FROM GUAHOX TO ST. HELENA. Q57 



St. Nicholas's shoal is the most dangerous place, 

 but may be easily avoided by care. We tacked 

 during the whole night, but without gaining much, 

 as the wind was calm. In tacking, care must be 

 taken to go so far to the north, that the northern 

 entrance may be kept in sight, as you are then in 

 the current, which in this season of the year always 

 flows out violently. This is the reason whv ships 

 can only penetrate through the southern entrance 

 during the N. E. monsoon, and, in sailing out, use 

 the northern. 



The l6th. The faint wind still detained us at 

 the island of Coregidor, on which we observed a 

 crater ; there probably was formerly a volcano 

 near this place, which, by its fall, formed several 

 small islands and a basin. As the wind began to 

 blow a little we hoped soon to reach the town of 

 Manilla ; but the calm which immediately set in, 

 obliged us to cast anchor eiglit miles from the town, 

 that we might not be carried back by the current. 

 The 17th. The calm continued. At one 

 o'clock at noon a sixteen-oared boat came up to 

 us. Two officers, deputies from the Governor, 

 who was alread} informed of our arrival, welcomed 

 us in his name, assuring us how rejoiced he was to 

 see the Russian flag flying in his harbour, which 

 had never been seen there before. The gentle- 

 men said to us many flattering things about 

 our nation, calling it, among other things, the de- 

 liverer of Europe. I embraced the opportunity of 

 VOL. n. s 



