366 S O O L O O. 



hended from them. To conclude, I am satisfied that under ordinary 

 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 morning 

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

 The 19th, until late in the afternoon, we were in the Singapore 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 ihe 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 

 numbers prior to its announcement. Necker Island is apparently a 

 mass of volcanic rocks, about three hundred feet high, and is destitute 



