May 23, 1859.] ADMIRALTY SURVEYS— AUSTRALIA. 271 



the Strait of Tsugar. This latter strait, including the north side of 

 Niphon, has been surveyed. Of the rest of Niphon, with Kin-sin 

 and Sikok, we know nothing, except the position of a few points at 

 its western extreme. There are, however, fair surveys of the bays 

 of Naga-saki, Simoda, and Yedo. Of the islets of Fatchin and 

 Tsu-sima in the Strait of Korea, and of Argonaut and Dugelet islets, 

 we know nothing accurate. 



The Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, and the Sea of Okhotsk, have 

 been explored by the French and Kussians ; the harbour of Petro- 

 pavlovski has been completely surveyed by the English. Proceeding 

 southward from Japan, the Linschoten Islands are very imperfectly 

 known. The Loo-choo group has been better explored, but still 

 is very incomplete. The Meiaco-sima group has been surveyed. 



The Philippine Islands, including Luzon, Mindoro, and Minda- 

 nao, have been explored by the Spaniards, but are not surveyed ; 

 it is understood that a survey, which is much wanted, is in progress. 

 The same may be said of the Celebes Sea, and of the east coast 

 of Borneo, and west coast of Celebes Island, forming the Strait 

 of Macassar, which is also unsurveyed. Of the Island of Celebes 

 little is known except the western part of the Gulf of Boni, which 

 has been surveyed by the Dutch, and Macassar roadstead by the 

 English. Of the Flores Sea, Banda Sea, Arafura Sea, and the 

 group of islands forming the eastern passages to China, although 

 greatly frequented by shipping, no survey exists. 



Of the north-western side of Papua or New Guinea nothing accu- 

 rate is known. On the north side there is a track-survey, and a few 

 points are fixed, otherwise it is unexplored. The same may be said 

 of the group of the Solomon Islands. The south coast of New 

 Guinea, from the Louisiade Islands westward to Torres Strait, has 

 been surveyed by the English ; so also has been Torres Strait. 



In Australia, the eastern coast from Torres Strait southward to 

 Halifax Bay, in lat. 19j° South, has been well surveyed; the re- 

 mainder to Bass Strait has been only partially examined, but some 

 of the harbours, as Port Bo wen. Port Curtis, Sandy Island Sound, 

 Moreton Bay, Port Macquarie, Newcastle, Port Jackson, and Two- 

 fold Bay, have been completely surveyed. The Coral Sea to the 

 eastward of Australia, a very frequented track between Sydney and 

 China, has been partially explored, but urgently requires a more 

 complete examination. 



Bass Strait has been partly, but not sufficiently, surveyed. The 

 east, south, and west coasts of Tasmania have never been sur- 



