 26th the contents of one of our remaining casks of water was found
to be so bad that it could not be used for any purpose; upon examination
it turned out that the cask had been constructed at Port Jackson of the
staves of old salt-provision barrels. This loss, amounting to two days'
water, we could but ill spare: two or three gallons were collected from
the rain which fell during the evening; and this trifling supply,
although it had a tarry taste, was acceptable in our present
circumstances.

The next morning was calm. A small coasting proa was seen to the
northward but soon afterwards lost sight of, steering towards Timor.

October 28.

At daylight (28th) land was seen bearing East 1/2 North; at noon our
latitude was nine degrees 45 minutes 32 seconds; and by the morning and
evening sights for the chronometers a current had set us to the North 81
degrees West at nearly one mile and a quarter per hour. The wind, hanging
between South-East and South-South-East, prevented our tacking to the
southward to get out of the current, which, on our first experiencing it,
was thought to have been occasioned by a set through the strait of
Rottee; it was however afterwards found that we were on the southern edge
of the current that sets to the westward, down the north coast of Timor,
and that between Rottee and Savu the current is of trifling consequence.

October 29.

The next morning land was again indistinctly seen bearing East 12 degrees
South. At ten a.m. it was clearly visible, as well as a peaked hill which
bore East 1/2 North. We were now in a current setting rapidly to the
westward and soon lost a great portion of the ground that we had been so
long toiling to gain. In the evening the wind veering to East-South-East
enabled us to steer to the southward and to get out of the influence of
the current.

October 30 to 31.

From this to the 31st we had made little progress to the eastward; but in
the afternoon a breeze set in from West-South-West and brightened our
prospects: our water being now nearly expended, no time was to be l