1846.] YLIN AND MINDOEO. 85 



stood into the bay, formed by the Island of Ylin and 

 Mindoro, anchoring near the Island of Garza, upon 

 which I determined to establish my principal station. 



The south-west portion of Mindoro, including the 

 Islands of Ylin and Ambolon, had long occupied a sus- 

 picious position on the Charts, and reefs were reported to 

 extend off the latter Islands for some miles to the westward. 

 This being one of the remarkable projections in the main 

 road si these seas it was important that its actual dangers 

 should be delineated. Further, the entire group of islands 

 contained between Mindoro and Panay, were so grossly 

 in error, under the loose appellation of "the Semirara 

 Group ", that navigation was dangerous without a pilot. 

 From my informants at Manila I was led to expect safe 

 channels between the Islands of Ylin, Ambolon and Min- 

 doro ; and that water and refreshments, so important to 

 vessels making the passage by this route from Batavia, 

 Macassar or Samboanga, might be procured. These 

 were objects of consideration also for the health and 

 comfort of our crew, and always most anxiously sought by 

 vessels employed on this special service. Indeed, it was 

 in the immediate vicinity of this part of Mindoro that 

 we fell in with the ' Young Queen ', returning from the 

 Kotai river to Manila, in 1843, in distress for water, which, 

 had we been possessed of certain information, would have 

 enabled her to supply her wants without further anxiety. 



No signs of inhabitants were noticed in the neighbour- 

 hood of the great bay, formed by Mindoro and Ylin, but 

 some stray huts were noticed about the cleared ground 

 upon the latter island. 



Our operations proceeded without accident until wo 



