Straits of Singapore. 



SOOLOO. 



Re-union of the squadron. 



Cruise of the Porpoise and Oregon. 



337 



The difficulties in the Palawan Passage arising 

 from heavy seas and fresh gales do not exist in the 

 Sooloo Sea, nor are the shoals so numerous or so 

 dangerous. In the place of storms and rough water, 

 smooth seas are found, and for most of the time 

 moderate breezes, which do not subject a vessel to 

 the wear and tear experienced in beating up against 

 a monsoon. 



The Straits of Balabac may be easily reached, 

 either from Singapore, or by beating up along the 

 western shore of Borneo. When the straits are 

 reached, a vessel by choosing her time may easily 

 pass through them by daylight, even by beating 

 when the wind is ahead. Once through, the way is 

 clear, with the exception of a few coral lumps; the 

 occasional occurrence of the north wind will enable 

 a vessel to pass directly to the shores of the island 

 of Panay. A fair wind will ordinarily prevail along 

 that island, and, as I have already mentioned, it 

 may be approached closely. The passage through 

 to the eastward of Mindoro Island may be taken in 

 preference to that on the west side through the 

 Mindoro Strait, and thus all the reefs and shoals 

 will be avoided. Thence, the western coast of 

 Luzon will be followed to the north, as in the old 

 route. 



I do not think it necessary to point out any par- 

 ticular route through the Sooloo Sea, as vessels 

 must be guided chiefly as the winds blow, but I 

 would generally avoid approaching the Sooloo 

 Islands, as the currents are more rapid, and set 

 rather to the southward. Wherever there is an- 

 chorage, it would be advisable to anchor at night, 

 as much time might thus be saved, and a knowledge 

 of the currents or sets of the tides obtained. Per- 

 haps it would be as well to caution those who are 

 venturesome, that it is necessary to keep a good 

 look-out, and those who are timid, that there does 

 not appear to be much danger from the piratical 

 prahus, unless a vessel gets on shore : in that case 

 it will not be long before they will be seen collect- 

 ing in the horizon in large numbers. To conclude, 

 I am satisfied that under ordinary circumstances, 

 to pass through the Sooloo Sea will shorten by 

 .several days the passage to Manilla or Canton, and 

 be a great saving of expense in the wear and tear 

 of a ship and her canvass. 



On the 13th, we passed near the location of the 

 Viper Shoal, but saw nothing of it. It is, there- 

 fore, marked doubtful on the chart. As I had but 

 little time to spare, the look-outs were doubled, and 

 we pursued our course throughout the night, sound- 

 ing as we went every fifteen minutes; but nothing 

 met our view. 



On the 18th, we made Pulo Aor and Pulo Pe- 

 dang, and arriving off the Straits of Singapore I 

 hove-to, to await daylight. In the morning at dawn, 

 we found ourselves in close company with a Chi- 

 nese junk. The 19th, until late in the afternoon, 

 we were in the Singapore Straits, making but slow 

 progress towards this emporium of the east. The 

 number of native as well as foreign vessels which 



we passed, proved that we were approaching some 

 great mart, and at 5 P.M. we dropped our anchor in 

 Singapore Roads. Here we found the Porpoise, 

 Oregon, and Flying-Fish, all well: the two former 

 had arrived on the 22nd of January, nearly a month 

 before, and the latter three days previously. Before 

 concluding this chapter, I shall revert to their pro- 

 ceedings since our separation off the Sandwich 

 Islands. 



The instructions to the brigs have been hereto- 

 fore given ; but it may not be amiss to repeat here 

 that the object in detaching them was, that they 

 might explore the line of reefs and islands known 

 to exist to the northward and westward of the 

 Hawaiian Group, and thence continue their course 

 towards the coast of Japan. Had they effected 

 the latter object, it would have given important re- 

 sults in relation to the force of the currents, and 

 the temperature of the water. It was desirable, if 

 possible, to ascertain with certainty the existence 

 on the coast of Japan of a current similar to the 

 Gulf Stream, to which my attention had been par- 

 ticularly drawn. 



The first land they made was on the 1st of De- 

 cember, 1841, and was Necker Island. Birds, es- 

 pecially the white tern, had been seen in numbers 

 prior to its announcement. Necker Island is 

 apparently a mass of volcanic rocks, about three 

 hundred feet high, and is destitute of any kind of 

 vegetation, but covered with guano. It is sur- 

 rounded by a reef, three miles from which sound- 

 ings were obtained, in twenty fathoms water. The 

 furious surf that was beating on all sides of the 

 island, precluded all possibility of a landing being 

 made. By the connected observations of the ves- 

 sels, it lies in longitude 164 37' W., and latitude 

 23 44' N. 



The French-Frigate Shoal was seen on the 3rd; 

 the weather proved bad, and they were unable to 

 execute the work of examining this reef. The sea 

 was breaking furiously upon it. 



On the 7th, the Maro Reef was made in latitude 

 25 24' 29" N., longitude 170 43' 24" W. Bottom 

 was found at a distance of four miles from the reef, 

 with forty-five fathoms of line. On the 8th, they 

 passed over the site of Neva Isle, as laid down 

 by Arrowsmith, but no indications of land were 

 seen. 



On the llth, Lieutenant-Commandant Ringgold 

 determined, on account of the condition of the brigs, 

 and the continuance of bad weather, it was impos- 

 sible to keep their course to the northward and 

 westward towards the coast of Japan : he therefore 

 hauled to the southward, which was much to be 

 regretted, and followed so very nearly in the same 

 track as that pursued by the Vincennes, towards 

 the China seas, that nothing new was elicited by 

 them. 



After a passage of fifty-six days from the 

 Sandwich Islands, they dropped their anchors in 

 Singapore on the 19th of January, 1842, all well. 



