1845.] LOOC BAY. 79 



this part of the world, the pleasantest spot we frequented, 

 and to the society, generally, all are more or less sensible 

 of many pleasant reminiscences. 



Quitting Manila, and acting upon information from 

 the Commandant at the Corregidor, we searched for 

 a shoal, on which the gun-boats had anchored, near 

 Fortune Island, and before sunset that evening the 

 ' Samarang ' and barges had taken up their stations, in 

 nineteen fathoms, precisely agreeing with our information. 

 On the day following, during our detention for the 

 ' Royalist ', sent to Manila for final despatches, Observa- 

 tions were obtained on Fortune Island, and the following 

 morning, on rejoining her we stood on to the southward, 

 in search of a new harbour, termed Looc Bay, situated 

 on the eastern side of the Island of Luban. As these 

 islands are exhibited on a very small scale upon the 

 Charts, no one would dream of seeking for an asylum in 

 such an unfrequented spot ; but the information of my 

 Manila friends had given such an interest to this locality 

 that I determined upon its examination, as it possibly 

 might afford shelter to distressed vessel coming from 

 the Strait of St. Bernardino, and exposed to the " nor- 

 thers ", which are frequently experienced on opening the 

 great Bay of Manila. Our visit cleared up one point 

 which might have proved fatal to the ' Royalist ', as she 

 had been directed to pass through betweeii Luban and 

 its neighbour ; a passage which was discovered from our 

 mast-heads to be completely barred by rocks. On the 

 morning of the 12th of January, we dropped our anchor 

 in Looc * Bay, and proceeded with its survey. On the 



* The term Looc, is, in the Malay and Bisayan langague, Bay, 



