1844.] DEPARTURE FOR UNSANG. 119 



resist, but, thinking probably that he would be punished 

 by the ship, produced a pass, but it was neither signed 

 nor dated, and as there was no cause for detention he 

 was not molested further. 



After the evening's observations were completed, we 

 weighed, with a light favourable air, and were moving 

 along very quietly when it was discovered that the 

 channel a-head was barred by a reef, and before any 

 measures could be adopted to haul off, she had taken the 

 ground ; kedges were instantly laid out, the ship hove 

 into deep water, and in a very short time we were making 

 a clear course. 



On the 22nd we sighted the Island of Tawi-Tawi ; a 

 very high and extensive island, the southern and western 

 great island of this Archipelago ; the scenery was much 

 diversified by clear green knolls, embellished here and 

 there by clumps of trees, standing out clear on the pro- 

 file. It is said to be one of the principal pirate establish- 

 ments, but as it did not, at present, enter into my scheme 

 of operations, I gave it a wide berth and stood on for 

 Unsang, the nearest land of Borneo, now in sight. At 

 10 o'clock, on the morning of the 23rd, we anchored off 

 Unsang, and landed for observations ; and it being now 

 near our Term-day, determined on completing the suite 

 of magnetic observations on this eastern extremity of the 

 Island of Borneo. We found three separate bars between 

 us and the place selected for our Observatory ; the outer, 

 sand, the second, coral, and the third, (nearly a-wash) also 

 coral, connected with the land; each had deep-water 

 channels between them. This part of the coast of Borneo 

 appeared very dreary although free from the Mangrove 



