128 VOYAGE TO THE 



From what I saw of the island of Assumption it 

 appears to be a very proper headland for ships coming 

 from the eastward and bound to Canton to steer for. It 

 is high, and may be safely approached in the night if the 

 weather is clear ; and there is a wide channel to the 

 southward of it. It is far preferable to adopt this 

 channel than to pass to the northward of the Mariana 

 group, which is sometimes done ; as I am credibly in- 

 formed that there is much broken ground in that 

 direction. We have as yet no good chart of this 

 group of islands. The geographical position of As- 

 sumption and of the Mangs will be found in the table 

 at the end of this work. 



Under the lee of the island we observed a great 

 many birds, principally of the pelican tribe, of which 

 there was a species supposed by our naturalists to be 

 new. It is described as being smaller than the frigate- 

 bird, and of a dark brown colour, with the exception 

 of the belly and breast, which were white, and the bill, 

 which was either white or of a light lead colour. 



From the Ladrones, I directed the course for the 

 Bashee Islands, and on the 7th of April, after expe- 

 riencing light and variable winds, got sight of the 

 two northern islands of that group. The long 

 northerly swell, which had attended us almost all the 

 way from the Sandwich Islands, ceased immediately 

 we were to the westward of the Ladrones ; and indeed 



supposed to be the Mangs, situated in latitude ig^SS'N. Our 

 latitude when in the meridian of Assumption was 19° 36'. N. by 

 which it is evident that we must have passed within four miles of 

 these rocks, provided both latitudes be correct. Had I known of 

 their existence at the time, I should certainly have stood to the 

 southward, in order to connect them by triangulation with the 

 Assumption and the Mangs ; but Captain Freycinet's discoveries 

 were not then published. 



