324 
SOOLOO. 
if thrown up in confused masses: it is not much settled, as the more 
southern islands are preferred to it as a residence. 
On the 23d, we ascertained the elevation of the highest peak of the 
island by triangulation to be three thousand one hundred and twenty- 
six feet. The easternmost island of the Palawan Group, Busvagan, 
was at the time just in sight from the deck, to the southwest. 
It had been my intention to anchor at Ambolou Island; but the wind 
died away before we reached it, and I determined to stand off and on 
all night. 
On the 24th, I began to experience the truth of what Captain 
Halcon had asserted, namely, that the existing charts were entirely 
worthless, and I also found that my native pilot was of no more value 
than they were: he had evidently passed the place before; but whe¬ 
ther the size of the vessel, so much greater than any he had sailed in, 
confused him, or whether it was from his inability to understand and 
to make himself understood by us, he was of no use whatever, and we 
had the misfortune of running into shoal water, barely escaping the 
bottom. These dangers were usually quickly passed, and we soon 
found ourselves again floating in thirty or forty fathoms water. 
We continued beating to windward, in hopes of being joined by 
the Flying-Fish, and I resolved to finish the survey towards the island 
of Semarara. We found every thing in a different position from that 
assigned it by any of the charts with which we were furnished. On 
this subject, however, I shall not dwell, but refer those who desire 
particular information to the charts and Hydrographical Memoir. 
Towards evening, I again ran down to the southwest point of the 
island of Mindoro, and sent a letter on shore to the pueblo, with 
directions to have it put on board the tender, when she should arrive. 
We then began to beat round Semarara, in order to pass over towards 
Panay. 
The southern part of Mindoro is much higher than the northern, but 
appears to be equally rough. It is, however, susceptible of cultivation, 
and there are many villages along its shores. 
Semarara is moderately high, and about fifteen miles in circumfe¬ 
rence ; it is inhabited, and like Mindoro much wooded. According to 
the native pilot, its shores are free from shoals. It was not until the next 
day that we succeeded in reaching Panay. I determined to pass the 
night off Point Potol, the north end of Panay, as I believed the sea in 
its neighbourhood to be free of shoals, and wished to resume our 
running survey early in the morning. 
At daylight on the 27th we continued the survey down the coast of 
Panay, and succeeded in correcting many errors in the existing charts 
