IN THE WAKE OF THE “ CHALLENGER.' 
23 
fathoms. This mainly agreed with results obtained by Com- 
mander Chimmo, tending to prove that the China Sea is cut off 
from the Antarctic basin by a submarine rampart, the top of 
which is between 800 and 900 fathoms beneath the surface. 
The news which the Challenger brought, that Prince Alfonso 
had been chosen king by the Spanish people, created but little 
interest at Manila, the form of Government being indifferent to 
the officials there so long as they were allowed to retain their 
posts. On the 1 1th the ship left Manila, and after passing through 
the San Bernardino Strait, and the narrows among the islands, 
anchored off the island of Zebn on the 18th. This was chosen 
as a halting-place in order that specimens of the lovely Eujplec- 
tella might be obtained. These sponges, called “ regarderas ” by 
the Spaniards, seem to be very local, being all obtained from one 
spot off the island of Mactan, close to Zebu. They are found 
at a depth of 100 fathoms, and are fished for by the natives by 
means of a most ingenious kind of dredge made of two slips of 
bamboo meeting at an angle and armed with large hooks, which 
is dragged slowly over the mud. The investing layer of sarcode 
was not so thick as would be expected, scarcely masking the form 
of the delicate architecture of the spicules, being thus not nearly 
so spongy as another species of the same genus dredged off the 
coast of Portugal.* Coal is found in Zebu, and, if labour could 
be found, would supply the whole Archipelago. On the 25th 
the volcanic island of Camiguin was visited, the capital of 
which, Catarman, was entirely destroyed by a volcano which 
sprung up close to it on May 1, 1871. Since then the earth- 
quakes, which were once frequent, have ceased, and the mountain 
has increased to a height of 2,000 feet. A sounding was ob- 
tained close to the island in 185 fathoms, and the bottom tem- 
perature obtained- — 5 7° — shows that the volcano did not affect 
the temperature of the sea. On Feb. 22 the Challenger , 
having, after leaving Zebu, coaled at Malinipa Island, an- 
chored in Humboldt Bay,f New Guinea. “ That there is a great 
future for this vast island,” well observes Capt. Davis, “there can 
be no doubt, situated as it is so near our own colonies in Aus- 
tralia, and producing so much ; for that this country, with its 
accessible sea coast, should remain unproductive, as far as the 
great family of man is concerned, and entirely closed to com- 
merce, is an anomaly in this nineteenth century that cannot 
well be understood.” { No exploration was made of any part of 
New Guinea, because of the doubtful attitude of the inhabitants. 
* “Geographical Magazine,” Dec. 1875, p. 359; and a letter in the 
u Times ” of April 30, 1875. 
t Visited by Capt. D’Urville, in the Astrolabe, in 1827. 
X “ Geographical Magazine,” loc. cit. 
