1016 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 19TH NOVEMBER, 1881.
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FORFANA or ARZOBISPO ISLAND reported as having been seen in lat. 25° 43′ N., long. 140° 43′ E. by the U.S. ship Alert, in 1877, was searched for in that position by the same ship July 4th, 1880. The day was beautifully clear and calm, and an island of any considerable height would have been seen. Several soundings of from 120 to 140 fathoms were taken without finding bottom.
Commander Huntington, commanding the U.S. ship Alert, (1880,) is of opinion that Arzobispo island does not exist in the above position.
SAN ALESSANDRO ISLAND is two miles long by one mile wide, and 2,534 feet high, and appears so different when seen from the north and south, that it would not be recognised as the same object.
Soundings taken around San Alessandro island at distances of from half a mile to two miles from its north, south, and eastern sides gave no bottom at 140 fathoms; but on the western side depths of from 40 to 44 fathoms were found.
The landing place is at the south-west end.
Geographical position.--By sea observations the Alert determined the position of the centre of San Alessandro island to be in lat. 25° 24′ 54′′ N., long. 141° 15′ 45′′ E.
SUBMARINE VOLCANO.-As the Alert approached San Alessandro island from the northward, a strange Á volume of vapour was rising as though a vessel was blowing off appearance was noticed at a distance of about 10 miles.' steam; this was followed by an appearance of breakers, and presently an immense black mass was thrown up. As the ship approached the submarine volcano, the black masses were distinguished as mud and ashes. The upheaval was accompanied by dull reports, like those from submarine mines, and by an odour of sulphur,
It was not considered prudent to approach the volcano with the ship nearer than half a mile, but a boat was lowered and pulled within a 100 yards of it. A reef or island was found to be in process of formation, and soundings were obtained in from 5 to 29 fathoms. The water was full of ashes and mud, and some of this, with one specimen of the bottom, was brought on board. At night, flames were noticed issuing from the volcano.
Geographical position.-By observation taken on shore at San Alessandro island, the submarine volcano was found to bear N. 44° W. from the south-west end of it, distant 3 miles; or, in lat. 25° 26′ 10′′ N., long. 141° 13′ 10′′ E.
VOLCANO ISLANDS.
SULPHUR ISLAND is 5 miles long E.N.E. and W.S.W., and the round hill at the south-west end is 644 feet above the sea.
The island has reefs off its eastern side for about 24 miles, and off the western side for from to 14 miles, on which side, between the reef and the island, there appears to be foul ground and rocks. From the northern or flat end of Sulphur island smoke or steam was noticed issuing from the ground.
Soundings were taken on the north and south sides of Sulphur island, in 140 and 130 fathoms, without finding bottom; but at the distance of three quarters of a mile from the south-east side, the depth was 100 fathoms, lava bottom.
Geographical position.-By observations taken by the Alert, the north-east end of Sulphur island was determ- ined to be in lat. 24° 47′ 46′′ N., long. 141° 21' 10" E., and the south-west end in lat. 24° 44′ 29′′ N., long. 141° 16′ 39′′ E., thus giving the centre of the island in lat. 24° 46' 7" N., long. 141° 18′ 54′′ E.
Discoloured water. The Alert steamed into a patch of discoloured water in the neighbourhood of the Volcano islands, obtaining a cast of the lead in 130 fathoms without finding bottom. The discolouration resembled shoal water, so much, that great hesitation was felt at putting the ship in it. The substance proved greasy to the touch, and may have been caused by a whale.
SAN FRANCISCO ROCK.-No bottom at 150 fathoms could be found in latitude 31° 43′ N., longitude 141" 14 E., one of the positions assigned to the San Francisco rock. The Imperial German ship-of-war Herthe, Captain Knorr, in December 1875, and March 1876, passed this danger, and placed in latitude 31° 29′N., longitude 140o 14' E.1
Hydrographic Office, Admiralty, London, 7th June, 1881.
Hydrographic Notice, No. 16 of 1878, and United States Hydrographic Notice, No. 54 of 1877.
From Sulphur island, both San Alessandro and San Augustino islands were plainly seen and appeared exactly alike. Viewed from this position, they are perfect cones. From the north, San Alessandro island does not appear conical, and the high western end has a rounded outline. Krusenstern in his Voyage around the World,” 1803-06, Vol. 2, p. 269, gives the height of San Augustino island as 520 toises, equal to 3.411 feet, which accords with the sketch taken by the Alert from Sulphur island,
* Supplement to the list of dangers reported in the North Pacific ocean published by the United States Government 1880, No. 166. page 15.
Hydrographic notice, No. 16 of 1878, page 10. Also, Annalen der Hydrographie, Berlin, February 1877,
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The information contained in this Notice is to be carefully considered, to be noted in the Sailing Directions, and compared with the chart when the ship is navigating the parts to which it refers.
HYDROGRAPHIC NOTICE.
[No. 21.j
EASTERN ARCHIPELAGO.
NOTICE No. 20.
The following information relating chiefly to the Sulu or Mindoro sea, the north-east coast of Borneo, and north coast of Java, has been compiled from information received from various sources, 1879-80.
[All Bearings are Magnetic.]
Variation Sulu sea 1o 5′; N.E. coast of Borneo 2o ; N. coast of Java 0° 50′ Easterly in 1880. SULU OR MINDORO SEA,1
MINDORO STRAIT. Framjee rock, lying eastward of Basuanga island, and the southern entrance of Mindoro strait, on which the British ship Merwanjee Framjee touched on the 15th November 1878, appeared of small extent and steep-to, the general depth over it was estimated at from 24 to 26 feet.
1 See Admiralty charts 2,577 and 2,578 of St. Bernardino strait, and Sulu or Mindoro Sea, eastern part.
2 Mr. Bidwell master of the British ship Merwanjce Framjee,
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