EAST-INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 237 



Babuyan Islands. — Horsburgh says (vol. ii. p. 442) coral- 

 reefs line the shores of the harbour in Fuga ; and the charts 

 show there are other reefs about these islands. C ami guin has 

 its shore in parts lined by coral-rock (Horsburgh, p. 443) ; and 

 about a mile offshore the depth is between 30 and 35 fathoms. 

 The plan of Port San Pio Quinto shows that its shores are 

 fringed with coral ; coloured red. — Bashee Islands : Hors- 

 burgh, speaking of the southern part of the group (vol. ii. 

 p. 445), says the shores of both islands are fortified by a reef, 

 and through some of the gaps in it the natives can pass in 

 their boats in fine weather; the bottom near the land is coral- 

 rock. From the published charts, it is evident that several 

 of these islands are regularly fringed ; coloured red. The 

 northern islands are left uncoloured, as I have been unable to 

 find any account of them. — Formosa : the shores, especially 

 the western one, seem composed chiefly of mud and sand, and 

 I cannot make out that they are anywhere lined by reefs, ex- 

 cept in a harbour (Horsburgh, vol. ii. p. 449) at the extreme 

 northern point : hence, of course, the whole of this island is left 

 uncoloured. The small adjoining islands are in the same case. 

 — Patchow, or Madjiko-sima Groups : Patchuson : Captain 

 Broughton says (Voyage to the N. Pacific, p. 191) that boats, 

 with some difficulty, can pass through the coral-reefs, which 

 extend along the coast, nearly half a mile off it. His boats were 

 well sheltered within the reef; but it does not appear that the 

 water is deep there. Outside the reef the depth is very irregu- 

 lar, varying from 5 to 50 fathoms ; the form of the land is not 

 very abrupt ; coloured red. — Taypin-san : from the descrip- 

 tion given by the same author (p. 195) it appears that a 

 very irregular reef extends from the southern island to the 

 distance of several miles ; but whether it encircles a space of 

 deep water is not evident ; nor, indeed, whether these outly- 

 ing reefs are connected with those more immediately adjoining 

 the land ; left uncoloured. I may here add that the shore of 

 Kumi (lying west of Patchow) has a narrow reef attached to 



