CKUISE OF THE YACHT MAECHESA. 



CHAPTER I. 



CAGAYAN SULU. 



Anchor off Lamery, Island of Luzon — Taal volcano — Bancoran — Cagayan Sulu — 

 Malay dress — Proceedings of the Spaniards with regard to the island — Birds — 

 The crater-lakes — Extraordinary natural phenomenon — The Pangerang's house 

 — A Sulu cradle — Discover a third crater-lake — Particulars of the island — Curious 

 habits of the Whimbrel — Yacht Bay — Zoological characteristics of Cagayan 

 Sulu. 



On the 21st of March, 1883, the Marchesa left Hongkong for 

 the Malay Islands and New Guinea, having spent a few weeks at 

 Foochow and other treaty ports of China — well-trodden paths 

 into which I will not ask my reader to accompany me. Our 

 original intention was to visit the new English colony in North 

 Borneo, and thence to proceed vid the Sulu Archipelago and 

 Celebes to the Moluccas. At a later period the plan of the voyage 

 was slightly altered, and after leaving Sulu we returned to Singapore 

 to refit and take in stores before finally sailing on our Papuan 

 cruise. 



Within two hours of leaving our anchorage in Victoria Harbour 

 we were meeting half a gale of wind from the east, accompanied 

 by an unpleasantly rough sea. On the following day the wind had 

 backed to the N.E., the sea had run down, and things were more 

 comfortable, and on Easter Sunday, March 25th, we came to 

 anchor off" Lamery in the island of Luzon, some forty or fifty miles 

 to the south of Manila. 



VOL. II. B 



