Pass Batte-Malve. — Approach Tillangschong. 43 



consequence of a stiff breeze and strong contrary current, 

 to approach it sufficiently near for a boat to get to land, 

 and thus enable us to make a more complete examination. 

 Batte-Malve is a small, entirely uninhabited island, some two 

 miles in length, and seems to be of a quadrangular form ; 

 the U23per portion is thickly wooded; the highest elevation 

 being from 150 to 200 feet. Towards the N.W. the*island 

 becomes somewhat flattened when approaching the coast, 

 whereas on the west side, as also on the S. and S.E. shores, 

 the rocks descend perpendicularly into the sea. According 

 to our observations, instituted on the spot, there is in the 

 longitude, as we ascertained it, when compared with that as- 

 signed by the officers of the Galatea, a discrepancy of ten 

 nautical miles. 



Early on the morning of the 3rd of March, while still to the 

 N.W. of Batte-Malve, but steering a S.E. course, the islands 

 of Teressa, Cho^vry, and Bampoka became visible at a dis- 

 tance of from eight to ten nautical miles. From the main- 

 mast-head we could also descry further to the eastward the 

 island of Tillangschong, to which we were now proceeding. 



Next morning we found ourselves close in with its N.E. 

 promontory. Both wind and weather were highly favom-able, 

 the look-out man was stationed upon the fore-top, the lead 

 line on being hove overboard with forty fathoms found no 

 bottom, and the water had the deep blue colom^ of the open 

 ocean. We were therefore able to approach the shore fearlessly, 

 and accordingly stood in till we were barely 100 feet distant 



