MANILLA AND S L SEA. 



3.31 



offers safe anchorage. There are several routes towards Manilla, which 

 have been pointed out by Horsburgh, whose directions to avoid the 

 numerous shoals in the China Seas, when passing from the west to the 

 east, should be followed, viz. : to keep to the north of 12° 30' north lati- 

 tude, on which parallel the most " northern danger'' is situated. This 

 the winds will generally permit from Pula Sapata. It is better to 

 make Point Caponi on the coast of Luzon, than Cabras or Goat Island, 

 particularly during the pendency of the northeast monsoon, whence a 

 course may be shaped for Point Hornos and Miraviles ; when up with 

 the former, the Island of Corregidor, which lies at the entrance of 

 Manilla Bay, will be seen. From Point Caponi the wind will gene- 

 rally draw off the land ; and although it is not advisable to keep too 

 close, on account of the outlying rocks, yet it is better to hug the land, 

 and if at night, it would be well to guard against the southerly current, 

 which sets off this point with some rapidity. During the northeast mon- 

 soon, the wind blows often very strong out of the Bay of Manilla. As 

 the bay is approached, the breeze will often be found to draw off the land; 

 the north shore should be hugged, as it will aid a vessel in beating up ; 

 and oftentimes an eddy wind prevails under the highland. To the 

 west of the Island of Corregidor, two and a half miles, lies the Morja 

 or Nun Rock : it is nearly the same distance off the Cochinos. These 

 latter lie off the southwestern point of the port of Miraviles. This 

 port is li miles deep and 1 mile wide. It is quite safe, and is seldom 

 affected by any sea, being exposed only to the southeast. The anchor- 

 age is in 15 fathoms, towards the head of the bay. Good wood and 

 water can be easily obtained. In entering the Bay of Manilla, a 

 vessel may pass either side of the Island of Corregidor ; the channel 

 on the north is usually preferred, and it is the best, though there is 

 more room for a vessel to beat up in the south channel, between the 

 Cavallo and the Friar Rocks or Islets, which are distant from each 

 other 4 miles, on a south quarter east bearing. When passing through 

 the north channel, the shore may be closely approached on either 

 side, as the water is upwards of 25 fathoms deep close to the shores. 

 The anchorage off the city of Manilla lies 25 miles northeast-by- 

 east from the Island of Corregidor. The sailing directions are 

 simply to keep the Nun Rock open with the Corregidor, until the 

 fortress or steeple of Cavite bears east; the St. Nicholas Shoal will 

 then have been passed, the only one which exists in this extensive 

 bay. It would be very desirable to have the point of this danger 

 buoyed. In beating up, I felt this omission : it prevented my ap- 



