Aug.] 



ST. JOSEPH'S — ISLAND OF GUAM. 



419 



neo, in the port of St. Joseph, in four fathoms of water, clay bottom ; 

 and on the following day we commenced building a whale-boat, thirty- 

 five feet in length and eight feet wide, which we completed on Thurs- 

 day, the 29th. 



This basin is one of the safest places for a ship to lie in to refit 

 that there is in the known world. The entrance, which is formed by 

 two bluff points, is not more than one cable's length wide, with five 

 fathoms of water in the passage ; but after passing within these two 

 points, a scene suddenly opens upon the view, with a very imposing 

 effect. The stranger finds himself in a beautiful smooth basin, the 

 shape of which is an exact circle, of one mile in diameter, containing 

 from three to seven fathoms of water in every part of it ; and in many 

 places the water is bold close to the beach. A small river and several 

 brooks run into this harbour from the adjacent mountains, and supply 

 the town with excellent water. 



The town itself is built on a winding peninsula, the extremity of 

 which forms the south point of the bay ; and on the most elevated 

 part of the latter is a fort, mounting six eighteen-pounders, which com- 

 pletely commands the entrance of the harbour. Next to this fortress is 

 a church, and a little farther up the peninsula stands the town of St. 

 Joseph, fronting the harbour, and containing about two hundred houses, 

 and eight hundred inhabitants, who are governed by the laws of Ma- 

 nilla. The houses are all built of bamboos, and thatched with a kind 

 of strong coarse grass that is common to the country. This town or 

 village is almost entirely shaded with cocoanut and other fruit trees, 

 which render the walks delightfully pleasant, and gives to the whole 

 prospect a beautiful and picturesque appearance. The surrounding 

 country is admirably diversified with hills, valleys, forests, and grazing 

 plains. Tobacco and hemp are cultivated here in considerable quan- 

 tities, and shipped to the Manilla market. Refreshments of all kinds 

 may be had at this port at the shortest notice, and on liberal terms. 

 The inhabitants of both sexes, like those of Manilla, are much ad- 

 dicted to the barbarous amusement of cock-fighting, and make heavy 

 bets on the result of the battle. 



July 29th. — On Thursday, the 29th, at 11, A. M., w r e got under way, 

 and steered towards the eastern entrance of the strait, with a fine 

 breeze from east-south-east, and fair weather. On Saturday, the 31st, 

 we once more found ourselves clear of the Philippines ; and at 7, A. 

 M., we took our departure from Cape Espiritu Santo, bearing west- 

 south-west, distant ten leagues, with a fine breeze from north-by-east, 

 and fair weather. We continued making the best of our way to the 

 eastward, taking advantage of the winds, which frequently hauled from 

 north-north-east to east, and back again. This gave us a very good 

 chance for making easting, which we did not fail to improve. 



August \2th. — On Thursday, the 12th of August, at 6, A.M., we 

 were close in with the west side of the island of Guam, which is the 

 principal of a group called the Ladrone Islands, situated in the North 

 Pacific Ocean, between the eleventh and twenty eighth degrees of 

 north latitude, and about 140° east longitude. Their number has been 



Dd2 



