S O O L O O. 389 



circumstances, to pass through the Sooloo Sea will shorten by several 

 days the passage to Manilla or Canton, and be a great saving of 

 expense in the wear and tear of a ship and her canvass. 



On the 13th, we passed near the location of the Viper Shoal, but saw 

 nothing of it. It is, therefore, marked doubtful on the chart. As I 

 had but little time to spare, the look-outs were doubled, and we pur- 

 sued our course throughout the night, sounding as we went every 

 fifteen minutes; but nothing met our view. 



On the 14th, although we had the northeast monsoon blowing fresh, 

 we experienced a current of twenty-two miles setting to the north. 

 This was an unexpected result, as the currents are usually supposed 

 to prevail in the direction of the monsoon. On the 15th, we still 

 experienced it, though not over fifteen miles. On the 16th, we found 

 it setting west, and as we approached the Malayan Peninsula it was 

 found to be running southwest. 



On the 18th, we made Pulo Aor and Pulo Pedang, and arriving off 

 the Straits of Singapore I hove-to, to await daylight. In the morn- 

 ing at dawn, we found ourselves in close company with a Chinese 

 junk. The 19th, until late in the afternoon, we were in the Singa- 

 pore Straits, making but slow progress towards this emporium of the 

 East. The number of native as well as foreign vessels which we 

 passed, proved that we were approaching some great mart, and at 

 5 p. m. we dropped our anchor in Singapore Roads. Here we found 

 the Porpoise, Oregon, and Flying-Fish, all well : the two former 

 had arrived on the 22d of January, nearly a month before, and the 

 latter three days previously. Before concluding this chapter, I shall 

 revert to their proceedings since our separation off the Sandwich 

 Islands. 



The instructions to the brigs have been heretofore given ; but it 

 may not be amiss to repeat here that the object in detaching them 

 was, that they might explore the line of reefs and islands known to 

 exist to the northward and westward of the Hawaiian Group, and 

 thence continue their course towards the coast of Japan. Had they 

 effected the latter object, it would have given important results in 

 relation to the force of the currents, and the temperature of the water. 

 It was desirable, if possible, to ascertain with certainty the existence 

 on the coast of Japan of a current similar to the Gulf Stream, to 

 which my attention had been particularly drawn. 



The first land they made was on the 1st of December, 1841, and was 

 Necker Island. Birds, especially the white tern, had been seen in 



vol. v. 98 



