The China Sea directory - Sabrizain.org

442 VAREIiLA AND DURIAN STRAITS. [chap. xi.
west coast of this island trends in a north-westerly direction about 14 or
15 miles, the shore being fronted to a short distance by a reef.
Close to the north-west part of Setjawa lie two small islands named
Great and Little Blando, the latter, which is the north-western one, having
two islets near its west side.
TiarlUpa Strait.—Tiampa, an irregularly shaped island, 6 miles
long, and If miles broad, is separated from the north-western part of
Setjawa and the Blando islands by Tiampa strait, 2 miles wide, having
depths of 13 to 30 fathoms. In the northern entrance of this strait lies
a narrow bank, 2^ miles long, having from one to 2 fathoms water, with
8 to 14 fathoms in the narrow passage between it and Blando islands.
The channel between the bank and Tiampa is one mile wide, with depths
of 9 to 14 fathoms.
Buaya Island lies 3 miles westward of the north-west point of
Tiampa, and in the channel separating them there is a group of islets and
rocks. Buay.a nearly three miles in extent, is a remarkable island, rising
to a"peak 888 feet high.
Dian is the south-easternmost and Loban the north-westernmost of a
chain of islets fronting the south and south-west sides of Buaya, from
which they are separated by a channel with depths of 12 fathoms, but
there is a rock near the west side of Buaya.
Leda rock is the outermost of a ridge of rocks which extend about
li miles in a N.W. by W. direction from Loban.
TEMIANG GROUP.—This group with the other islands and
dangers between Buaya and Potong islands lie far to the eastward of the
usual track for vessels bound through Durian strait, but it .seems advisable
to describe them for the benefit of navigators who may wish to pass through
any of the channels leading into or from Ehio strait.* This group is
composed of four large and several small islands, lying to the north-westward
of Setjawa and Sebangka, and separated from those islands by a
narrow channel, which appears to be obstructed by numerous rocks.
Temiang island, which limits the group to the north-eastward, is 7^ miles
long, 3 miles broad, and irregularly shaped, the north-east side being
nearly strait, but at the south-east end there is a deep bay or inlet ; there
is also an inlet at the north-west end, but not so deep. This island, which
is the largest of the group, is mostly composed of high hills, and near the
west end on some table land is Mount Buanaja, 800 feet high.
The three other principal islands which lie close to the south-westward
of Temiang, are divided from it and from each other by narrow channels,
and the group is limited in that direction by Ompok island and several
* See Admiralty chart:—Ehio strait, No. 2,413 ; scale, »i=0-65 of an inch.