We were obliged to make several tacks to clear the shoals of Bintang, but at 8h. p.m. took a departure from the light, bearing West six miles, and stood to the eastward, with a fresh breeze from the northward hauling round gradually to N.W. All the information and advice I could obtain led me to prefer the eastern passage through the Java Sea, &c., to the more direct one by the China Sea, and at this advanced period of the monsoon I would strongly recommend this route. We were very much favoured in our passage across the China Sea and through the Carimata Channel, with steady breezes from N.W. and W.N.W.

19th.-At 4h. 55m. p.m. made St. Barbe Island, bearing E.N.E. to E.b.S. It appears like two islands, the centre being lower than the extremes. This island can be seen seven or eight leagues off. Passing to the southward of it we steered for Souronton Island, which we passed on the 20th. This island is 1,400 feet high, but adjoining and larger island, Carimata, is 2,900 feet high, and may be seen forty miles off. We saw it when thirty-five miles distant. In crossing the China Sea we were set eighteen miles to the S.W. in two days. Leaving Souronto to the northward and standing S.E., the wind still continuing to favour us, hauling round to the westward steady and strong, the ship frequently going nine and ten knots. We sounded every two hours, varying from twenty to twenty-seven fathoms. Steering for Little Pulo Laut, sometimes called Laurot Islands, and the Aventes, both of which we sighted on the fifth day after leaving Singapore. Passing to the southward of these islands and also of Sibbalds Bank without striking soundings, we ran between Talinaf or Laars Island, a low wooded island or group of islands visible about four leagues, and the dangerous Brill Shoal, neither of which however we saw, and sighted Point Layken, the S.E. extreme of Celebes, at 4h. 40m. p.m., on the 24th. We did not approach the coast within seventeen or eighteen miles, but stood to the eastward to pass through the Salayer Passage.

25th.-Hitherto we had done extremely well, but the favourable breeze was about to fail. At 2h. 30m. a.m. observed the land, E.N.E. to S.S.E., the island of Salayer. As it was very dark we hove to for an hour on the starboard tack, with the wind at W.b.N. Head S.W.b.S. The wind was very variable, varying from W.b.N. to N.N.E., and in the afternoon it was calm for three or four hours, but at 6h. p.m., a breeze sprung up from S.b.W., with which we stood E. N., passing between the middle and South islands, a passage upwards of four miles broad, and free from any dangers. Salayer Strait, or the Boegeroens of the Dutch, is thirteen miles broad, but divided into four channels by three islands; it lies between the S.E. point of the S.W. peninsula of Celebes, and the North point of Salayer Island. The former presents beautiful prospects, and is, I believe, the most favoured of all tropical islands I have ever read of. Although on the Equator it is not oppressively hot, its peculiar double horse shoe shape perhaps tends to this, in rendering it accessible to the sea in all parts, as well as its lakes and mountains, one of which is 7,000 feet

high. It produces everything necessary for man, and has the singular advantage of not having any of the larger beasts of prey. Tigers, elephants, and the rhinoceros are unknown. It has been little visited, but its history is full of interest, pointing to races and dominions connected with both Hindoo and Mahometan worship.

Salayer is from thirty-five to thirty-six miles long, N.b.W. and S.b.E., and about eight broad. It is said to contain 60,000 people, living in comparative comfort. They produce millet and cotton in abundance, and manufacture coarse cotton cloth for their own use. We fell in with some proas, with triangular sails, but not near enough to communicate with them.

26th. The middle island is in 120° 30′ East, and 5° 40′ South. Leaving Salayer we stood through the Bouton Passage, between the island of that name and the Wangi Wangi Isles. Bouton Island (ninety miles long N.b.E. and S.b.W. and from twenty to forty broad,) borders the S.E. peninsula of Celebes. In former days vessels used to go through Bouton Strait between that island and Pajasang or Moera, but it is now rarely used; it is tolerably safe but tedious, in the narrowest part it is less than a mile broad. There is a very respectable town in the northern part of the strait, in 4° 36′ South. Bouton is hilly, well wooded and very fruitful, all kinds of tropical fruits, vegetables, &c. The inhabitants manufacture a coarse kind of cotton cloth for their own use. With the neighbouring island of Moera or Pajasani they are said to amount to 300,000. I am always struck with astonishment when I hear and see these vast populations, in islands I never heard or thought of before. How little we know of the world and its countless myriads, their joys and sorrows, their means of subsistence and mode of life. In this island, about seventy years ago, the Dutch had by treaty a right to send an officer called an 66 extirpator," whose duty it was to destroy all the clove and nutmeg trees, for the preposterous purpose of enhancing the value of their own plantations. This selfish and disgraceful rule is now at an end.

27th. The wind being from N.N.E. we had to work through the Bouton Passage, and on the following morning the wind changed to N.N.W., and enabled us to lay up N.E. E., standing for Pitt Passage, between Xulla Bessey and Bouro Islands. The latter is a beautiful island abounding in every thing; it is ninety-two miles long E.b.N. and W.b.S., and fifty-eight broad. It is very mountainous, the dome being 10,400 feet high. The Xulla Bessey Islands are also high, and may be seen twelve or thirteen leagues off. In many of these islands the Dutch have forts, and more or less influence in all of them. Their rule is more harsh and strict than that of the English, but more uniform, and has been I am told more productive of peace and order. I am rather inclined to doubt the justice of this opinion, however, although it was told me by one who had been for five and thirty years a civil servant and resident of the English East India Company.

After clearing the Bouton Passage, we stood with light breezes

from N.W. varying to S.W. past Oby-Major and Look-i-Song, or Landscape Island, a very pleasing spot as may be gathered from its

name.

With very light winds and calms, one of which continued for nearly thirty-six hours, passed to the eastward of Look-i-Song, Kekik, and Pisang. The last named island is a very good mark, it forms in two hills when seen from the southward, and is the highest of the Kekik or Lawn Islands.

1st January, 1858.-In five days we had made by observation 370 miles, E.N.E., but of this 140 miles was an easterly current on one day (December 31), during which it was almost a perfect calm, with her head often round the compass. The current was N. 45° E. 42 miles! Latitude 2° 11' S. and 2° 9′ S., longitude 127° 44′ E., 128° 38′ E. Very light winds and calms prevailed until we cleared the islands in the Pitt and Gilolo Passages. The breeze was chiefly from S.b.W. and S.S.W., but airs and flaws came from all quarters, and the greatest attention was necessary to take advantage of them.

2nd.-Latitude 1° 10' South, longitude 129° 15′ East. Horsburgh mentions a shoal in this passage, which is not marked upon the chart, as follows:-"A dangerous coral bank, having 3 fathoms upon it, and extending East and West two miles, is said to exist in Gilolo Passage. From the bank the Boo Islands bear E.b.S. about twentyfour miles, and Pulo Pisang S.S.W.”*

At noon Pulo Pisang bore S. 40° W., the Boo Islands East. I paid particular attention to the lead, and got casts with 100 fathoms of line, but could perceive no signs of it.

Pulo Pisang has two small wooded islets off it, at either extreme North and South. This island at a westerly and South-westerly bearing, is not so strongly marked and formed into two pyramidal hills, as it is on a North bearing.

3rd.-Passed between Geby and Gilolo, and entered the Pacific Ocean; on the following day crossed the Equator in 129° 25' East. Gilolo in its form has a singular resemblance to Celebes, both probably arising from the action of volcanoes. It has one, "Gammacanove," 6,800 feet high, of which an eruption is recorded in 1673. Although a beautiful and fertile island, and by far the largest of the Moluccas, it is not so populous as many smaller ones. Malays inhabit the coast, but the original Alfoory race still occupy the interior of the island.

Geby, twenty-one miles long N.W. and S.E., is hilly, and at the South end terminating in a bluff headland. It has nothing partienlar to distinguish it, except that it is, in some sense, the entrance to the Pacific Ocean by the Gilolo Passage.

4th. We were still detained by calm and light airs from all points of the compass. We should have preferred making northing, but were unable to do it, until the current set generally to the N.E. about thirty miles; but for the three following days (January 7th to 10th,) were set seventy miles to the S.W.

* Seventh Edition Horsburgh, vol. ii, p. 718.

At noon on the 7th, the Asia Islands were in sight, E. & S., fifteen or sixteen miles distant. These island are three in number, they are N.E. and S.W.. The two southernmost ones are close together, but the northern one is five miles N.E.b.N. of the middle. They are low and level and covered with trees. The Asia Islands were still in sight on the 8th. Stood to the N.N.W. with wind from N.E.

11th.-Latitude 3° 28′ North, longitude 129° 24' East. Current N. 38° W. twenty-two miles. Wind N.b.E., N.N.E. Tacked and stood to the eastward passing to the northward of Lord North Island and St. Helen Shoal. Stood along the third parallel until the 15th, in latitude 2o 58' North, and longitude 135° 50′ East, when we worked to the northward until the 17th, in 5° 6′ North and 135° 40' East. The wind then changing to East and E.b.S., we stood to the northward so as to pass the Pellew Islands, about 100 miles to the eastward. A current set the ship in forty-eight hours, from the 15th to the 17th, N. 60° W. twenty-six miles.

18th. We had the misfortune to lose a very fine young lad, Thomas Cousins, seventeen years of age, by falling from the mizen, which so seriously injured the spine and lungs that he died four hours afterwards. I as well as the ship's company were truly grieved at his loss. He was one of the most promising boys in the ship. Latitude 8° 17′ North, longitude 136° 34′ East. North extreme Pellew Islands, S. 85° W. 104 miles

26th. We were now 1,180 miles from the Bashee Islands, and carrying the fresh and steady trade from East and E.N.E., gradually altered course until we sighted them on bearing West and W. N., ten or eleven leagues distant. The North Bashee Islands are three in number, the southernmost of which is much the highest, it bears S.S.W. from the two northernmost, three and half miles distant.

28th. The breeze continued very fresh. The ship went twelve knots and more for several hours. Sounded every two hours, thirtyfive, thirty, and twenty-eight fathoms, sand; and at 5h. a.m., twentyone fathoms, mud. At 6h. a.m. observed Pedra Blanco, the TySing Cham of the Chinese, bearing W.b.S. nine or ten miles.

At noon, in 22° 11' North, 114°26′ East. During the last twentyfour hours the ship had been set S. 67° W. twenty-eight miles. Easternmost Nine-pin Rock, N. 37° W.; N.E. head of Lema Island, S. 39° W.; peak of Pontoy Island, S. 80° W.: seventeen fathoms sand, At 5h. p.m. it fell calm, and we anchored for the night with the stream in six fathoms, sand, veered to thirty. Bearings at anchorage West Lamma Channel: West extreme Green Island, N.N.E., North extreme Lamma Island, East. 9h. 40m. p.m., ship swung to the ebb tide, running to the S.S.E. about half a knot an hour.

29th.-Ship swung to the flood, running to the N.E. about a third of a knot an hour. Daylight, weighed and made all plain sail, working up for the anchorage of Hong Kong. Wind moderate, N.E. and E.N.E. 9h. a.m., made our number to the Calcutta, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, K.C.B., Commander in Chief. Winds very variable, E.S.E. to E.N.E. The ship touched

once or twice in stays on either shore, but only stirred the mud up. The harbour crowded with shipping. At 11h. 30m. a.m., anchored with best bower in seven and a quarter fathoms, mud; veered to eighteen fathoms. Bearings of anchorage: Government flagstaff S. W., West point of Hong-Kong W.b.S. S., Cowloon Point N.N.E. E.

In harbour, H.M. ships Calcutta, Princess Charlotte, Belleisle, Fury, and Volcano; gun boats, Leven and Firm; steam yacht, Emperor. French, steam store ship Durance, 4, gun boat Dragonne. Dutch, frigate Princess Amalie. United States, steam frigate Minnesota, 50; Mississippi, 12; corvette Portsmouth, 16.

We were forty-two days from Singapore, and had fine weather during the passage. I do not think we should have made the voyage in less time had we beat up through the China Sea, and the ship would most probably have suffered considerably.

The Princess Charlotte and Belleisle arrived on the 3rd of January, they pursued nearly the same route that we did through the Pitt and Gilolo Passages, but were not so favoured as we were in the Java Sea. They were fifty-one days from Singapore to Hong-Kong.

The Melville has dismantled, her masts and bowsprit cut off eighteen feet from the deck, to form a security for the housing in when made a hospital ship, and was paid off on March 31st, 1858.

HENRY TROLLOPE, Commander.

A TRIP TO TANANARIVO:-Madagascar.

(Continued from page 95.)

19th. After breakfasting as well as we could with my new acquaintances at the residence of M. Laborde, I set out in company with MM. Soumagne and Marius. We had a journey of eight hours to perform before reaching Tananarivo, on a road nearly everywhere fit for a carriage. The celebrity which Soatsimanapiavana had gained, in spite of the disagreeable length of its name, had given rise to this palpable deviation from the general construction of the roads of this country. And thus my bearers, stimulated by this and the small distance to complete the journey trudged onward with an hilarity which it was difficult to restrain.

As we approached the capital the population became, in proportion, more numerous. Cultivation was more abundant, rice was seen where ever water was to be found; and in some parts, at greater elevations surrounding the villages, fields of manioc, pulse, country peas, and fruits; the fields separated by hedges of cactus, a sloping parapet, and often by a ditch. But what most attracted my attention was finding two bridges of stone over two small rivers which crossed our road. With the exception of what I had seen at Soatsimanapiavana, these were the first stone buildings that I had met with in the coun