675037-1883-Hydrographic-Notices- — Page 5

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 20TH JANUARY, 1883.

43

A Reef which has not been examined lies 74 miles N.E. by N. & N. of Sandy island. LEONAN is a sand cay 5 miles S. E. of Sandy island, which also sometimes covers. It is situated on, and about one mile from the north-east end of an extensive chain of reefs which lie in an E.N.E. and W.S.W. direction.

Reefs.-North-eastward of Leonan cay lie two reefs, the first distant 3 miles, and the second about 4 miles. the first of these and the reef on which Leonan is situated, is a clear channel nearly 2 miles wide.

Two miles N.W. of Leonan is a patch of 2 fathoms.

Between

BILLEAN.-Situated 10 miles north-castward of Torongobak point is a sand cay on which are a few bushes about 38 feet high. It is surrounded by coral reefs and dangers which extend in a north-easterly direction nearly 4 miles,

Billean North Dangers.-Eight miles north of Billean, and about the same distance east of Leonan cay, is an extensive group of coral reefs. As these dangers have not been completely examined they should be carefully avoided.

Tagypil is a densely wooded and very conspicuous island situated 4 miles S. W. by S. of Billean cay; the tops of the trees are 184 feet high.

Bankuruan Cays.--Are two small sand cays covered with bushes. Billean, Tagy pil, Bankuruan, and the mainland are almost connected by a chain of coral reefs.

Cay.-Five miles S.E. by S. & S. of Billean is a large and conspicuous sand cay.

LANKAYAN is a sand cay covered with trees 100 feet high, and is surrounded by a coral reef.

The soundings

for about 4 miles north-north-eastward are irregular, varying from 4 to 15 fathoms, one patch of 3 fathoms existing 3 miles N. by E. of the north point of the cay.

Kestrel Shoal.-This shoal, situated 4 miles east of Lankayan, and over which H.M.S. Kestrel passed in the year

1879, is found to have 2 fathoms least water.

*

T

BO-ANN, the northern of a chain of islands which run in a N.N.E. direction from the mainland, is about one mile in length N.E. and S.W., 192 feet high, surrounded by a coral reef, and its lower parts are densely wooded,

Si-ba-ung.-A small coral reef lying W. N., distant 4 miles from the north part of Bo-amn island. few bushes 35 feet high on this reef.

There are a

Flying Fish rock lics 23 miles east of Bo-ann island, and has 22 fathoms on it at low water.† LIHIMAN lies 2 miles south of Bo-ann island, is about three-quarters of a mile in length N.E. and S.W., densely wooded, and 172 feet high. Both Lihiman and Bo-ann are mud volcanoes, which appear to have been active within the last few years.

Islet.-Half a mile N.E. of Lihiman is a small islet with which it is connected by a coral reef. LANGAAN is a small wooded island 120 feet high, situated on the south-west edge of an extensive coral reef. Within a radius of 3 miles, north and east of Langaan, the soundings are irregular, varying between 6 and 18 fathoms.

Great and Little Bakkungaan are two wooded islands 190, and 157 feet high; they are surrounded by numerous coral reefs.

Silingaan is a small wooded island 137 feet high. About one mile east of Silingaan, is a reef on which is a sand cay, awash at high water.

Gulisaan lies about 14 miles S. by W. of Silingaan; on it is a clump of conspicuous trees 76 feet high.

LIBARRAN is a low wooded island about 11⁄2 miles in length, E.N.E. and W.S.W.

Low island is merely a clump of mangroves, on the reef extending from the mainland.

Pulo Tikus is a wooded pyramidical island, 234 feet high.

CLOTILDE ROCK.—A small coral reef, part of which is about 2 feet above high water, there is about 20 fathoms of water close to, all round it.

Laurel rock, in lat. 6° 9′ 30′′ N., long. 118° 29′ 0′′ E., is 6 feet above high water.

Baguan is a densely wooded island 228 feet high.

TAGANAC.—This island is about one mile in length, N.N.E. and S.S.W., and is surrounded by a coral reef; it is densely wooded, the tops of the trees being 554 feet high.

Taganac patches.-Irregular soundings, varying from 5 to 14 fathoms, were found to exist between 3 and 6 miles W. by N. of the north point of Taganac, this position is occasionally marked by tide ripples.

Caution.-Commander C. Johnstone, H.M.S. Egeria reports having obtained a cast of 4 fathoms "with Taganac island, bearing S. 48° E., Bahala bluff S. 11° W., and Baguan island S. 74. E., it was apparently, of some extent, to the "westward of this."

This shoal was not found by the Flying Fish, but the neighbourhood was but partially examined.

Gubbins reef is a dangerous patch of coral with about 6 feet water on it, lying 7 miles W. S. of the south point of Taganac island, and 11 miles N. by E. E. of Bahala north point. ‡

The

BAHALA.---An island about two miles in length, north and south, lying in the entrance to Sandakan harbour. northern part of it is low, the southern rises in two conspicuous hills 643, and 544 feet high, these slope gradually to the westward, but their eastern faces are imposing precipices.

Nunuyon Laut and Nunuyon Derat are two low wooded islands, lying about 2 miles north-west of Bahala they are almost connected with the mainland.

SANDAKAN HARBOUR.—Of this magnificent harbour, only the part north of Pulo buy has been examined. This portion of it lies in a N.E. and S.W. direction, and open to the N.E.

At the entrance, between Bahala and Towsan Dooyon, it is 14 niles wide, from which place it gradually increases in width, forming a spacious basin of rather more than 3 miles diameter.

Three-peaked hill.-The nothern shore is hilly; two of these hills are very conspicuous from seaward; one, on the point south-west of Bahala, being 674 feet high; the other, a three-peaked hill, is 844 feet high, and both, like Babala, slope gradually on the western side and are somewhat precipitous on the eastern.

*See Hydrographic Notice, No. 21 of 1881.

See Notice to Mariners, No. 132 of 1881. See Notice to Mariners, No. 132 of 1881.

;