1846.] THE CARGADOS GARAJOS. 197 



its being erroneously placed on Horsburgh's chart (about 

 thirty miles too far easterly) although his directory gave a 

 longitude nearly approaching to the truth. The ' Tennas- 

 serim, ' steamer, belonging to the East India Company, had 

 been directed to visit the Cargados Garajos in search of 

 the crew, which she found were taken to the Mauritius. 

 The communication of these facts, through the Government 

 of Ceylon, where the * Tennasserim ' had reported herself, 

 caused this enquiry to be made at the instance of the 

 Home Government. 



The Cargados Garajos consist of a coral semilunar 

 bed, extending in the direction of its western horns, 

 about N.N.E. twenty miles, and perpendicular from this 

 chord, curving easterly about nine miles. Off this patch 

 lie five detached islets, named by the latest surveyors, 

 under Capt. W. Owen, Albatross Island, North Island, 

 Siren Island, Pearl Island, and Frigate Island. The 

 whole of these are included upon a general bank of coral 

 sand, which has from thirty to thirty-three fathoms as its 

 outer limit ; the eastern soundings being almost on the 

 face of the reef, very steep to, and decreasing suddenly 

 from thirty fathoms to five : so that even in the finest 

 weather, with a smooth sea, that side of the island should 

 be cautiously approached, or, more correctly, entirely 

 avoided. 



Upon the main coral patch are situated the three islets 

 Etablissement, L'Avocare and Coco, which latter is upon 

 the extreme south. It is possible that these patches were 

 formerly connected by sand banks, or fine coral debris, 

 but the sea appears to have cut channels between them, 

 at the present day, and even to have separated the great 



