1845.] RETURN TO HONG-KONG. 303 



consider that their influence extends more particularly to 

 the island of Basilan, immediately in connexion with 

 Mindanao, the intelligence brought by us caused a very 

 considerable sensation. As it frequently occurs in argu- 

 ments of this nature, that partizans, in their eagerness, 

 forget their principal object, one of the strongest advo- 

 cates in favour of the Spanish claims, forgetting his 

 object in proving the Spanish authority, observed : " but 

 we can even prove the fact of tribute having been 

 received from Basilan by the Sultan of Sooloo, within 

 the last five years, that is, of birds' nests and Pearl 

 shell"! 



During our detention, refitting, the French frigate, 

 ' Sabine ', arrived from Basilan, when we were informed 

 that the French force had been engaged two days against 

 the town at Malozo, which they had destroyed, suffering 

 on the part of the French, a loss of three men killed and 

 several wounded. 



On the 20th of March we took our departure for 

 Hong-Kong, and on the 22nd, about five miles to the 

 southward of Port Calaan, on the Island of Luzon, 

 grounded upon a coral ledge, which we found outside of 

 us, on the off shore tack ; showing the Charts off this 

 river to be defective, but as it was almost calm, and without 

 swell, no damage was sustained, although we were some- 

 what puzzled to find our way out of the dilemma. On 

 the 28th, we reached the Batanes Group, and remained 

 a day at San Domingo for observations and stock, and 

 with a fine breeze from thence reached Hong-Kong on 

 the 1st of April, where we found H.M. Ships 'Castor' 

 and ' Iris '. Gapt. Graham of the former, being left 



