NORTH PACIFIC ISLANDS. 



287 



ABAJOS ISLAND OR SHOAL. 



The Abajos Island or Shoal is reported to lie about 3° to the west- 

 ward of Copper Island, and some 20 miles to the southward of it. 

 Although represented to be some distance apart, I thought it very pro- 

 bable they might be identical ; its locality was therefore passed over, 

 to make it certain that it did not exist there. It is difficult to con- 

 ceive how so many of these islands and shoals should be reported to 

 exist, in latitudes where the appearance of land must be always dis- 

 tinct, and the discovery of an island so remarkable an event that it 

 could not be mistaken. 



SABTANG, BAT AN, AND RICHMOND ROCKS, IN THE STRAITS OF BALINTANG. 



We passed through these straits, between the islands of Sabtang and 

 Batan on the north, and the Richmond Rocks on the south. The 

 islands are all high, and that of Sabtang has many remarkable peaks, 

 rising between 900 and 1200 feet above the level of the sea. On 

 the meridian of the west point of Sabtang we made the longitude 

 121° 50' 11" east. The transit bearing of Sabtang and the northwest 

 point of Batan was north 18° east, that of the east point of Sabtang 

 and Richmond Rocks, north 35° west. The latitude was found to be 

 28° 18' north, being situated 9' farther to the north than was given. 

 The course steered through these straits was west-by-south. Strong 

 currents prevailed, and many ripples were seen. The current was 

 found to set to the northward and westward. 



