FROM GUAHON TO ST. HELENA. ^255 



most easterly of the Balington's rocks lay within 

 seven miles of us, due south. My clnonometers 

 gave for its longitude 237° 13' 30'', latitude 19° 

 5S' 5". Upon this I steered more southward, to 

 double Cape Bajador ; and, by degrees,the high rocky 

 Babuyan islands came in sight, and we had, there- 

 fore, now left the great ocean, after sailing about 

 it for above two years. I was seized with a cer- 

 tain emotion on quitting the South Sea, where we 

 had spent so many unhappy, and yet so many joy- 

 ful hours ; and I now looked upon my voyage as 

 almost concluded. How great is the difference 

 in the atmosphere in sailing from the ocean into 

 the Chinese Sea. Instead of the almost constantly 

 serene sky, we saw here stormy clouds tossed about 

 by the wind, and the horizon enveloped in an 

 eternal veil. The currents had carried us to-day 

 eighteen miles to the S. E., 18°. 



The 10th, at noon, we were in latitude 9° 12', 

 longitude 239° 43', and we had been carried by 

 the current, since- yesterday, twenty-six miles 

 and a quarter to the N. E., 3°. We were 

 obliged to take in all the reefs, on account of the 

 violent wind. As it blew from E. by N. from the 

 land, we sailed briskly up to Cape Bolinao, while 

 we sometimes discovered, through the fog, the 

 summits of the mountains of Luconia. 



The 11th, the wind was less stormy, and we 

 found the current thirty-four miles and a half to 

 the N. E., 14°. 



