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coming near for that purpose. And cleared out in
disgust from such a slow dumb beast as we.
Lat. 21° 30 S.  Long. 102° 51’E [1]
Wednesday Apl 23. For three days until this morning
have had only dead reckoning [2]. and now
stand back to the westward. ½ past 9 A.M. Sight
Christmas Island 3 points on the lee bow. strange
sail, ditto. At noon, bore from us N ½ W. 18 miles. This
island is in Lat. 10° 37’S Long 105°33’E [3] is nearly square
each side about 3 leagues in length. It has no
anchorage. is nearly inaccessible. said to produce
cocoa nut trees, wild hogs, boobies, + land crabs [4].
One hundred and thirty three days from Sandy Hook
and our third sight of uninhabited land.
Friday. Apl. 25. Hermann caught a bird. size of a duck.
On the jib boom tip at sun rise. Shortly after, we were on
Java soundings. A piece of sugar cane, and a cocoa nut
floated by during the day. Water green and impure. P.M.
calm, and current setting us to the south east. 60 miles from
Java Head. Can see no land. Had hoped to enter the straits
tonight.