656 
THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
authorities were daily expecting the arrival of a transport, and the ship remained at 
Samboangan waiting for her, but on the 3rd February, seeing no signs of her approach, 
the Spanish Governor very kindly allowed the vessel to proceed to Port Isabella, in 
Basilan Island, and fill the bunkers from the stock of coal there remaining. This was 
the more obliging on the part of the Governor, since they had but 200 tons remaining at 
that time, and the Challenger required half that quantity. 
The ship left Samboangan at 8 a.m. on the 3rd February, and steered to the westward 
until Point Caldera bore north, when the course was altered for Malamaui Island. In 
crossing the strait, soundings were struck on a small coral patch of 10 fathoms, with 
the right extremity of Malamaui (the S.W. part), in line with a flat-topped hill on 
Basilan Island, S. 8° E., north point of Basilan Island S. 72° E., the summit of Lampi- 
nigan Island S. 22° W., and the right extremity of Santa Cruz Island N. 66° E. It will 
be seen that these bearings, plotted on Admiralty chart 961, do not agree in fixing the 
position of this patch of 10 fathoms, nor in fact have any of the bearings coincided in 
one point when plotted on this sheet ; the whole place certainly requires re-surveying. 
At 11 a.m. the vessel rounded the southwest point of Malamaui Island and was steered 
as necessary into Port Isabella, passing north of the island at the entrance. Being 
provided with a Spanish chart of the port, there was no difficulty in piloting the ship 
by it, especially as there were beacons on most of the dangers. These beacons consisted 
of a stake with a ball on the top, the balls being coloured black on the Malamaui side of 
the channel and white on the Basilan side. The coral and sand reef on the southeast 
side of Mow Island is very conspicuous ; part of the sand is always above water, and 
mangrove bushes are beginning to grow there. 
The ship steamed up to the coaling wharf, which projects from Malamaui Island 
opposite the town of Isabella, and letting go an off anchor, was hauled alongside. The 
wharf was merely a rough wooden jetty, with a depth of 3 fathoms at its outer extremity, 
and so slightly built that even small vessels could not lash alongside, but were com- 
pelled to use off anchors, both ahead and astern ; nor were there any anchors, or posts, 
on shore to which hawsers could be secured ; in fact it was difficult to find any stable 
thing to which attachments could be made. There were, however, a number of large flat 
stones in the vicinity, and by backing one of these stones with another, it was managed, 
with some little difficulty, to secure the ship properly. The stock of coal was completed 
by 11 a.m. on the 4th February, and at 2 p.m. the ship left for Samboangan, anchoring 
there at 7 p.m. 
From a table of tides for Port Isabella kindly lent by the Spanish authorities, it appears 
to be high water at full and change at 9 h 15 m . Spring tides rise 4 feet ; age of the tide 
twenty-four hours. The flood stream comes from the N.E., the ebb runs N.E. Its 
velocity is said to be sometimes very considerable, but whilst lying alongside the pier it 
did not exceed 1-| miles per hour. 
