CHAPTER XXII.
VISIT TO THE SULTAN OF PONTIANA, IN BORNEO--SIR SAMUEL HOOD.
In the summer of 1814, Sir Samuel Hood made a voyage, in his Majesty's ship Minden, to the eastern parts of his station.

We called first at Acheen, on the north end of the island of Sumatra, where we held some very amusing intercourse with the king of that district, whose capital the Admiral visited.

From thence we steered over to Pulo Penang, or Prince of Wales' Island, and thence down the Straits of Malacca, entering the China Sea by the beautiful Straits of Sincapore.

The Admiral's chief object was to visit Java; but as there lay three routes before him to choose between, viz.

the Straits of Gaspar, the Straits of Banca, and the Caramata passage, he preferred taking the last and widest, which also led him near the western shore of the immense island of Borneo.