PHYSIOGRAPHY OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 15 



found at lower levels. At a subsequent period a partial elevation took 

 place in which Panay and Masbate may again have been connected, but 

 the northern shore of Masbate, between Ports Palanoc and Barrera,. 

 does not seem to have taken part in this. Later still some small depres- 

 sion seems to have taken place. 



RELATIONS OF MASBATE AND NEIGHBORING ISLANDS. 



In the preceding pages I have tried to show that the principal features 

 of the topograhpy of the island are referable to two main sets of linea- 

 ments, one trending in a northwesterly and the other in a northeasterly 

 direction, with a third minor set having a northerly trend. A glance 

 at a map of the Visayan Islands will show that this holds good in a 

 general way for the neighboring islands as well. Surigao Peninsula 

 of Mindanao, Leyte, Samar, eastern Masbate, Ticao, Burias, and the 

 southern part of Luzon belong to the northwesterly group. The north- 

 easterly series includes Cebu, ISTegros, Guimaras, eastern Panay, and 

 western Masbate. Western Panay and Tablas, with possibly northern 

 Cebu and southern ISTegros, show the northerly trend. 



Throughout all these islands there is a curious dovetailing of the 

 land areas with the deeper basins. This is particularly noticeable around 

 Masbate. The southeastern point of this island is separated from Leyte 

 by a deep channel, the soundings giving 150 meters without bottom. 

 Between Samar and Luzon lies the northeasterly San Bernardino Strait. 

 Ticao is connected with Vigia Point in Masbate by a chain of small 

 islands with shoal water between them, but to the northwest the island 

 ends abruptly in water over 180 meters deep. Between Ticao and Mas- 

 bate the soundings show a maximum depth of 911 meters, but this deep 

 water ends abruptly in Uson and Naro Bays on Masbate. The Island 

 of Burias, instead of being a continuation of Masbate or Ticao, points 

 toward this deep strait. Similarly, its northwestern end is oifset to 

 the west from Batangas Peninsula and points into Eagay Gulf. 



Much the same conditions exist in regard to the islands showing a 

 northeasterly trend, Cebu, ISTegros, Guimaras, eastern Panay, and western 

 Masbate. These lie to the southwest of the northwesterly series, but the 

 northeast influence is shown in San Bernardino Strait and Sorsogon Bay 

 on Luzon. Northern Cebu, southern ISTegros, and the southern part of 

 Taiion Strait all show northerly trends. Between Cebu and E"egros, 

 Taiion Strait has a depth of over 200 meters, but is cut ofl! on the 

 north by the small islands west of Cebu and on the south by the coast 

 of ISTegros. Southern Negros seems to follow the northerly series of linea- 

 ments, but the island as a whole has a northeasterly trend. Guimaras 

 Strait is between northern Negros and Panay, this does not show sound- 

 ings exceeding 25 meters, but a deep northeasterly embayment west of 



