At noon on the 9th we were in latitude 18°24′26″ and longitude 0°47′50″ east of Manila; the church of Aparri bore S69°W, the westernmost point of Camiguin Island N17°E, and Linao Point N89°W
The weather conditions were entirely favourable for the course we were steering and at three o’clock in the afternoon we were able to anchor near the monastery. The [missionary] father came on board soon afterwards, and informed us that the alcalde mayor had held to his undertaking and that the pontin was completely ready. The wind at the time was against us for our departure and it would not have been possible to leave until the tide changed and the land breeze set in. For this reason it seemed a suitable occasion for me to show, in some way, my gratitude to Don Manuel Garray and to acquire some information regarding the country, either immediately or by having him send a reply to me in Manila. Accordingly I decided to go to the town of Lal-lo in the schooner Santa Isabel, which was to winter there. At five o’clock we set out and, helped at times by the breeze and at other times under tow, we arrived and anchored near the quay.
At midnight, the tide now being with us, I returned to Aparri in a panga, reaching the pontín at four o’clock in the morning. The land breeze had by then set in. We immediately hove in the cable until it was up and down, setting sail shortly afterwards. Once out of the river mouth and clear of Linao Point we altered course to NW and, on the morning of the 10th, we began measuring bases and taking hour angles on the meridian of the point.
At noon, in latitude 18°32′13″ and longitude 0°28′56″[east of Manila], we took the following bearings: Pata Point N68°W, Bangan Point N77°W, Masi Point S67°W, and Aboluc River S15°E. The wind then began shifting towards the fourth quadrant. By two o’clock it was fresh from NNW and with it we tried to clear Pata Point, which lay to windward of us. However, while on the shoreward tack during the early hours of the night, we found ourselves in six fathoms, fine sand. The wind was then almost calm and the tide was setting us strongly towards the Aboluc River. Despite using the oars we had no steerage way. For this reason, so as to wait for the ebb tide, we then anchored and, using the log line, we measured the strength of the tide, which was setting at one and a half knots to the SE.
We remained there until midnight when, having the tide now with us and the wind settled from WSW, we got under way and set a course in the fourth quadrant towards Pata Point. At dawn on the 11th we were in sight of the point and could also see the Babuyan Islands which, with Bangui Point, we linked to today’s survey, although the weather was not very favourable.
At noon we were in latitude 18°46′40″ and longitude 0°2′20″ west of Manila; Datupire Island bore N26°E, the eastern point of Cuga N65°E, idem of Calaya N31°E, Pata Point S40°E and the highest point of Bangui S58°W.
As darkness fell the weather became squally and threatening. The wind, which in the afternoon had been a moderate westerly breeze, settled in the south during the night, allowing us to identify Cape Bojeador at dawn on the 12th and very clearly the low ground of Bangui Point which we took as our first bearing, having steered towards it during the night.
At noon Bangui Point bore N81°E, the harbour of that name S89°E, and Cape Bojeador south. According to these bearings our latitude was 18°39′13″ and our longitude 0°24′42″ [west of Manila]. Although the Sun was very close to the zenith, we had full confidence in our latitude observation.
The breeze remained with us until the early hours of the night, when it veered to SW and dropped, obliging us to take to the oars to keep offshore. These conditions continued until midnight, when the land breeze set in and we were able to steer towards Mount Llarra, which was in sight at dawn on the 13th, as was the entire coast as far as Salomague. When the Sun had risen we began measuring bases with the land breeze, which was replaced at nine o’clock by one from NNW.
At noon we were in latitude 18°5′10″ and longitude 0°35′12″, when Mount Llarra bore N40°E, Culili Point N73°E, and the NW point of Port Currimao S70°E.
It was now necessary for us go into either the port of Salomague or that of Solot to replenish our water and firewood. As conditions were entirely favourable, having linked Badoc and Salomague Islands during our day’s survey, we altered course for the latter port. At six o’clock we anchored close to the shore so as to be able take on wood and water as quickly as possible.
These tasks were concluded by dawn on the 14th, when we got under way with a light easterly breeze, which veered to the SSW as the sun rose, obliging us to haul the wind on the port tack until twelve o’clock. It then settled in the west, when we changed tack and began measuring bases while keeping parallel to the coast.
At noon the port of Solot bore N82°E, Mount Bulagao S67°E, and Vigan Inlet S39°E when, according to these bearings, our position was latitude 17°41′20″ and longitude 0°41′46″.
Towards sunset the wind increased and the weather outlook altered, leading us to expect an imminent and adverse change. Nevertheless we continued our work and, having linked our surveys of Santa María, San Vicente and Santiago Points, we finished measuring bases by the end of the afternoon.
At nightfall the weather looked ominous. There was a stiff breeze from the first and fourth quadrants and the appearances were most unpromising, but we continued under way, keeping parallel to the coast and three leagues offshore. From ten o’clock, having made twenty miles, we made alternate tacks, close hauled, with the intention of being in sight of Santiago Point by dawn.
The weather appeared threatening to midnight, with a stiff breeze from the fourth quadrant. The fact that the Moon was on the penultimate day of its cycle, seemed to herald the beginning of the new monsoon, but this did not occur. As daylight approached, conditions changed and the wind slackened somewhat, so that by dawn it was very calm, by which time the wind had veered to SE. When the Sun rose the sky cleared over the land, enabling us to begin our work without the least inconvenience.