92 SURVEYING PARTY. [1846. 



northern extremity of these patches our reckoning placed 

 us thirty miles, north half qast, of the south-western end 

 of the Cagayan group, or twenty-six miles and a half 

 north of the highest detached northern islet. Early on 

 the morning of the 16th, having kept on the edge of the 

 soundings, we approached the northern breakers of the 

 Cagayanes within one mile, and taking the boats, in ad- 

 dition to my gig, quitted the ship, with two days provi- 

 sions, in order to outline the dangers and finish the coast- 

 line, the Officer left in command having instructions to 

 look out upon us for signals, and to ascertain the general 

 limits of the soundings off this group. The second 

 master had also been detached in one of the cutters to 

 obtain a station on the north-eastern island, rejoining the 

 boat division by sunset ; where he found us very snugly 

 encamped upon a sandy tongue, on which we spent the 

 night. Whilst our supper, or more properly dinner, was 

 in preparation, I strolled to the^ end of this tongue to 

 view several shoals of fish which were playing in the 

 eddies, wishing much for a net to encircle some for our 

 repast. Hardly had the wish been conceived before'several 

 sharks made a desperate dash amongst them, and in the 

 course of the panic forced several on shore at my feet, the 

 sharks themselves literally grounding. The suddenness 

 of the dash, added to some little fear that I was the ob- 

 ject they aimed at, and their exertions to regain the 

 water, prevented my being so alert as 1 might have 

 been, and but two of the fish were secured for our repast, 

 much to the chagrin of my Sandwich Island attendant, 

 who sprang at the sharks themselves, thinking them bet- 

 ter booty. In the morning we recommenced operations, 



