Beagle Expedition (1831-1836); Coral reefs and islands; Geology -- South America; Islands; Volcanoes
PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO.—A chart on a large scale of _Appoo shoal_,
which lies near the S.E. coast of Mindoro, has been executed by Captain
D. Ross: it appears atoll-formed, but with rather an irregular outline;
its diameter is about ten miles; there are two well-defined passages
leading into the interior lagoon, which appears open; close outside the
reef all round, there is no bottom with seventy fathoms; coloured
blue.—_Mindoro:_ the N.W. coast is represented in several charts, as
fringed by a reef, and _Luban Island_ is said, by Horsburgh (volume
ii., page 436), to be “lined by a reef.”—_Luzon:_ Mr. Cuming, who has
lately investigated with so much success the Natural History of the
Philippines, informs me, that about three miles of the shore north of
Point St. Jago, is fringed by a reef; as are (Horsburgh, volume ii.,
page 437) the Three Friars off Silanguin Bay. Between Point Capones and
Playa Honda, the coast is “lined by a coral-reef, stretching out nearly
a mile in some places,” (Horsburgh); and Mr. Cuming visited some
fringing- reefs on parts of this coast, namely, near Puebla, Iba, and
Mansinglor. In the neighbourhood of Solon-solon Bay, the shore is lined
(Horsburgh ii., page 439) by coral-reefs, stretching out a great way:
there are also reefs about the islets off Solamague; and as I am
informed by Mr. Cuming, near St. Catalina, and a little north of it.
The same gentleman informs me there are reefs on the S.E. point of this
island in front of Samar, extending from Malalabon to Bulusan. These
appear to be the principal fringing-reefs on the coasts of Luzon; and
they have all been coloured red. Mr. Cuming informs me that none of
them have deep water within; although it appears from Horsburgh that
some few extend to a considerable distance from the shore. Within the
Philippine Archipelago, the shores of the islands do not appear to be
commonly fringed, with the exception of the S. shore of _Masbate_, and
nearly the whole of _Bohol;_ which are both coloured red. On the S.
shore of _Magindanao_, Bunwoot Island is surrounded (according to
Forrest, “Voyage,” page 253), by a coral-reef, which in the chart
appears one of the fringing class. With respect to the eastern coasts
of the whole Archipelago, I have not been able to obtain any account.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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