We are, therefore, warranted to consider the Polynesian nation, scattered as it has been for untold ages over the multitude of the isles of the vast Pacific Ocean, as one of the most ancient and unmixed divisions of the family of man; and there is reason to believe that the inquiries of the future literati of Australia will one day be directed with intense interest to the investigation of this very interesting subject. I am happy, accordingly, to inform the Society, in conclusion, that provision has long since been made for the prosecution of such inquiries in this colony; for a near relative of mine the late Mr. John Hunter Baillie, who died in this city fifteen years since, left the whole of his property, probably amounting to not less than ten thousand pounds, for the endowment of two professorships in the forthcoming Presbyterian College, one of which is for the Oriental and Polynesian languages.

I propose to follow up this lecture, if the Society shall approve, with a second, demonstrating, as I conceive I shall be able to do to the satisfaction of all intelligent and candid persons, that it was the Polynesian race who first discovered and progressively settled the vast continent of America. It would have been impracticable, however, to have made that demonstration either intelligible or satisfactory, without the previous disquisitions of the present lecture.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SHORES OF THE STRAIT OF SAN BERNADINO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

[Translated from the Anuario de la Direccion de Hydrografia, Ano VII., Madrid, for 1869.]

CONTINUATION OF THE PORT OF SORSOGON.

(Continued from page 598, Vol. XXXVIII.)

Island Burungburungang.—About one third up this strait is the low islet of Burungburungang, and extending N. and S., inclining about half a point to the N.W. and forming, with the above said coast, a very narrow channel, but in which there is a depth of twenty-five to thirty fathoms, coral bottom; and the coast makes a small elbow, one part continuing N.E. and S. W., and the other N.W. and S.E.

In the middle of this islet there is an extensive bay, although difficult to enter.

The highest part of this islet is that to the south, both ends of it have their reefs projecting a little, and formed of loose stones.

Rips in the channel between Luzon and islet Burungburungang.— With wind and tide opposed there is a considerable break in the mouth of this channel, although it becomes less where it is wider, and again is heavy where it narrows. Near the reefs of the Luzon shore it is also met with, and leaving one of these passes between it and the shore, soon a reef is found continuing as far as the bay of Magnoe.

Proceeding from the end of it to the S.W. leads to the middle of a beach west of the bay of Culasi; and on this course twenty-five, twenty-eight, thirty, sixteen, and eleven fathoms are found on a bottom of muddy sand: the last eleven fathoms is near the beach.

Bay of Culasi. This bay is formed by point Culasi, and the headland of the northern part of point Babatgun. In the midst of it on the west it has a small mouth, the point of which has a bank of sand coral.

The edge of this bank and the north point leaves a very narrow channel which leads to a spacious basin sheltered from all winds. This channel at high water has but one fathom in it, but inside the depth increases. The shore of it is nearly every where formed of mangroves, and the rest of mud, somewhat stiff, covered with fine sand.

Bay between point Culasi and the headland of Babatgun.-The bay formed by point Culasi and the headland of Babatgun (which is the southernmost point of Luzon) will receive vessels of any size. It has shelter from all winds excepting those from S.S.E. and S.E., but something more open to the eastward. From this quarter it is sheltered by the island of Calitan. To the north and N.E. it is also protected by the islands Juac, Ticlin, and Burungburungang, which are close by it.

Winds which are inconvenient in this bay. The bay is sheltered from north by the west, round to south by the coast of Luzon that forms it, and the winds from S.S.E. to S.E. by E. are all to which it is exposed.

Points Silanga aud Subie.-Point Silanga and another to the east, called Subie form a sheltered port in an elbow in the coast to the south of isle Juac, the second of the Ticlines.

Port formed by these points.-Although this port is well sheltered, yet the narrowness of its mouth and small depth renders it only fit for small craft.

Isle Juac.-In the elbow of isle Juac on the northern beach of this port there is a little shallow bay which communicates with an estuary so large (although not deep) that it occupies nearly all the N.W. part of the island.

Rocks off this island. The northern end of this island (E.N.E. and W.S.W.) has a reef of rocks off it which continues round its western part, reaching almost its eastern side; and this again has another which follows the outline of its coast.

Isles Calintan and Juac.-These islands of the Ticlines are mountainous and abound with guano. The channel which they form with the eastern part of Burungburungang is both wide and deep enough for any vessel to pass through, as long as she has sufficient wind and

can stem the current.

Bay of Calintan island.—Calintan island has a rock on its eastern side which is so much detached from it, as apparently to leave a channel. At its southern end it has a little bay about a cable and a half wide, but not deep: the shoal outside of it is of the same character nearly as the rest on these coasts, sandy and rocky and at two-thirds of a cable from the shore there are three fathoms.

:

Ticlin island. This which is the northernmost of these islands has good anchorage off its S. W. shore, about two cables. At its southern point it has a shoal which extends out S.E., and as its neighbouring isle, Juac, has another extending in the contrary direction, they leave but a small channel between them, but which is used by the trading craft of the country.

Bay of Magnoe.-Continuing through the strait of Ticlines, near the coast of Luzon, we come to the bay of Magnoe, but in order to enter we cannot at once double point Carangan which is its southern extreme, for it is necessary to continue ahout two-thirds of a mile to the N.E. to avoid a rocky shoal which at low water has no more than two feet of water on it.

The bay is not large, but may afford anchorage to any vessel, whether the weather may be fine or blowing between north and S.S.W.; but to all other winds she would be exposed and subject to a considerable swell.

Town of Magnoe.—The town is very small and poor. To the northward it has a river and may afford water and a few provisions.

Point Padan. Having passed point Padan, which is next to the E.N.E. from the north point of the bay of Magnoe, there is neither bay nor place for anchorage as far as that of Albay. The whole coast is composed of ravines with rocky terminations or sandy beaches, and although off these the ground may be clean, at some distance there is a rocky ridge which extends from Point Padan as far as the shoals of Montufar, leaving only some few breaks or cuts which the pilots, who know them, pass through in their small craft for Bulusam, or for any other part of the coast, inside the ridge.

Islet of San Bernandino.—The islet of San Bernandino is in latitude 12° 46′ 22′′ N., and east of Manila 3° 20′ 20′′; it has a rocky shoal to the N.N.E. not far off. It is covered with trees, many of them being ebano (ebony) of a good quality.

Baliquatro isles.-The Baliquatro isles are various and form channels. with isle Tamar: between them there are some channels which vessels may use but as they are not yet well known and narrow, much care is required when using them. There is good anchorage in their vicinity.

Bay of Baliquatro.-The bay of Baliquatro is no desirable anchorage and should only be taken in case of necessity, for it is very deep and with a steep shore, besides having a rocky bottom here and there.

Continuing from point Balienatro to the southward, along the west shore of the isle Tamar, several high points are found with rocky boulders at their base extending out considerably seaward.

Point Lepata and Quinibaran.—Between points Lepata and Quinibaran there is a bay which, although having little depth, affords good anchorage, particularly in the season of the N.E. winds, and although at a good distance from it, large rocks are scattered over the sandy bottom, yet when nearer the coast these are not so numerous, and the ground is much cleaner. In the interior of the bay there is a rivulet from which a vessel may complete her water.

The River Mobo.-About S.E. from point Quinabararan, a mile and a quarter, is the river Mobo; formed by the waters of a beautiful cascade in the ravine of two very high mountains. Its banks are covered with trees and Nipa, and its course is about E.N.E. with some reaches more easterly, so that from this cascade the mouth of the river is not seen. Its extent would be about one-third of a mile, and its breadth diminishes to the inside, where it is about twenty fathoms In the middle of it the depth is about ten fathoms sand, and a launch might go up to the foot of the cascade and fill her casks. Indeed, vessels of any draft might enter this river but for the mouth, which is so narrow that from point to point is only a cable across. Then again, there is unfortunately a reef of rocks that extends northward from the south, and which reduces the entrance to some fifteen fathoms, in which contracted space not more than two fathoms are found at low water.

across.

The shores of isle Samar at this part are formed by the accessories of a chain of high mountains covered with trees, the dark green verdure of which presents a rather gloomy aspect. These shores are sandy and rocky, and the mangroves of it extend to the sea. Navigating about half a mile from it seven and eight fathoms are found on ground of the same nature.

Little port of Canaguaion.-About four miles S.S.E. of the river Mobo is the little port of Canaguaion. It may be used by any vessel in case of necessity, either for shelter from an enemy or to avoid the effects of a gale, especially should this threaten from the N.E. or S.E. quarters. It is formed by a bend in the coast and two islets in its mouth that leaves two narrow channels for entering and leaving.

These channels are tolerably deep with good ground, and the same are found in the middle of the port: yet the space for anchorage in them is very limited, and it will be found that the anchorage is between the islets and the coast of Samar, or in the vicinity of the Samar coast at a cable west from it, and a quarter of a cable north of the river. Beyond this and standing off N.W. or W.N.W. it is necessary to be careful of rocks and shoals.

The large mouth which is to the west is from one and a half to two cables wide. In that part corresponding to the coast of Samar and opposite to the first small islet there is a stream from which good water may be had.

Isle Dalumpiry.-The island Dalumpiry (commonly called isle Puercos) has no residents, it is low, covered with trees and surrounded by a sandy shore, scattered over with rocks. There is anchorage on all sides of it, but it is somewhat steep and of that nature of ground with more or less rock in it. The island in its widest part is about a league across, and seems to have plenty of animals, and especially the mountain hog.

In the middle of this island there is a large lagoon abounding with alligators. On this beach good water is found by forming wells, and in the southern part is a rocky flat extending to the S. E. for above a mile, with five, six, eight, and ten fathoms on it, and at this distance there is twenty fathoms.

The channel between this island and Samar is two or three miles across and very deep.

Isle Capul. This island is larger than that of Dalumpiry, and higher also, particularly to the west of the town of Abai, which is a third part of its length north and south on its eastern side.

The shores of the sea about here are sandy, but all the rest of the island has an irregular shore with rocky breaks, and it is every where so steep that no vessel should attempt to anchor any where off it, unless obliged to do so.

Bay of Capul and the only anchorage off this island. In the southern extreme there is a little bay with a sandy beach, which seems to offer the only anchorage a vessel can take with safety.

This bay is easy to know coming from west or east, because this part of it is bounded by a higher rocky shore, and has a pyramidical or needle rock which is very conspicuous.

The Diamond rock.-About S.E. of this little bay, two miles long, is a rocky shoal, which has derived its name from the ship San Josef, grounded on it, called the Diamond.

Those navigators who are obliged by the current to pass between Capul and Dalumpiry, must bear in mind that the marks for navigating clear of this rock are as follows:-When the S.W. point of Capul is in line with the highest part of the height of Gate or Bulan next to it bears N. 38° W., and when the channel between the islets Naranjo Escarpado and the Aguada, as soon as the southernmost part of Capul is passed about one mile and a half off, steer for the southernmost point of the said Naranjo Escarpado, which course will be west, but be cautious of the change with respect to the current.

Naranjo islets-This is the name of a group of islets close to each other, and one which is somewhat removed from them to the S.E. is distinguished by the name "Detached."

These islets are for the most part rocky, of a moderate height with sandy beaches, having channels between them, which being deep and clean may be freely navigated by any vessels. But those which have no sweeps will risk being set by the currents, which are various and strong on the reefs and points of the islets. Nevertheless, throughout all of them they have a proportional depth to their size, not more than thirty-two fathoms; and thus, although they are all rocky, a vessel under the influence of the current may have recourse to anchoring to avoid being drifted ashore.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLE OF TICAO.

The isle of Ticao has no good harbour whatever. But on its eastern side there is the sand bank which extends along it.

Port of San Jacinto.-The port of San Jacinto on the eastern coast has good anchorage; but it is very small, and its entrance very narrow between reefs, the extremes of which are under water; and even in its interior a vessel is not entirely sheltered.

Port San Miguel.-In its northern extreme is port San Miguel,