PEDRO BLANCO. 



127 



west half-west ; Pulo Pisang, west by south ; 

 Pulo Tinian, west half-north by compass. All 

 these islands were elevated, and densely 

 wooded. 



On the 26th we passed Pedro Blanco, a 

 reef of rocks some distance above the water, 

 and situated in about the centre of the straits ; 

 a large number of birds, apparently, terns, were 

 about them. I had much doubt in my mind, 

 whether the white* appearance of the upper sur- 

 face of these rocks was the effect of the dung of 

 birds, but rather conjectured, in the absence of 

 ocular proof, that it was of a calcareous nature. 

 Observing a group of rocks not far distant 

 from the settlement of Singapore, exhibiting 

 the same white appearance on the surface 

 above water as the Pedro Blanco, I determined 

 to visit them for the purpose of examining their 

 structure ; on the evening of the day on which 

 I observed it, I went out in a boat with- some 

 friends, but a very heavy swell prevented the 

 attainment of my object at this time. The 

 Malays in the boat, when they heard what 

 I wished to ascertain, declared it to be pro- 

 duced by the first-mentioned cause ; but on the 

 following morning I succeeded in getting upon 

 it, when my previously formed opinion was con- 



