266 
SAN FRANCISCO TO MANILLA. 
Flying-Fish made the signal “ in want of assistanceand on coming 
within hail, reported that her mainmast was sprung. Carpenters were 
at once sent on board, who reported that the mast was quite sound: 
the vessels were reduced to easy sail for the night in order to keep 
in company, as I intended in the morning, when the sea should have 
decreased, to have a farther examination of it. 
I had now the prospect of another obstacle, in the delays this 
vessel must occasion me with a sprung mast, if such should prove to 
be the case, which I could, however, scarcely bring myself to believe. 
In order to secure an examination of the Sooloo Sea, which was a part 
of my original instructions, I determined to give Mr. Knox orders to 
act by himself, in case I found it necessary to push at once to Manilla 
and avoid detention, directing him to touch at Strong’s and Ascension 
Islands, and to part company if she proved to be sound in her spars 
after a few days’ trial, which the sea and wind then prevailing would 
fully prove. As soon as I came to this conclusion, Mr. Knox was 
sent for, Assistant-Surgeon Whittle, a carpenter, and two extra men 
ordered to join the tender, and my instructions relative to his pro¬ 
ceedings, which will be found in Appendix XL, fully explained to him. 
On the 30th, we parted company with her, being in the latitude of 
Maloon’s Island, and one hundred and ten miles due east of it: I 
steered a west course through the night under easy sail. At daylight 
sail was again made, and by noon we found the ship, by good obser¬ 
vations, in latitude 19° 19' N., longitude 165° 25' W. The supposed 
position of the island being in latitude 19° 20' N., and longitude 165° 
20' W., we had consequently passed directly over the place, with the 
weather so clear as to render all objects within a radius of fifteen miles 
perfectly distinct, and w 7 ith two look-outs at the masthead, yet no signs 
of land were visible. I continued in its latitude until we had passed 
seventy miles to the westward, when we steered for another island, 
laid down in Arrowsmith’s charts in longitude 166° 48' W., and lati¬ 
tude 19° 17' N. On its parallel, we ran for sixty miles east and west 
of the assigned place; but in like manner, there was nothing perceived 
that indicated any proximity to land. 
On the 3d of December, we ran over the locality of a shoal, lying in 
170° 30' W., and latitude 18° 20' N. This was likewise searched for, 
over a space of sixty miles east and west of its supposed locality. 
Jane’s Island, supposed to be in longitude 173° 15' W., latitude 16° 
10' N., was next searched for. In doing this, I was greatly surprised 
to find that we had entered a strong current setting to the northward 
and westward. Our difference of latitude showed 24', and we were 
at once compelled to haul up to the southward, to reach the supposed 
