The China Sea directory - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. H.] BTJIiANG ISLANDS.—PULO BLAKAN PAJDAN&. 99
of this reef is a small islet, from whicli the -western extreme of the reef
bears W. by N., nearly three-quarters of a mile, and the northern extreme
W.N.W. about the same distance.
Salat BatU Hadji, or strait of the Pilgrim rock, separates the
Bulang archipelago from Pulo Battam. This strait is said to afford a safe
and short passage into Rhio and Varella straits, but it is unavailable not
having been properly surveyed, and, from the intricate nature of its
navigation, it seems improbable that it will ever come into general use.
The strait may be approached by any of the channels between the groups
of islands just mentioned, as also by the channels amongst the islands next
to be described ; but the safest channel appears to be between the Sambo
islands and Pulo BlakanPadang, taking care to keep over towards Pulo
Mariam, to avoid the coral spit which projects about half a mile eastward
of Blakan Padang. Prom the northward, after passing Pulo Mariam, and
bringing it to bear N, by E., steer to the southward through the channeJ
separating the groups of islands southward of Blakan Padang from the
Battam coast and the islands fronting it.
Pulo Blakan Padang, the largest of the islands fronting the
entrance of Salat Batu Hadji, is circular and about 1^ miles in diameter ;
it lies south-westward of Sambo islands, and is separated from them by a
channel half a mile broad, in which the depths are 8 to 15 fathoms. This
island is encircled by a reef, which projects a third of a mile from the north
point, and half a mile from the south-east and south-west points, but to
less distances in other parts.
Pulo Telup about half a mile in extent, lies barely a quarter of a mile
north-westward of Pulo Blakan Padang, the channel separating them being
narrowed to little over one cable in width by the reefs fronting each
island. Sannang is a small islet lying on the north-west edge of the reef
which projects nearly 2 cables from the north-east end of Pulo Telup.
Three small patches with depths of 7 and 8 fathoms close-to, lie ofE the
west side of Pulo Telup, the outer edges of the two northern and most
distant ones lying about West, half a mile from the centre of the island.
A cluster of seven small islands stands on a reef nearly 2 miles long
east and west, and three-quarters of a mile broad ; this reef which
lies to the southward of Pulo Blakan Padang, is separated from it by a
passage about a quarter of a mile broad, with depths of 3 to 8 fathoms.
Nearly half a mile southward of the middle and largest island of the
group are two small islands lying close together, each encircled by a reef;
from the western island the reef projects a third of a mile in a W.N.W.
direction, having a small detached coral patch lying 3 cables to the west-
ward.
G 2