266 SAN FRANCISCO TO MANILLA. 



Flying-Fish made the signal " in want of assistance;" and 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 with 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 



