hauan Daco and Batgongon Islands in 15 or 16 fathoms, mud bottom. care being taken in entering to avoid a small shoal patch with 34 fathoms on it, lying about mile west of the south end of Boloang Island, the most eastern island of the group. The passages between the islands and banks that compose this group are safe and deep and afford easy access to the anchorages among them, which is an important fact, as there are no protected harbors on the neighboring coasts. The eastern summit of Canahauan Daco is 446 feet high, that of Timpasan, the southwest island, 489 feet, and the others rise to between 200 and 400 feet. Borobaloto, the most western of the Canahauan Islands, is situated about 1,300 yards N. 35° W. (N. 36° W. mag.) from the most western point of Timpasan Island and 1,500 yards southwestward from Tangad Island. It is small and flat and about 23 feet above the level of the highest tides. The channels between it and Timpasan and Tangad Islands are clear and deep.

The Cavantiguianes are a group of small islets lying south and east of the larger Canahauan Islands; they are high and bold and from the south side of the southern islet the light at Catbalogan bears S. 88 E. (East mag.) distant 94 miles.

Cagdullon Islands are two small islands lying 14 miles west of the southern part of Buri Island. They can be approached to mile on al sides, and the navigable channel between them and the reefs west of Buri Island is mile wide with a depth of 11 fathoms in the middle of the channel.

Buri Island, lying 23 miles northwest of Catbalogan, is separated fror the coast of Samar by a narrow channel having less than fathom in it. There is anchorage off the eastern side of the island about 300 yards from the shore in 21 feet of water, and also off the northern side in the same depth about 1 mile from shore.

CATBALOGAN,* the capital of Samar, stands on the shore of a smal bay at the mouth of the Catbalogan River. It carries on a fair trade with Manila. The bay, which is an open roadstead exposed to the southwest. has a depth of 7 fathoms decreasing gradually toward the shore, and is fronted by the reefs Lutao and Quinituay, which lie 2 miles westward and 2 miles southwestward, respectively, from the church in the town These shoals dry in places at low water; between them and the coast there is a channel to the southward 4 fathoms deep. The mouth of the river i obstructed by a bar with about 6 feet over it at high water.

Anchorage.-Vessels anchoring off Catbalogan are cautioned against fouling the cables to Calbayog and Carigara. There are two cable-mar buoys showing the direction of the cables. The best anchorage is inside

*C. and G. S. chart: Approaches to Catbalogan, No. 4451; H. O. charts: Cathe

CANAHAUAN ISLANDS-PARASAN ISLAND.

19

the line between the two buoys, in front of the town in about 4 fathoms, muddy bottom. Sailing vessels wishing to keep away from the lee shore of this port anchor in a sheltered position in 12 fathoms of water in the bay on the north side of Libucan Daco Island and transfer their cargoes in small sailing lighters.

Lutao Reef, about 1 mile long east and west and mile wide lies with its western extremity 23 miles westward from the middle of the town. It is partly awash at low water and is marked at present by a gas-pipe tripod, surmounted by a drum, erected nearly in the middle of the reef. It is proposed to mark the eastern edge of this reef with a black can buoy.

Pamuntangan Reef is a small reef partly awash at low water, lying with its western edge about mile westward from Aguada Point. There is a narrow, deep channel between Pamuntangan Reef and the shore reef projecting from Aguada Point. Pamuntangan Reef is marked by a red second-class nun buoy, moored off the western edge of the reef in 24 feet, coral bottom. From the buoy the cathedral tower bears N. 46° E. (N. 45° E. mag) distant mile.

Quinituay Reef lies mile northwestward from the northern Darajuay Island. It is partly awash at low water and the northern edge is marked by a red nun buoy moored in 30 feet of water.

Light. A fixed white light is shown from a permanent structure on the north bank of the Catbalogan River. It illuminates an arc of 117°, between S. 76° E. and N. 13° W. excepting where it is obscured by the Cagdullon and Darajuay Islands. It is elevated 130 feet above the sea and should be visible from a distance of 10 miles.

Typhoon Signals are shown from the Signal Station about 200 yards southward from the light-house.

Darajuay Islands are two small wooded islands lying 11⁄2 miles southwestward from Catbalogan; with Quinituay Reef northwest they form a chain 1 miles long in a northwest and southeast direction and 800 yards wide. There is a good 4-fathom channel between them and the mainland which affords fairly sheltered anchorage.

Maqueda Bay, the great indentation south of Catbalogan, is little known; it is shallow and only practicable for coasters.

Majaba Island at the mouth offers sheltered anchorage on its eastern side; a shoal awash, named Cambalot, lies between Majaba and Buad Islands and has a depth of 10 fathoms on either side.

Parasan Island, lying S. 61° W. (S. 60° W. mag.) distant 7 miles from Catbalogan light is about 2 miles in extent; off the northern part is a remarkable peninsula connected with the rest of the island by a very narrow isthmus. Parasan Island is separated from the eastern side of the north end of Daram Island by a very narrow channel.

PARASAN HARBOR,* on the south side of the island of the same name is a small well sheltered harbor with 15 fathoms, mud bottom, in the center; small craft can proceed farther up the harbor and anchor in 11 fathoms.

This anchorage can be easily approached from the eastward; the northern entrance has a least depth of 17 feet and is 75 yards wide and 24 feet deep in the narrowest part.

Daram Island, south of Parasan Island, is 13 miles long northwest and southeast and 5 miles wide in the broadest part, narrowing to 400 yards towards the middle of the island. It is very irregular in outline, the shore line being cut up by numerous bays, in some of which there is good sheltered anchorage. The land immediatly north of the isthmus rises to a height of 1,197 feet and that southward to a height of 1,479 feet. Off the south end of Daram Island are the two Bacsal Islands: they are both clean and rise to a height of 479 feet.

Buad Island, lying eastward from Daram Island, is of very irregular shape, about 4 miles in extent, and rises in the southern part to a height of 1,154 feet. There is a sheltered port on the south side, with a depth of 4 fathoms. Zumarraga, at the southwest end of Buad Island, is sheltered by high hills and has roomy anchorage for heavy-draft vessels. and may be approached either from north or south.

There are a large number of other small islands of irregular shape in this vicinity, the location of which can be best understood by reference to the chart.

The channel between Daram and Samar Islands, sometimes used by small steamers, has a least depth of 19 feet and a least width of mile.

Buoy. A red nun buoy is moored in 22 feet of water, 340 yards N. 57° E. (N. 56° E. mag.) from the southeast point of Aocon Island. Westward of the buoy there is a knoll covered by 5 feet of water, and between the buoy and the north point of Aocon Island a part of the reef has only 3 feet on it. Eastward of the buoy is a good channel with from 4 to 7 fathoms.

Coast. From the south end of Daram Island to the entrance of Janabatas Channel the distance is about 4 miles. The coast line is very irregular but the shore is clean and bold.

JANABATAS CHANNEL, situated between Samar and Leyte, runs from west to east for a distance of 8 miles to Santa Rita Island, at the head of San Juanico Strait. It is 2 miles wide at the western end; the narrowest part, mile, is between Dabun and Navahay Islands. There are a number of islets and much shoal ground in it, but no hidden dangers. The depth in it is irregular and varies from 23 fathoms.

C. and G. S. chart: Ports on the coast of Samar, No. 4446. Harbors in Samar vte, No. 4456 (in preparation).

PARASAN HARBOR-SAN JUANICO STRAIT.

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northeastward from Navahay Island, to 5 and 20 fathoms at the entrance to San Juanico Strait. The velocity of the tidal currents in this channel is about 1 knot, the flood stream setting west and the ebb east.

Baluarte Point forms the southern entrance point to Janabatas Channel. It is clean and steep-to and the land behind it rises'quickly to a height of 1,299 feet, forming a good landmark for making the Channel. Cananay Island, lying on the south side of the channel, 2 miles eastward from Baluarte Point, is clear and steep-to. Pilotage for San Juanico Strait is compulsory, and pilots may be obtained here.

Light. A fixed red light is shown from a white frame on the north side of Cananay Island. It is elevated 32 feet above the sea and should be visible from a distance of 7 miles. It illuminates an arc of 123°, between N. 72° E. and S. 15° W.

Ivantacut Island, lying 14 miles east-northeast from Cananay Island, is small, low, and wooded and can be passed close-to on northern side. Dabun Island, lying about 1 miles eastward from Ivantacut Island, is low and wooded and clean on the southern side.

Buoy. There is a black can buoy moored in 14 feet, sand and gravel bottom, with the center of Dabun Island bearing N. 32° W. (N. 33° W. mag.) distant

mile.

Caltagan and Navahay are two larger islands, lying close to the shore, on the southern side of the channel.

Santa Rita Island is small, high, clean on the south side, but surrounded on the other sides by a reef which extends farthest westward. It may be recognized by a fort and houses upon it.

SAN JUANICO STRAIT, connecting Janabatas Channel and Tacloban Harbor is 12 miles long in a general north and south direction. It has an average width of 1,200 yards, reduced in one place to barely 300 yards, and carries a varying depth of 5 to 12 fathoms. A multitude of islets and shoals line the route and confine the channel. One of the most langerous obstructions is a rocky patch which dries at extreme low water lying about mile eastward from Nababuy Island. It is marked by an unlighted beacon consisting of a concrete base surmounted by a enter post supporting two cross targets. There is a dangerous rocky patch 100 yards long north and south and 50 yards wide, covered by a least depth of 2 feet, lying S. 11° W. (S. 10° W. mag.) distant mile from the above-described beacon. The usual track of vessels entering the Strait from westward is north of Nababuy Island and east of the above-described rocky patches. There is a very narrow passage south of Nababuy Island that is sometimes used by small vessels when the tide serves. In the strait the flood tide sets north and the ebb tide south. Pilots. Strangers passing through Janabatas Channel and San Juanco Strait should employ a pilot. They may be obtained at Cananay

Island; at Jinamoc Island, at the eastern end of Tacloban Harbor, and at Tacloban. They will take a vessel through drawing 18 feet. Anchors should always be in readiness for letting go.

BILIRAN AND ADJACENT ISLANDS.

Biliran Island, off the northern coast of Leyte, is of oval shape about 19 miles long northwest and southeast, and 11 miles wide, high and mountainous. The highest point is in the northern part of the island, where there is a peak 4,472 feet high. There are a number of small islets and banks off the northwest part of the island.

Tagampul Islet, lying about 2 miles north of the northwest point of Biliran, is very small and apparently clean. There is a rock shown milk northeast of the east end of Tagampul. The channel between Tagampul and Biliran is about 1 miles wide and very deep.

Remus Bank is situated about mile north-northeast from Tagampul Island. It is of small extent, and has a least depth of 10 feet.

Tomasa Islet is about 3 mile southeast of Tagampul Islet; it is very small and has a shoal off the northeast side.

Genuruan Islet is about mile off the northwest coast of Biliran.

Tincansan Islet lies about 300 yards west of the northwest point of Biliran, from which it is separated by a channel having 14 fathoms of water in the middle.

Calutan Islet is 2 miles south by east from the northwest point of Biliran, and 1 mile from the shore. It has rocks on its southwest side and shoal ground on its southeast.

Caygan Islet is a little more than a mile southeastward from Calutan and mile from the shore. It has shoal ground off the northeast part. Pilar Rocks are mile west of Caygan Islet.

Coast. The entire coast of Biliran is clean, and can be safely approached anywhere tomile except in the Biliran Strait, between it and Leyte. (See below.)

LEYTE.*

LEYTE, situated between Cebu and Samar, is generally mountainous. but contains several large and fertile valleys. It is the eighth island in the Archipelago in point of size and has an area of 2,722 square statute miles. The prevailing geological formation is volcanic, and several of the mountains are the extinct craters of volcanoes in which are found sulphur and other products of volcanic action. It is reported that gold and iron ore have been found in this island. The mountains are covered with forests, among the trees of which is that which yields gum-damar, for the production of which Leyte leads among the islands of the Philippines.