PALO REEF-DIRECTIONS FOR TACLOBAN.

33

larger vessels are obliged to bring up between Cataisan Point and Dio Island in 5 fathoms, muddy bottom. The usual anchorage in the harbor is 300 to 400 yards to the north and northwest of the town, although the deep water is found farther north. Pilots for Tacloban and San Juanico

Strait may be obtained at Jinamoc Island.

Light. A fixed red light which should be visible from a distance of 7 miles is displayed from a structure erected on a hill close to an old fort mile westward from Panirugan Point. It is elevated about 96 feet above the sea and illuminates an arc of 254° between N. 56° E. and N. 50° W.

Buoys. The approach to Tacloban Harbor is buoyed as follows: No. 1.—Black can buoy, moored in 20 feet, sand bottom, with Basey Church tower bearing N. 10° E. (N. 9° E. mag.) distant 24 miles.

No. 2.-Red nun buoy, moored in 20 feet, small coral sand bottom with Binatac Point bearing N. 694° W. (N. 703 W. mag.) distant 14

miles.

No. 3.-Black can buoy, moored in 20 feet small coral sand bottom with Binatac Point bearing N. 614° W. (N. 621° W. mag.) distant 11 miles.

Directions. Moderate-sized vessels from the southward should pass 14 or 2 miles westward of Mariquitdaquit Islet and steer North (N. 1° W. mag.) until Dio Islet bears N. 55° W. (N. 56° W. mag.) when the vessel should be hauled northwestward until the church at Basey opens westward of the northwest point of Jinamoe Island, bearing North (N. 1° W. mag.). The church should be steered for, keeping it on this bearing, giving Punubulu Islet a berth of about 2 miles, and passing mile eastward of the first black buoy. When Catinic Point, on the north side of the channel, bears N. 54° W. (N. 55° W. mag.) it should be steered for until Anibun Point, the first point westward of Panirugan Point bears N. 87° W. (N. 88° W. mag.) when it should be steered for, passing about midway between the buoys, until, when drawing toward Panirugan Point the vessel should be hauled southward and anchorage taken off the wharves in 16 or 18 feet, muddy bottom. Vessels from eastward and all heavy draft ships should give Capines Point, Mantuaca Point, and Raso Islet a berth of about 1 mile, and when Mount Dinglay (1,145 feet high) northward of Tacloban bears N. 44° (N. 45° W. mag.) it should be steered for; when Basey opens westward of Jinamoc Island the ship should be hauled northward and the previous directions followed. Heavy draft ships, unable to enter the harbor of Tacloban, may safely steer for Dio Islet when it bears N. 55° W. (N. 56° W. mag.) and anchor eastward of it in 5 or 6 fathoms, muddy bottom.

20202—3

NORTHEAST COAST OF LUZON.*

From Port San Vicente the coasts trends easterly for 5 miles to Escarpada Point, the northeast point of Luzon. This stretch of coast is high and bordered by a reef with detached rocks. Palaui Island and adjacent islands and the eastern entrance to Port San Vicente have already been described in Section I, 1903, page 25. The shoal north of Escarpada Point is much more extensive than shown on most charts, extending in one place to a distance of 2 miles from the shore, with depths of 7 to 10 fathoms, sand and rock bottom.

From Escarpada Point the coast trends southeasterly for 12 miles to Iligan Point, the most easterly point in this vicinity; between these two points there are numerous small coves well sheltered but fit only for bancas.

From Iligan Point the coast trends south-southwest and then curves gradually around eastward to Palanan Point, the eastern entrance of Palanan Bay, which bears S. 74° E., distant 72 miles. Three mountains, the respective heights of which are 2,055, 3,399, and 3,917 feet, rise southward of Cape Engaño at the distances of 11, 16, and 22 miles and form fine landmarks in clear weather. It is reported that the general trend of the coast is fairly well shown on the chart, but that the entire coast line from Iligan Point to Divilacan Bay is 4 to 8 miles to the westward of the true position. Occasional rocks and shoals are found, none extending more than 4 mile from the shore. The coast line forms a succession of small bays, all open to the sea from north-northeast to south-southwest, with small stretches of sand beach. Immediately back. of the narrow strips of beach, steep, high mountains rise, showing no trails or passes available for transit into the interior. The whole appearance is that of an impenetrable barrier shutting off the east coast from the valley beyond.

Divilacan Bay, north of Mount Moises (4,209 feet), the highest and most eastern peak in this vicinity, is open northward; the shores are fringed by reefs, and there is a depth of 7 to 9 fathoms in the center of the bay. Fairly well-sheltered anchorage may be found westward of Gay Island.

Port Dimalansan, situated southeast of Divilacan Bay, has Gay Island on the western side of the entrance and Estagno Island on the eastern. and penetrates 23 miles southward; it is about 250 yards wide at the narrowest part and has a least depth of 13 fathoms. The banks are

*C. and G. S. chart: Northern part of Luzon, No. 4711; east coast of Luzon, No. 4713; H. O. charts: The Philippine Islands, No. 1898; Northern portion of the Island of Luzon, No. 1726.

† C. and G. S. chart: Harbors on the east coast of Luzon, No. 4265. (In preparation.) Plan of Port Dimalansan, H. O. chart: Northern portion of the Island

PORT SAN VICENTE-DILASAC BAY.

35

steep and heavily wooded. Considerable experience would be necessary to enter this bay, but with local knowledge small craft would find perfect shelter.

Aubarede Point is situated 7 miles southward of Estagno Island, and forms the eastern side of Port Bicobian. Rocks and shoals extend to nearly mile south of the point.

Port Bicobian* is an arm of the sea penetrating 24 miles northward. At the head of the port there is a well-sheltered anchorage in a basin about 600 yards in diameter, having a depth of 10 fathoms, soft, sticky bottom. The plan of the port seems fairly correct, but two shoals near the western bank, half way up the bay, do not appear on the plan. Several large rocks were found near the western side of the entrance, close in shore.

Palanan Bay, lying southward of Port Bicobin, is semicircular in form, about 6 miles wide, and 3 miles deep. There is a small river discharging into the south side of the bay, and about 4 mile east of it a reef makes out in a northwesterly direction for about mile. Behind this protection from the sea is found with fair anchorage. Breakers extend about 1 mile northward and mile eastward of Palanan Point. This point is easily distinguished by the saddle shape of the high land.

EAST COAST OF LUZON. †

The coast between Palanan Bay and Saley Point, 182 miles southward, like nearly all of the east coast of the Archipelago, has not been surveyed, and the charts differ greatly. The general trend of the coast is southsouthwest, and it is stated in the Derrotero to be clean and steep-to and free from dangers, with the exception of the Prueba Rock and Union Reef with 9 feet of water over it lying in the channel between Luzon and Polillo Island.

Dinapiqui Point, situated 42 miles southward of Palanan Point, is formed by a succession of six headlands, steep-to, without beach, affording no shelter. The general trend of the coast from Palanan seems to be properly charted. A succession of open bights follow each other, with shoals here and there, close in shore. There are a few sandy strips of beach in the bottom of the bights, but along the points high hills drop down to the water. In many places great caverns have been worn by the sea in the face of these high rock masses. No shelter can be found along this stretch except for small native boats.

DILASAC BAY, †† included between Dinapiqui and Tarigtig Points, is

*C. and G. S. chart: Harbors on the east coast of Luzon, No. 4265. (In preparation.) Plan of Port Bicobian, H. O. chart: Northern portion of the Island of Luzon, No. 1726.

+C. and G. S. charts: Nos. 4713, 4715. H. O. charts: Nos. 1726, 1729, 2050. ++C. and G. S. chart: Harbors on the east coast of Luzon, No. 4265. (In preparation.) Plan of western bight of Dilasac Bay, H. O. chart, No. 1726.

10 miles wide and 7 miles deep. There are two bights in the southwestern part of the bay, and the western one forms a fine harbor which affords excellent anchorage, completely landlocked, in 5 fathoms of water. with soft sticky bottom. Off the eastern entrance point of this bight there are detached rocks extending nearly mile northeastward. About 1 mile southwest from the eastern entrance point there is a dangerous reef awash at low water; it is about 600 yards in extent northwest and southeast and about 350 yards in width. The narrow channel to the eastward of it is less than mile wide and has 4 fathoms of water; the passage to the westward is wide and clear, and 6 fathoms will be found close to the northwest end of the reef. The 5-fathom anchorage is off the southwest side of the reef, about mile from it. The entrance to the anchorage presents no difficulty. A vessel should be steered midway between the two shores and hauled gradually to the southward to clear the shoal o the eastern side of the port. The rise and fall of the tide in this bight is about 8 feet. The eastern bight of Dilasac Bay is open during northeast monsoons and does not afford shelter.

Coast. From Tarigtig Point the coast trends southwesterly for about 24 miles to Cape San Ildefonso. This section of the coast appears to be free from any offlying dangers.

Cape San Ildefonso is the southern extremity of San Ildefonso Peninsula, which forms the eastern side of Casiguran Sound.

CASIGURAN SOUND is a long arm of the sea extending for 10 miles in a northeast direction, beyond which is Casiguran Bay, a landlocked basin 5 miles long in a northeast and southwest direction and 24 miles wide, which can be entered by a deep clear channel, mile wide. The eastern shore of the sound is clean and steep-to, and can be approached to mile. The depth in the middle of the sound generally exceeds 35 fathoms. The western shore is much shoaler than the eastern and in many places an anchorage can be had in 20 fathoms. It is not safe to go inside of 20 fathoms as the water shoals rapidly in many places.

Directions. In entering Casiguran Sound the eastern shore should be given a berth of about 1 mile until abreast the highest point of San Ildefonso Peninsula; from here the low hill at the entrance of the bay should be steered for. This usually shows very plainly against the higher hills in the background. The entrance to the bay is nearly mile wide, deep, and free from danger. It is safe to approach either side to 50 yards with a vessel drawing 25 feet. Vessels of any draft will find the best anchorage in the northwest part of the bay. The depth of water in the middle of the bay is 20 to 22 fathoms, bottom soft clay or mud. decreasing in depth toward the shore. The land at the head of the bay is low and heavily wooded. Shoal water extends a long way out, and

*C. and G. S. chart: Harbors on the east coast of Luzon, No. 4265. (In prep

CAPE SAN ILDEFONSO-BALER BAY.

37

the bank is very steep. The town of Casiguran, which is small and poor, is about 2 miles from the beach and is not visible from the water. It bears N. 23° E. (N. 23° E. mag.) from Sandy Point, the western entrance point to the bay. Vessels desiring to communicate with the town should anchor in 15 fathoms, about mile from the shore, with Charleston Hill bearing N. 31° E. (N. 31° E. mag.). It is not advisable to go closer in as the soundings decrease rapidly. Fresh water can be obtained on the northeast side of the bay from a small mountain stream almost hidden by trees.

Captain Thomas, U. S. S. Baltimore, in 1900 stated that he was of the opinion that a marked local attraction existed in the immediate vicinity of Casiguran Bay, the probable cause being deposits of iron ore in the neighboring mountains.

BALER BAY,* situated to the southward and westward of San Ildefonso Peninsula, can be recognized by the high land all around the bay and up the coast as far as Casiguran Bay. Encanto Point, at the eastern entrance to the bay, has several islets and rocks that dry at low water extending off it for about 1 mile. Baler Bay may be entered on a S. 80° W. (S. 80° W. mag.) course keeping 13 miles from the south shore, the water gradually shoaling from 18 fathoms off the point of Los Confites Reef, to 4 fathoms off the reef making out from the point to the eastward of the mouth of the Baler River. There is anchorage in from 8 to 10 fathoms, with river mouth open and bearing about South. A green hill lies a little to the westward of the anchorage. The town of Baler is back from the shore, and can not be seen when entering the anchorage. In the southeastern part of Baler Bay is a cove affording partial protection to small vessels; to enter this cove bring a fresh water stream in the bight of it to bear S. 31° E. (S. 31° E. mag.) and stand in for it until you get 5 fathoms, and anchor. This stream runs into the bay over a ledge of rock, and can easily be picked up. From this anchorage Baltimore Peak on Casiguran Peninsula should bear N. 45° E. (N. 45° E. mag.) and be in range with the outer rocks making out from the point to the northeast of the anchorage. Bearing about N. 40° E. (N. 40° E. mag.) from this anchorage is a patch of rocks having 5 feet of water on them at low tide; these show dark on the surface of the water, and can be easily seen and avoided. The cove will not safely accommodate a vessel more than 200 feet in length, and only offers partial protection from the northeast monsoons. The bottom of Baler Bay is sand and rock, and is poor holding ground.

Coast. Between Encanto Point and Agria Point, the northern entrance to Dingalan Bay, the coast trends in a southwesterly direction for about 21 miles.

*C. and G. S. chart: Harbors on east coast of Luzon, No. 4265. aration.)

(In prep