SOOLOO. 331 



hundred inhabit it. The name of Moor is given by the Spaniards to 

 all those who profess the Mohammedan religion, and by such all the 

 islands to the west of Mindanao, and known under the name of the 

 Sooloo Archipelago, are inhabited. 



The day we spent at Caldera was employed in surveying the bay, 

 and in obtaining observations for its geographical position, and for 

 magnetism. The flood tide sets to the northward and westward, 

 through the straits, and the ebb to the eastward. In the bay we found 

 it to run two miles an hour by the log, but it must be much more rapid 

 in the straits. 



At daylight on the 1st of February, we got under way to stand 

 over for the Sangboys, a small island with two sharp hills on it. One 

 and a half miles from the bay we passed over a bank, the least water 

 on which was ten fathoms on a sandy bottom, and on which a vessel 

 might anchor. The wind shortly after failed us, and we drifted with 

 the tide for some hours, in full view of the island of Mindanao, which 

 is bold and picturesque. We had thus a good opportunity of mea- 

 suring some of its mountain ranges, which we made about three thou- 

 sand feet high. 



In the afternoon, a light breeze came from the southwest, and before 

 sunset I found that we were again on soundings. As soon as we had 

 a cast of twenty fathoms, I anchored for the night, judging it much 

 better than to be drifting about without any knowledge of the locality 

 and currents to which we were subjected. 



On the morning of the 2d, we got under way to proceed to the 

 westward. As the bottom was unequal, I determined to pass through 

 the broadest channel, although it had the appearance of being the 

 shoalest, and sent two boats ahead to sound. In this way we passed 

 through, continuing our surveying operations, and at the same time 

 made an attempt to dredge ; but the ground was too uneven for the 

 latter purpose, and little of value was obtained. 



Shortly after passing the Sangboys, we had the island of Sooloo in 

 sight, for which I now steered direct. At sunset we found ourselves 

 within five or six miles of Soung Harbour; but there was not sufficient 

 light to risk the dangers that might be in our course, nor wind enough 

 to command the ship; and having no bottom where we were, I deter- 

 mined again to run out to sea, and anchor on the first bank I should 

 meet. At half-past eight o'clock, we struck sounding in twenty-six 

 fathoms, and anchored. 



At daylight we determined our position by angles, and found it to 

 correspond with part of the route we had passed over the day before, 

 and that we were about fifteen miles from the large island of Sooloo. 



