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27 April 1792

With the land breeze and the sea breeze constantly in our favour, we were able to reach Cambayan River, as we desired, at eight in the morning of the 27th. Horses were immediately provided, and at nine o’clock I greeted Don José Sánchez, the present alcalde mayor of the province of Ilocos, who resides in the town of Vigan. He gave me the satisfactory news that Capitán Ker was at anchor in the port of Solot. Accordingly, I begged him to send an urgent message to the capitán, assuring him that however unfavourable the weather I would reach the port between eight and nine in the evening. With this intention I returned as quickly as possible to Cambayan, and between eleven and twelve o’clock we had crossed the bar. At first the northerly wind, although light, was favourable to our course, but it soon veered to the NE and dropped. However, we were able to reach the port under oars at ten thirty that night, anchoring near the schooner Santa Isabel, whose capitán had left early for Vigan on private business.

In order to produce a plan of the harbour we measured a base line of 986 English feet on its NE beach at dawn on the 28th, having previously placed flags at the extremities of the reefs and in the middle of the shoals. Before we began to take bearings we saw Capitán Ker, who immediately made a sincere offer of help with any of our work. I therefore asked him if he would use his launch to take soundings in the harbour, if I determined for him the points to which he was to take the bearings, at the time of obtaining soundings, which had to be at intervals of five minutes.

At noon our observed latitude was 17°41′20″ and in the afternoon we took hour angles which gave a longitude of 0°32′57″[west of Manila]. Having completed our observations and taken bearings to Solot Point, we returned on board at three o’clock and shortly afterwards Capitán Ker also arrived, having completed his task. With our work now finished, we proposed to get under way, the wind being then from NE, but the attempt was soon frustrated by a contrary wind from west and WNW.

We weighed anchor at first light and set sail with a light easterly breeze. Once clear of the shoals we set a course for Salomague Harbour. At sunrise the wind fell to a flat calm, but with the aid of a tow from the launch we reached the harbour at half past ten. The launch was immediately sent to place flags on the shoals and at the extremities of the reefs. At noon our observed latitude was 17°44′42″ and the hour angles gave a longitude of 0°33′12″[west of Manila].

At one o’clock we took the launch to the SE beach of the harbour, where we measured a base of 675 English feet with the intention of making a plan of the harbour. We then took bearings of the second point of Solot, finishing just at sunset. Capitán Ker, who was in charge of taking soundings of the entire anchorage, also completed his work at the same moment. When he returned to the point we went on board together.