6 SUMMARY OF THE VOYAGE OF THE SULPHUR. 



the Tonga group ; and on the 28th May she anchored at Ambow, one of the Feejee 

 islands, situated in 18° 10' S. lat. These islands are nearly as little known as any spot 

 we had visited ; but the situation of the anchorage to the land, and the character of the 

 population, very seriously contracted our inquiries. Thence we proceeded to Tanna, 

 one of the New Hebrides, and subsequently to Carteret's Harbour, New Ireland, in 4° 41' 

 S. lat. Among heavy tropic rains, almost incessant, we saw enough of the latter to give 

 much encouragement to future naturalists ; and not the least interesting circumstance 

 was the appearance of strong indications of Asiatic productions. 



The northern shore of New Guinea was deliberately traversed, and altogether several 

 weeks were spent in the vicinity of this fine island. The coast is not everywhere acces- 

 sible, and we saw comparatively little of the terrestrial productions; but the shallow 

 water, which extends far from land, was closely searched by the dredge and trawl. 

 Passing through Dampier's Straits, the vessel hastened to the Moluccas, touching at 

 Bouro, and subsequently at Amboina, on the 3d September, situated in 3° 41' S. lat. 



On the 16th, the Moluccas were finally quitted, and crossing the Indian Ocean, a 

 nasty visit was made to Great Solombo, where wild cattle were noticed, and thence we 

 proceeded to Macassar. The Straits, so called, offer facilities for dredging ; but the 

 produce was chiefly molluscous animals, owing probably to the coral and gravelly floor. 

 A hasty view was obtained of Pulo Kumpal, on the extreme of Borneo, and the vessel 

 finally arrived at Singapore on the 16th October. 



The vessel now retraced her steps, orders being received at Singapore to proceed 

 to China. In a few days we were in the China Sea, tantalized by calms, and with 

 little occupation beyond dredging. Manila was visited for a few days ; and early in 

 December, the Sulphur became one of the China squadron. The war was not prose- 

 cuted so actively as to leave no time for natural history, and the circumnavigation of 

 Hong-Kong gave us an insight into its productions. 



The Sulphur quitted China for England, on the 21st November, 1841 ; revisited 

 Singapore, and touched at Pinang, Acheen, and Point de Galle in Ceylon. She quitted 

 the latter place on the 27th January, 1842, and, on the 18th February, arrived at Port 

 Victoria, Seychelles, in 4° 36' S. lat. On the 24th she was again underweigh for Ma- 

 dagascar ; and, on the 9th March, dropped anchor in Majambo Bay, in 15° 14' S. lat. 

 Six days were here devoted to the observations. The Cape of Good Hope, St. Helena, 

 and Ascension were successively visited. Cape Blanco, on the African coast, was 

 approached, and the dredge used with much success; and the Sulphur finally arrived at 

 Spithead on the 19th July. 



R. B. H. 



