Oruise of the Flying-Fish. SAN FRANCISCO TO MANILLA. 



Manilla. 



313 



to the leeward of Cape Miravales, having Cape 

 Capones due north, the current having set to the 

 southward. As the breeze was adverse to our 

 entrance into the bay, we continued beating until 

 the afternoon, when the sea-breeze gave us the 

 hope of reaching the anchorage; but it was so 

 feeble, that we made no way, and the night was 

 again passed under sail. 



The next day, the 12th, was also passed in work- 

 ing up for the city of Manilla. For this delay I 

 had something to console me in the arrival of the 

 Flying-Fish, which vessel was discovered at 3 h 30 m 

 P.M. beating in. Signal was made for her to join 

 company. 



On arriving at the island of Corregidor, we were 

 boarded by a government galley, pulling sixteen 

 oars, and having a large brass twelve-pound piece 

 mounted on the bow. These vessels, I understood, 

 are intended principally to pursue the pirates of 

 Sooloo, who not unfrequently make excursions 

 among the islands, attacking the villages, and 

 carrying off the inhabitants as slaves. They are 

 manned by the natives of this island, who are 

 represented as active and expert sailors, although 

 they are, generally, of small size. 



After dark, we anchored about eight miles from 

 the city, in the middle of the broad and beautiful 

 expanse of its bay, which is nearly circular, with 

 an almost uniform depth of water. I learned, 

 whilst at Manilla, that since the settlement of 

 Europeans, the bay has filled up in places very 

 considerably, from the wash of the hills. The 

 lands in the vicinity are high and mountainous, 

 and are clothed with the vegetation of the tropics. 

 After dark, the many lights that were seen in the 

 direction of the city gave the bay an animated 

 appearance, and bespoke our being near a large 

 and active population. 



Mr. Knox reported to me that after his separa- 

 tion, on the 30th of November, he stood for the 

 position of Cornwallis Island, as laid down by 

 Arrowsmith in longitude 169 31' W., latitude 16 

 50' N., without seeing any indication of land. 

 Twenty-two miles to the south-by-east of this posi- 

 tion, he discovered a reef, which surrounded an 

 extensive lagoon, extending north-east and south- 

 west ten miles, and in the opposite direction five 

 miles^ On the north-west side of this reef there 

 are two low islets : the one to the westward was 

 covered with bushes, but no trees ; the other was 

 no more than a sand-bank. This reef lies deep. 

 The longitude of the westernmost islet was found 

 to be 169 45' 36" W., and latitude 16 48' N. He 

 then bore away for San Pedro of Arrowsmith, in 

 longitude 179*W., and latitude 11 17' N., and on 

 the 7th of December sailed over it and on its 

 parallel forty miles both east and west, but saw no 

 indications of land whatever. 



The Mulgrave Islands were steered for, and two 

 small islands made on the 16th, in the position of 

 longitude 172 2' 33" E., and latitude 5 59' 1 5" 

 N., which corresponds with the chart of Arrow- 

 smith. They are low islets, extending two miles 

 from north to south, and one and a half from east 



to west. They are connected by a reef, which 

 surrounds a lagoon. Natives were seen upon 

 them, but no communication was had with them. 



Bapham's, a lagoon island, was made on the 

 17th : it was found to be correctly located ; it is 

 also inhabited. 



Hunter's Island was made the same evening, 

 and was examined the next day : it is one and 

 three-quarters of a mile long, north and south, and 

 two-thirds of a mile east and west ; it is elevated 

 in the centre, and has no lagoon ; its position was 

 ascertained to be in longitude 169 5' 46" E., and 

 latitude 5 42' N. 



Baring's Island was next passed in 168 26' 24" 

 E., latitude 5 34' 42" N. The current experienced 

 off these islands was from fifteen to twenty-five 

 miles easterly. 



It having been strongly enjoined upon Mr. Knox 

 not to be behind the time designated for his arrival 

 at Manilla, he found, on his reaching the equator, 

 that but twenty-two days of his time remained : 

 having already experienced light winds and calms, 

 he saw that it would be impossible to range through 

 the Caroline Group and visit Ascension and Strong's 

 Islands : he therefore determined to haul again to 

 the northward, and passed several of the groups in 

 a higher latitude. 



On the 26th, he passed over the situation as- 

 cribed to Faroilip Island, in latitude 10 45' N., 

 longitude 146 27' E., without any indications of 

 land. He then sought Feis Island, whose position 

 was crossed on the 27th, but saw no land. 



The eastern extremity of M'Kenzie's Group was 

 made on the 29th, in latitude 10 7' 53" N., longi- 

 tude 139 54' 58" E. To the northward and west- 

 ward of it, a supposed shoal was passed over, but 

 none was found. 



M'Kenzie's Group is of greater extent than is 

 represented on the maps. It is composed of a 

 great many islets, with passages between them, 

 some of them into the lagoon, through one of which 

 the schooner entered, with not less than seven 

 fathoms water on the bar. This group is thickly 

 inhabited, and some of the natives boarded the 

 schooner. They resembled the Caroline Islanders, 

 but had their teeth much discoloured, apparently 

 from the use of the betel-nut. From them some 

 fish and cocoa-nuts were procured. They were 

 seen to be in possession of iron utensils, and ap- 

 peared to have before had communication with 

 vessels. 



Mr. Knox now steered for the Straits of Berna- 

 dino, and made Cape Espiritu Santo, on the night 

 of the 4th of January. Owing to the want of 

 observations for two days before he was in danger 

 of being shipwrecked. On the 1 1 th, he had passed 

 through the straits, and anchored under Cape St. 

 Jago, whence he got under way, and reached 

 Manilla, as before stated. 



I now felt myself secure against farther deten- 

 tion, and hoped to expedite my duties, so as to 

 reach Singapore in the time designated in my 

 instructions. 



