■f t^- -i*^** •4 !H: ^ Marim ^to\oQm\ Ubomtoru Ubniru ^oods o(ok, Massachusetts ^OYAQ^S ' OF • (EXPIORATION Colkctcd ^EWCOfAB OhoMPSOfJ MONTGOMERY ^hilM^ta architut, mphcv^ of Qhomas Oiarrison MontQomcru 1 1875 -19121 . PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 15 San Antonio Bucna Vistura San Miguel San Fernando San Luis San Gabriel De la Purissima San Juan Capistram Santa Ignes San Luis Rey 3000 Santa Barbara San Toniaso I could not learn the number of Indians which are in each of the missions to the southward of Soledad, but they were stated collectively to amount to 20,000 : on this head I must observe that the padres either would not say, or did not know exactly, how many there were, even in their own missions, much less the number c jntained in those to the southward : and the accounts w^ere at all times so various that the above computation can be only an approximation. Almost all these establishments cultivate large portions of of land, and rear cattle, the hides and tallow of which alone form a small trade, of which the importance may be judged from the fact of a merchant at Monterey having paid 36,000 dollars in one year to a mission, which was not one of the largest, for its hide, tallow, and Indian labour. Though the system they pursue is not calculated to raise the colony to any great pros- perity, yet the neglect of the missions would not long precede the ruin of the presidios, and of the whole of the district. Indeed, with the exception of two pueb- los, containing about seven hundred persons, and a few farm houses widely scattered over the country, there are no other buildings to the northward of Mon- terey : thus, while the missions furnish the means of subsistence to the presidios, the body of men they con- tain keeps the wild Indians in check, and prevents their making incursions on the settlers. IQ VOYAGE TO THE Each mission has fifteen square miles of ground allotted to it. The buildings are variously laid out, and adapted in size to the number of Indians which they contain ; some are inclosed by a high wall, as at San Carlos, while others consist merely of a few rows of huts, built with sun-burnt mud-bricks ; many are whitewashed and tiled, and have a neat and comfort- able appearance. It is not, however, every hut that has a white face to exhibit, as that in a great mea- sure depends upon the industry and good conduct of the family who possess it, who are in such a case supplied with lime for the purpose. It is only the married persons and the officers of the establish- ment who are allowed these huts, the bachelors and spinsters having large places of their own, where they are separately incarcerated every night. To each mission is attached a well-built church, better decorated in the interior than the external ap- pearance of some would lead a stranger to suppose : they are well supphed with costly dresses for proces- sions and feast days, to strike with admiration the senses of the gazing Indians, and on the whole are very respectable establishments. In some of these are a few^ tolerable pictures, among many bad ones ; and those who have been able to obtain them are always provided with representations of hell and paradise : the former exhibiting in the most disgusting manner all the torments the imagination can fancy, for the purpose of striking terror into the simple Indians, who look upon the performance with fear and trembling. Such representations may perhaps be useful in exhibit- ing to the dull senses of the Indians what could not be conveved in any other way, and so far they are de- sirable in the mission ; but to an European the one is PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 17 disgusting, and the other ludicrous. Each establish- ment is under the management of two priests if pos- sible, who in Upper California belong to the mendi- cant order of San Francisco. They have under them a major-domo, and several subordinate officers, gene- rally Spaniards, whose principal business is to overlook the labour of the Indians. The object of the missions is to convert as many of the wild Indians as possible, and to train them up within the walls of the establishment in the exercise of a good life, and of some trade, so that they may in time be able to provide for themselves and become useful members of civilized societVc As to the various methods employed for the purpose of bringing prose- lytes to the mission, there are several reports, of which some were not very creditable to the institution : ne- vertheless, on the whole I am of opinion that the priests are innocent, from a conviction that they are ignorant of the means employed by those who are under them. Whatever may be the system, and whether the Indians be really dragged from their homes and famihes by armed parties, as some assert, or not, and forced to exchange their life of freedom and wandering for one of confinement and restraint in the missions, the change according to our ideas of happiness would seem advantageous to them, as they lead a far better life in the missions than in their forests, where they are in a state of nudity, and are frequently obliged to depend solely upon wild acorns for their subsistence. Immediately the Indians are brought to the mission they are placed under the tuition of some of the most enlightened of their countrymen, who teach them to repeat in Spanish the Lord's Prayer and certain pas- VOL. II. c IS VOYAGE TO THE sages in the Romish litany ; and also, to cross them- selves properly on entering the church. In a few days a willing Indian becomes a proficient in these mys- teries, and suffers himself to be baptized, and duly initiated into the church. If, however, as it not un- frequently happens, any of the captured Indians show a repugnance to conversion, it is the practice to im- prison them for a few days, and then to allow them to breathe a little fresh air in a walk round the mission, to observe the happy mode of life of their converted countrymen ; after which they are again shut up, and thus continue to be incarcerated until they declare their readiness to renounce the religion of their fore- fathers. I do not suppose that this apparently unjustifiable conduct would be pursued for any length of time ; and I had never an opportunity of ascertaining the fact, as the Indians are so averse to confinement that they very soon become impressed with the manifestly superior and more comfortable mode of life of those who are at liberty, and in a very few days declare their readiness to have the new religion explained to them. A person acquainted with the language of the parties, of which there are sometimes several dialects in the same mis- sion, is then selected to train them, and having duly prepared them takes his pupils to the padre to be bap- tized, and to receive the sacrament. Having become Christians they are put to trades, or if they have good voices they are taught music, and form part of the choir of the church. Thus there are in almost every mission weavers, tanners, shoemakers, bricklayers, car- penters, blacksmiths, and other artificers. Others again are taught husbandry, to rear cattle and horses ; and some to cook for the mission : while the females PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 19 card, clean, and spin wool, weave, and sew ; and those who are married attend to their domestic concerns. In requital of these benefits, the services of the In- dian, for life, belong to the mission, and if any neo- phyte should repent of his apostacy from the religion of his ancestors and desert, an armed force is sent in pursuit of him, and drags him back to punishment apportioned to the degree of aggravation attached to his crime. It does not often happen that a voluntary convert succeeds in his attempt to escape, as the wild Indians have a great contempt and dislike for those who have entered the missions, and they will fre- quently not only refuse to re-admit them to their tribe, but will sometimes even discover their retreat to their pursuers. This animosity between the wild and con- verted Indians is of great importance to the missions, as it checks desertion, and is at the same time a pow- erful defence against the wild tribes, who consider their territory invaded, and have other just causes of complaint. The Indians, besides, from political mo- tives, are, I fear, frequently encouraged in a con- temptuous feeling towards their unconverted country- men, by hearing them constantly held up to them in the degrading light of h^stias ! and in hearing the Spaniards distinguished by the appellation of g^nte de raz6n. The produce of the land, and of the labour of the Indians, is appropriated to the support of the mission and the overplus to amass a fund which is entirely at the disposal of the padres. In some of the establish- ments this must be very large, although the padres will not admit it, and always plead poverty. The go- vernment has lately demanded a part of this profit, but the priests who, it is said, think the Indians are c 2 20 VOYAGE TO THE more entitled to it than the government, make small donations to them, and thus evade the tax by taking care there shall be no overplus. These donations in some of the missions are greater than in others, ac- cording as one establishment is more prosperous than another ; and on this also, in a great measure, depends the comforts of the dwellings, and the neatness, the cleanliness, and the clothiug of the people. In some of the missions much misery prevails, while in others there is a degree of cheerfulness and cleanliness which shows that many of the Indians require only care and proper management to make them as happy as their dull senses will admit of under a Hfe of constraint. The two missions of San Francisco and San Jose are examples of the contrast alluded to. The former in 1817 contained a thousand converts, who were housed in small huts around the mission ; but at present only two hundred and sixty remain — some have been sent, it is true, to the new mission of San Francisco Solano, but sickness and death have dealt with an unsparing hand among the others. The huts of the absentees, at the time of our visit, had all fallen to decay, and presented heaps of filth and rubbish ; while the remaining inmates of the mission were in as miserable a condition as it was possible to conceive, and were entirely regardless of their own comfort. Their hovels afforded scarcely any protection against the weather, and were black with smoke: some of the Indians were sleeping on the greasy floor; others were grinding baked acorns to make into cakes, which con- stitute a large portion of their food. So little atten- tion indeed had been paid even to health, that in one hut there was a quarter of beef suspended opposite a window in a verv offensive and unwholesome state. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 21 but its owners were too indolent to throw it out. San Jose, on the other hand, was all neatness, cleanli- ness, and comfort ; the Indians were amusing them- selves between the hours of labour at their games ; and the children, uniformly dressed in white bodices and scarlet petticoats, were playing at bat and ball. Part of this difference may arise from the habits of the people, who are of different tribes. Langsdorff observes, that the Indians of the mission of San Jos^ are the handsomest tribe in California, and in every way a finer race of men ; and terms the neophytes of San Francisco pigmies compared with them. I cannot say that this remark occurred to me, and I think it probable that he may have been deceived by the appa- rently miserable condition of the people of San Fran- cisco. The children and adults of both sexes, in all the missions, are carefully locked up every night in sepa- rate apartments, and the keys are delivered into the possession of the padre ; and as, in the daytime, their occupations lead to distinct places, unless they form a matrimonial alliance, they enjoy very little of each other's society. It, however, sometimes happens that they endeavour to evade the vigilance of their keepers, and are locked up with the opposite sex ; but severe corporeal punishment, inflicted in the same manner as is practised in our schools, but with a whip instead of a rod, is sure to ensue if they are discovered. Though there may be occasional acts of tyranny, yet the ge- neral character of the padres is kind and benevolent, and in some of the missions, the converts are so much attached to them that I have heard them declare they wonld go with them, if they were obliged to quit the country. It is greatly to be regretted that with the 22 VOYAGE TO THE influence these men have over their pupils, and with the regard those pupils seem to have for their mas- ters, that the priests do not interest themselves a little more in the education of their converts, the first step to which would be in making themselves acquainted with the Indian language. Many of the Indians sur- pass their pastors in this respect, and can speak the Spanish language, while scarcely one of the padres can make themselves understood by the Indians. They have besides, in general, a lamentable contempt for the intellect of these simple people, and think them incapable of improvement beyond a certain point. Notwithstanding this, the Indians are, in general, well clothed and fed ; they have houses of their own, and if they are not confortable, it is, in a great measure, their own fault ; their meals are given to them three times a day, and consist of thick gruel made of wheat, Indian corn, and sometimes acorns, to which at noon is generally added meat. Clothing of a better kind than that worn by the Indians is given to the officers of the missions, both as a reward for their services, and to create an emulation in others. If it should happen that there is a scarcity of pro- visions, either through failure in the crop, or damage of that which is in store, as they have always two or three years in reserve, the Indians are sent off to the woods to provide for themselves, where, accustomed to hunt and fish, and game being very abundant, they find enough to subsist upon, and return to the mis- sion, when they are required to reap the next year's harvest. Having served ten years in the mission, an Indian may claim his liberty, provided any respectable settler \yill become surety for his future good conduct. A PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 23 piece of ground is then allotted for his support, but he is never wholly free from the establishment, as part of his earnings must still be given to them. We heard of very few to whom this reward for servitude and good conduct had been granted ; and it is not impro- bable that the padres are averse to it, as it deprives them of their best scholars. When these establish- ments were first founded, the Indians flocked to them in great numbers for the clothing with which the neophytes were supplied; but after they became ac- quainted with the nature of the institution, and felt themselves under restraint, many absconded. Even now, notwithstanding the difficulty of escaping, de- sertions are of frequent occurrence, owing probably, in some cases, to the fear of punishment — in others to the deserters having been originally inveigled into the mission by the converted Indians or the neophytes, as they are called by way of distinction to Los Gentiles, or the wild Indians — in other cases again to the fickle- ness of their own disposition. Some of the converted Indians are occasionally sta- tioned in places which are resorted to by the wild tribes for the purpose of ojffering them flattering ac- counts of the advantages of the mission, and of per- suading them to abandon their barbarous life ; while others obtain leave to go into the territory of the Gentiles to visit their friends, and are expected to bring back converts with them when they return. At a particular period of the year, also, when the Indians can be spared from the agricultural concerns of the establishment, many of them are permitted to take the launch of the mission, and make excursions to the Indian territory. All are anxious to go on such occa- sions, some to visit their friends, some to procure the 1826. 24 VOYAGE TO THE CHAP, manufactures of their barbarous countrymen, which, v^ ' , by the by, are often better than their own ; and some Nov. with the secret determination never to return. On these occasions the padres desire them to induce as many of their unconverted brethren as possible to accompany them back to the mission, of course, implying that this is to be done only by persua- sion ; but the boat being furnished with a cannon and musketry, and in every respect equipped for war, it too often happens that the neophytes, and the g^nte de razon, who superintend the direction of the boat, avail themselves of their superiority, with the desire of ingratiating themselves with their masters, and of receiving a reward. There are, besides, repeated acts of aggression which it is necessary to punish, all of which furnish proselytes. Women and children are generally the first objects of capture, as their hus- bands and parents sometimes voluntarily follow them into captivity. These misunderstanding and captivities keep up a perpetual enmity amongst the tribes, whose thirst for revenge is almost insatiable. We had an opportunity of witnessing the tragical issue of one of these holyday excursions of the neo- phytes of the mission of San Jose. The launch was armed as usual, and placed under the superintendance of an alcalde of the mission, who, it appears from one statement (for there are several), converted the party of pleasure either into one of attack for the purpose of procuring proselytes, or of revenge upon a particu- lar tribe for some aggression in which they were con- cerned. They proceeded up the Rio San Joachin until they came to the territory of a particular tribe named Cosemenes, when they disembarked with the gun, and encamped for the night near the village of Los PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 25 Gentiles, intending to make an attack upon them chap. the next morning; but before they were prepared, ■. ' the Gentiles, who had been apprised of their intention. Nov. . 1826 and had collected a large body of friends, became the assailants, and pressed so hard upon the party that, notwithstanding they dealt death in every direction with their cannon and musketry, and were inspired with confidence by the contempt in which they held the valour and tactics of their unconverted country- men, they were overpowered by numbers, and obliged to seek their safety in flight, and to leave the gun in the woods. Some regained the launch and were saved, and others found their way overland to the mission ; but thirty-four of the party never returned to tell their tale. There were other accounts of this unfortunate affair, one of which accused the padre of authorising the attack ; and another stated that it was made in self- defence ; but that which I have given appeared to be the most probable. That the reverend father should have sanctioned such a proceeding is a supposition so totally at variance with his character, that it will not obtain credit ; and the other was in all probability the report of the alcalde to excuse his own conduct. They all agreed, however, in the fatal termination of their excursion, and the neophytes became so enraged at the news of the slaughter of their companions, that it was almost impossible to prevent them from proceed- ing forthwith to revenge their deaths. The padre was also greatly displeased at the result of the excursion, as the loss of so many Indians to the mission was of the greatest consequence, and the confidence with which the victory would inspire the Indians was equally alarming. He, therefore, joined with the 26 VOYAGE TO THE converted Indians in a determination to chastise and strike terror into the victorious tribe, and in concert with the governor planned an expedition against them. The mission furnished money, arms, Indians, and horses, and the presidio provided troops, headed by the alferez, Sanchez, a veteran who had been fre- quently engaged with the Indians, and was acquainted with every part of the country. The troops carried with them their armour and shields, as a defence against the arrows of the Indians : the armour con- sisted of a helmet and jerkin made of stout skins, quite impenetrable to an arrow, and the shield might almost vie with that of Ajax in the number of its folds. The expedition set out on the 19th of November, and we heard nothing of it until the 27th ; but two days after the troops had taken the field, some im- mense columns of smoke rising above the mountains in the direction of the Cosemenes, bespoke the con- flagration of the village of the persecuted Gentiles. And on the dav above-mentioned, the veteran San- chez made a triumphant entry into the mission of San Jos6, escorting forty miserable women and child- ren, the gun that had been taken in the first battle, and other trophies of the field. This victory, so glo- rious, according to the ideas of the conqueror, was achieved with the loss of only one man on the part of the Christians, who was mortally wounded by the bursting of his own gun ; but on the part of the enemy it was considerable, as Sanchez the morning after the battle counted forty-one men, women, and children, dead. It is remarkable that none of the prisoners were wounded, and it is greatly to be feared that the Christians, who could scarcely be prevented PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 27 from revenging the death of their relations upon those who were hrought to the mission, glutted their brutal passion on all the wounded who fell into their hands. The despatch which the alferez wrote to his com- manding officer on the occasion of this successful ter- mination of his expedition, will convey the best idea of what was executed, and their manner of conducting such an assault. Translation — " Journal kept by citizen Jose Anto- nio Sanchez, ensign of cavalry of the presidio of San Francisco, during the enterprise against the Gen- tiles, called Cosemenes, for having put to death the neophytes of the mission of San Jose." — Written with gunpowder on the field of battle ! " On the morning of the 20th the troop commenced its march, and, after stopping to dine at Las Positas, reached the river San Joachin at eleven o'clock at night, when it halted. This day's march was per- formed without any accident, except that neighbour Jos6 Ancha was nearly losing his saddle. The next day the alferez determined to send forward the ' auxi- liary neophytes' to construct balsas* for the troop to pass a river that was in advance of them. The troop followed, and all crossed in safety ; but among the last of the horses that forded the river was one be- longing to soldier Leandro Flores, who lost his bridle, threw his rider, and kicked him in the face and fore- head ; and as poor Flores could not swim, he was in a fair way of losing his life before he came within sight of the field of battle : assistance was speedily rendered, and he was saved. As Sanchez wished to surprise the enemy, he encamped until dusk, to avoid * These are rafts made of rushes, and are the Indian substitute for canoes. 28 VOYAGE TO THE being seen by the wild Indians, who were travelHng the country ; several of whom were met and taken prisoners. At five they resumed their march ; but neighbour Gexbano Chaboya being taken ill with a pain in his stomach, there was a temporary halt of the armv: it however soon set forward again, and ar- rived at the river of Yachicume at eleven at night, with only one accident, occasioned by the horse of neighbour Leandro Flores again throwing up his heels, and giving him a formidable fall. " The troop lay in ambush until five o'clock the next evening, and then set out but here they were distressed by two horses running away ; they were however both taken after a short march, which brought them to the river San Francisco, near the rancheria of their enemy the Cosemenes, and where the alferez commanded his troops to prepare for battle, by putting on their cueros, or armour. The 23d the troop divided, and one division was sent round to intercept the Cosemenes, who had discovered the Christians, and were retreating ; some of whom they made prisoners, and immediately the firing be- gan. It had lasted about an hour, when the musket of soldier Jose Maria Garnez burst, and inflicted a mortal wound in his forehead ; but this misfortune did not hinder the other soldiers from firing. The Gen- tiles also opened their fire of arrows, and the skirmish- ing became general. Towards noon a shout was heard in the north quarter, and twenty Gentiles were seen skirmishing with three Christians, two on foot and one on horseback, and presently another shout was heard, and the Christians were seen flying, and the Gentiles in pursuit of them, who had already cap- tured the horse. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 29 " It was now four o'clock, and the alf^rez, seeing that the Gentiles, who were in ambush, received little injury, disposed every thing for the retreat of the troops, and having burnt the rancheria, and seen some dead bodies, he retreated three quarters of a league, and encamped for the night. On the 24th the troops divided into two parties, one charged with booty and prisoners amounting to forty-four souls, mostly women. " The other party went with the veteran Sanchez to the rancheria, to reconnoitre the dead bodies of which he counted forty-one men, women, and children. They met with an old woman there, the only one that was left alive, who was in so miserable a state that thev showed their compassion by taking no account of her. The alferez then set out in search of the cannon that had been abandoned by the first expedition. The whole of the troop afterwards retreated, and arrived at the mission of San Jos^ on the night of the 27th." This truly ludicrous account of an expedition of such trifling importance might appear to require an apology for its insertion, but it conveys so good an idea of the opposition to be expected by any power which might think proper to land upon the coast of California, that its omission might fairly be considered a neglect. The prisoners they had captured were immediately enrolled in the list of the mission, except a nice little boy, whose mother was shot while running away with him in her arms, and he was sent to the presidio, and was, I heard, given to the alferez as a reward for his services. The poor little orphan had received a slight wound in his forehead ; he wept bitterly at first, and refused to eat, but in time became reconciled to his fate. 30 VOYAGE TO THE Those who were taken to the mission were imme- diately converted, and were daily taught by the neo- phytes to repeat the Lord's prayer and certain hymns in the Spanish language. I happened to visit the mis- sion about this time, and saw these unfortunate beings under tuition ; they were clothed in blankets, and arranged in a row before a blind Indian, who under- stood their dialect, and was assisted by an alcalde to keep order. Their tutor began by desiring them to kneel, informing them that he was going to teach them the names of the persons composing the Tri- nity, and that they were to repeat in Spanish what he dictated. The neophytes being thus arranged, the speaker be- gan, " Santissima Trinidada, Dios, Jesu Cristo, Espi- ritu Santo" — pausing between each name, to listen if the simple Indians, who had never spoken a Spanish word before, pronounced it correctly, or any thing near the mark. After they had repeated these names satis- factorily, their blind tutor, after a pause added, " San- tos"— and recapitulated the names of a great many saints, which finished the morning's tuition. I did not attend the next schooling to hear what was the ensuing task, but saw them arranged on their knees, repeating Spanish words as before. They did not appear to me to pay much attention to what was going forward, and I observed to the padre that I thought their teachers had an arduous task ; but he said they had never found any difficulty ; that the Indians were accustomed to change their own gods, and that their conversion was in a measure habitual to them. I could not help smiling at this reason of the padre, but have no doubt it was very true; and that the party I saw would feel as little PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 31 compunction at apostatizing again, whenever they should have an opportunity of returning to their own tribe. The expenses of the late expedition fell heavy upon the mission, and I was glad to find that the padre thought it was paying very dear for so few converts, as in all probability it will lessen his desire to under- take another expedition ; and the poor Indians will be spared the horrors of being butchered by their own countrymen, or dragged from their homes into perpe- tual captivity. He was also much concerned to think the Cosemenes had stood their ground so firmly, and he was under some little apprehension of an attack upon the mission. Impressed with this idea, and in order to defend himself the more effectually, he begged me to furnish him with a few fireworks, which he thought would strike terror into his enemies in case of necessitv. Morning and evening mass are daily performed in the missions, and high mass as it is appointed by the Romish Church, at which all the converted Indians are obliged to attend. The commemoration of the anniversary of the patroness saint took place during my visit at San Jose, and high mass was celebrated in the church. Before the prayers began, there was a procession of the young female Indians, with which I was highly pleased. They were neatly dressed in scarlet petticoats, and white bodices, and walked in a very orderly manner to the church, where they had places assigned to them apart from the males. After the bell had done tolling, several alguazils went round to the huts, to see if all the Indians were at church, and if they found any loitering within them, they exercised with tolerable freedom a long lash with a 32 VOYAGE TO THE broad thong at the £nd of it ; a discipline which ap- peared the more tyrannical, as the church was not sufficiently capacious for all the attendants, and seve- ral sat upon the steps without ; but the Indian women who had been captured in the affair with the Cose- menes were placed in a situation where they could see the costly images, and vessels of burning incense, and every thing that was going forward. The congregation was arranged on both sides of the building, separated by a wide aisle passing along the centre, in which were stationed several alguazils with whips, canes, and goads, to preserve silence and maintain order, and, what seemed more difficult than either, to keep the congregation in their kneeling posture. The goads were better adapted to this pur- pose than the whips, as they would reach a long way, and inflict a sharp puncture without making any noise. The end of the church was occupied by a guard of soldiers under arms, with fixed bayonets ; a precaution which I suppose experience had taught the necessity of observing. Above them there was a choir consisting of several Indian musicians, who performed very well indeed on various instruments, and sang the Te Deum in a very passable manner. The congregation was very attentive, but the gratifi- cation they appeared to derive from the music fur- nished another proof of the strong hold this portion of the ceremonies of the Romish church takes upon uninformed minds. The worthy and benevolent priests of the mission devote almost the whole of their time to the duties of the establishment, and have a fatherly regard for those placed under them who are obedient and diligent ; and too much praise cannot be bestowed upon them. PACIFIC AND BEERIKG'S STRAIT. 33' considering that they have relinquished many of the enjoyments of life, and have embraced a voluntary exile in a distant and barbarous country. The only amusement which my hospitable host of the mission of San Jose indulged in, during my visit to that place, was during meal times, when he amused himself by throwing pancakes to the 7nuchachos, a number of little Indian domestics, who stood gaping round the table. For this purpose, he had every day two piles of pancakes made of Indian corn ; and as soon as the 611a was removed, he would fix his eyes upon one of the boys, wdio immediately opened his mouth, and the padre, rolling up a cake, would say something ludi- crous in allusion to the boy's appetite, or to the size of his mouth, and pitch the cake at him, which the imp would catch between his teeth, and devour with incredible rapidity, in order that he might be ready the sooner for another, as well as to please the padre, whose amusement consisted in a great measure in witnessing the sudden disappearance of the cake. In this manner the piles of cakes were gradually distri- buted among the boys, amidst much laughter, and occasional squabbling. Nothing could exceed the kindness and considera- tion of these excellent men to their guests and to travellers, and they were seldom more pleased than when any one paid their mission a visit : we always fared well there, and even on fast days were provided with fish dressed in various ways, and preserves made with the fruit of the country. We had, however, occasionally some difficulty in maintaining our good temper, in consequence of the unpleasant remarks which the difference of our religion brought from the padres, who were very bigoted men, and invariably: VOL. II. D 34 VOYAGE TO THE introduced this subject. At other times they were very conversible, and some of them were ingenious and clever men ; but they had been so long excluded from the civilized world, that their ideas and their politics, like the maps pinned against the walls, bore date of 1772, as near as I could read it for fly spots. Their geographical knowledge was equally backward, as my host at San Jos6 had never heard of the dis- coveries of Captain Cook ; and because Otaheite was not placed upon his chart, he would scarcely credit its existence. The Indians after their conversion are quiet and tractable, but extremely indolent, and given to intoxi- cation, and other vices. Gambling in particular they indulge in to an unlimited extent: they pledge the very clothes on their backs, and not unfrequently have been known to play for each other's wives. They have several games of their own, besides some with cards, which have been taught them by the Spaniards. Those which are most common, and are derived from the wild Indians, are touss6, called by the Spaniards pares y nones, odd or even ; escondido, or hunt the slipper ; and takersia. The first, though sometimes played as in England, generally consists in concealing a piece of wood in one hand, and holding out both for the guessing party to declare in which it is contained. The intense interest that is created by its performance has been amusingly described by Perouse. The second, escon- dido, needs no description ; the last, takersia, requires some skill to play well, and consists in rolling a cir- cular piece of wood with a hole in its centre along the ground, and throwing a spear through it as it rolls. If the spear pierces the hole, it counts ten PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 35 towards the game ; and if it arrests the wood in such a manner that it falls upon the spear, two is reckoned. It is a sport well calculated to improve the art of throwing the spear: but the game requires more practice to play it well than the Indians usually bestow upon it. At some of the missions they pursue a custom said to be of great antiquity among the aborigines, and which appears to afford them much enjoyment. A mud house, or rather a large oven, called temeschal by the Spaniards, is built in a circular form, with a small entrance, and an aperture in the top for the smoke to escape through. Several persons enter this place quite naked and make a fire near the door, which they continue to feed with wood as long as they can bear the heat. In a short time they are thrown into a most profuse perspiration, they wring their hair, and scrape their skin with a sharp piece of wood or an iron hoop, in the same manner as coach horses are sometimes treated when they come in heated ; and then plunge into a river or pond of cold water, which they always take care shall be near the temeschal. A similar practice to this is mentioned by Shelekoff as being in use among the Konaghi, a tribe of Indians near Cook's River, who have a method of heating the oven with hot stones, by which they avoid the discom- fort occasioned by the wood smoke ; and, instead of scraping their skin with iron or bone, rub themselves with grass and twigs. Formerly the missions had small villages attached to them, in which the Indians lived in a very filthy state; these have almost all disappeared since Vancouver's visit, and the converts are disposed of in huts as before described ; and it is only when sickness prevails to a d2 36 VOYAGE TO THE great extent that it is necessary to erect these liahita- tions, in order to separate the sick from those who are in health. Sickness in general prevails to an incredi- ble extent in all the missions, and on comparing the census of the years 1786 and 1813, the proportion of deaths appears to be increasing. At the former period there had been only 7,701 Indians baptized, out of which 2,388 had died ; but in 1813 there had been 37,437 deaths to only 57,328 baptisms. The establishments are badly supplied with medi- cines, and the reverend fathers, their only medical ad- visers, are inconceivably ignorant of the use of them. In one mission there was a seaman who pretended to some skill in pharmacy, but he knew little or nothing of it, and perhaps often did more harm than good. The Indians are also extremely careless and obstinate, and prefer their own simples to any other remedies, which is not unfrequently the occasion of their dis- ease having a fatal termination. The Indians in general submit quietly to the disci- pline of the missions, yet insurrections have occasion- ally broken out, particularly in the early stage of the settlement, when father Tamoral and other priests suffered martyrdom.* In 1823, also, a priest was mur- dered in a general insurrection in the vicinity of San Luis Rey ; and in 1827, the soldiers of the garrison were summoned to quell another riot in the same quarter. The situations of the missions, particularly that of San Jose, are in general advantageously chosen. Each establishment has fifteen square miles of s'round, of which part is cultivated, and the rest appropriated to * Noticias cle California, by Miguel Venegas. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 37 the grazing and rearing of cattle ; for in portioning out the ground, care has been taken to avoid that which is barren. The most productive farms are held by the missions of San Jose, Santa Clara, San Juan, and Santa Cruz. That of San Francisco appears to be badly situated, in consequence of the cold fogs from the sea, which approach the mission through several deep valleys, and turn all the vegetation brown that is exposed to them, as is the case in Shetland with the tops of every tree that rises above the walls. Still, with care, more might be grown in this mission than it is at present made to produce. Santa Cruz is rich in supplies, probably on account of the greater demand by merchant vessels, whalers in particular, who not unfrequently touch there the last thing on leaving the coast, and take on board what vegetables they require ; the quantity of which is so considerable, that it not unfrequently happens that the missions are for a time completely drained. On this account it is advisable, on arriving at any of the ports, to take an early oppor- tunity of ordering every thing that may be required. A quantity of grain, such as wheat and Indian corn, is annually raised in all the missions, except San Francisco, which, notwithstanding it has a farm at Burri Burri, is sometimes obliged to have recourse to the other establishments. Barley and oats are said to be scarcely worth the cultivation, but beans, pease, and other leguminous vegetables are in abundance, and fruit is plentiful. The land requires no manure at present, and yields on an average twenty for one. San Jose reaps about 3,000 fanegas * of wheat annually. Hides and tallow constitute the principal riches of the * A fanega is one hundred pounds weight. 38 VOYAGE TO THE missions, and the staple commodity of the commerce of the country : a profitable revenue might also be de- rived from grain were the demand for it on the coast such as to encourage them to cultivate a larger quantity than is required by the Indians attached to the missions. Sdn Jos^, which possesses 15,000 head of cattle, cures about 2,000 hides annually, and as many botas of tal- low, which are either disposed of by contract to a mercantile estabHshment at Monterey, or to vessels in the harbour. The price of these hides may be judged by their finding a ready market on the Lima coast. Though there are a great many sheep in the country, as may be seen by the mission, San Jos6 alone possessing 3,000, yet there is no export of wool, in consequence of the consumption of that arti- cle in the manufacture of cloth for the missions. Husbandry is still in a very backward state, and it is fortunate that the soil is so fertile, and that there are abundance of labourers to perform the work, or I verily believe the people would be contented to live upon acorns. Their ploughs appear to have descended from the patriarchal ages, and it is only a pity that a little of the skill and industry then employed upon them should not have devolved upon the present ge- neration. It will scarcely be credited by agricul- turists in other countries, that there were seventy ploughs and two hundred oxen at work upon a piece of light ground of ten acres ; nor did the overseers appear to consider that number unnecessary, as the padre called our attention to this extraordinary ad- vancement of the Indians in civilization, and pointed out the most able workmen as the ploughs passed us in succession. The greater part of these ploughs fol- lowed in the same furrow without making much im- PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 39 presslon, until they approached the padre, when the ploughman gave the necessary inclination of the hand, and the share got hold of the ground. It would have been good policy for the padre to have moved gradu- ally along the field, by which he would have had it properly ploughed ; but he seemed to be quite satisfied with the performance. Several of the missions, but particularly that of Santa Barbara, make a wine re- sembling claret, though not near so palatable, and they also distil an ardent spirit resembling arrack. In this part of California, besides the missions, there are several pueblos, or villages, occupied by Spaniards and their families, who have availed them- selves of the privileges granted by the old govern- ment, and have relinquished the sword for the plough- share. There are also a few settlers who are farmers, but, with these exceptions, the country is almost un- inhabited. Perhaps I cannot convey a better idea of the deserted state of the country, or of the capability of its soil, than by inserting a short narrative which I have compiled from the journals of three of my offi- cers who travelled over land from Sdn Francisco to " the famous port of Monterey." I have already stated that it was found expedient to make this journey to learn whether any supphes could be procured for the ship ; and in consequence Mr. Collie, the surgeon, Mr. Marsh, the purser, and Mr. Evans, who was well acquainted with the Spanish lan- guage, were requested to proceed on this service. As it was of importance that no time should be lost in acquiring this information, they had very little time allowed them to prepare for so long, and, to seamen, so unusual a journey ; but as the mode of travelling in that rude country admitted but few incumbrances, the 40 . VOYAGE TO THE omission of these preparations was of less conse- quence. In order to reach a tolerable halting place for the night, the first day's journey was necessarily long, and consequently by daylight on the 9th November the three officers were on their road to the mission ; hav- ino" found horses and an escort prepared in pursuance of previous arrangements. Setting off at a round trot, they made the best of their way over three or four miles of ground so over- grown with dwarf oaks and other trees, that they were every moment in danger of being thrown from their horses, or having their eyes torn out by the branches as they passed. In half an hour, however, they reached the mission of San Francisco, and soon for- got the little annoyances they had hitherto met with in the hospitable welcome of the good priest, who re- galed them with excellent pears and new milk. Nor was his conversation less palatable than his cheer ; for, notwithstanding the introduction of half a dozen un- necessary si senors in each sentence, he contrived to amuse the vacant time with a flow of most genuine humour, for which Tomaso was always prepared, till the rattling accoutrements of a Californian dragoon announced the arrival of the passport from the go- vernor. Intrusting their baggage to the care of two vaqueros (Indian cattle drivers) who were to accom- pany them, and receiving each a blessing from the padre, they set off with their escort about ten o'clock in the forenoon. The cavalcade consisted of three officers of the Blossom, the two vaqueros, and their champion the dragoon, preceded by nine or ten loose horses, driven on before as a relay, to be used when those they mounted should become fatigued. These PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 4\ Rozinaiites are not much inclined to deviate from the road, but if any thing should inspire them with a spirit of straying, the unerring lasso, the never-failing appendage to a Californian saddlebow, soon embraces their neck or their feet, and brings them back again to the right way. I must not, however, permit the party to proceed farther without introducing to the notice of the reader the costume and equipment of this dragoon of Cali- fornia. As for his person, I do not find it described, but his dress consisted of a round blue cloth jacket with red cuffs and collar ; blue velvet breeches, which being unbuttoned at the knees, gave greater display to a pair of white cotton stockings, cased more than halfway in a pair of deer skin boots. A black hat, as broad in the brim as it was disproportionably low in the crown, kept in order, by its own weight, a pro- fusion of dark hair, which met behind, and dangled half way down the back in the form of a thick queue. A long musket, with a fox skin bound round the lock, was balanced upon the pummel of the saddle ; and our hero was further provided for defence against the Indians with a bull's hide shield, on which, not- withstanding the revolution of the colony, were em- blazoned the royal arms of Spain, and by a double- fold deer skin cuirass as a covering for his body. Thus accoutred he bestrode a saddle, which retained him in his seat by a high pummel in front and a cor- responding rise behind. His feet were armed at the heels with a tremendous pair of iron spurs, secured by a metal chain ; and were thrust through an enor- mous pair of wooden box- shaped stirrups. Such was the person into whose charge our shipmates were placed by the governor, with a passport which com- 42 VOYAGE TO THE manded him not to permit any person to interfere with the party either in its advance or on its return, and that it was to be escorted from place to place by a soldier. Leaving the mission of San Francisco, the party receded from the only part of the country that is wooded for any considerable distance, and ascended a chain of hills about a thousand feet in height, where they had an extensive view, comprehending the sea, the Farallones rocks, and the distant Punta de los Reyes, a headland so named by the expedition under Sebastian Viscaino in 1602. The ridge which aiforded this wide prospect was called Sierra de San Bruno, and for the most part was covered with a burnt-up grass, but such places as were bare presented to the eye of the geologist rocks of sandstone conglomerate, intersected by a few veins of jaspar. Winding through the Sierre de San Bruno, they crossed a river of that name, and opened out the broad arm of the sea which leads from the port to Santa Clara, and is confined between the chain they were traversing and the Sierra de los Bolbones, distinguishable at a distance by a peaked mountain 3,783 feet high by trigonometrical measurement. Upon the summit of that part of the sierra bordering the arm of sea called Estrecho de Siin Jos^, a thick wood, named Palos Colorados from its consisting principally of red cedar pine, stands con- spicuous on the ridge. I mention this particularly, and wish to call attention to the circumstance, as the straggling trees at the south extreme of the wood are used as landmarks for avoiding a dangerous rock which we discovered in the harbour, and named after the Blossom. About noon they reached a small cottage named 1826. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 43 Burr! Burri, about twelve miles from Sdn Francisco ; chap. and being unused to travelling, especially upon Cali- v ^^ fornian saddles, which are by no means constructed Nov. for comfort, they determined to rest, until the baggage that had been left in the rear should overtake them. The house in which they lodged was a small mi- serable mud cottage full of holes, which, however, afforded them some repose and some new milk. Its in- habitants had been engaged in tanning, in which pro- cess they used a liquid extracted from oak bark, con- tained in a hide suspended by the corners. They had also collected in great quantities a very useful root called in that country amoles, which seems to answer all the purposes of soap. From Burri Burri, a continuation of the Sierra de San Bruno passes along the centre of the peninsula formed by the sea and the Estrecho de San Jos6, and is separated from this arm of the harbour by a plain, upon which the travellers now descended from the mountains, and journied at a more easy and agreeable rate than they had done on the rugged paths among the hills. This plain near the sea is marshy, and having obtained the name of Las Salinas is probably over- flowed occasionally by the sea. The number of wild geese which frequent it is quite extraordinary, and indeed would hardly be credited by any one who had not seen them covering whole acres of ground, or rising in myriads with a clang that may be heard at a very considerable distance. They are said to arrive in California in November, and to remain there until March. Their flesh in general is hard and fishy, but it was reported by padre Luis Gil, of the mission of Santa Crux, that those which have yellow feet are exceptions to this, and are excellent eating. The '44 VOYAGE TO THE blackbirds are almost equally numerous, and in their distant flight resemble clouds. Among the marshes there were also a great many storks and cranes, which in San Francisco have the reputation of afford- ing a most delicious repast. Travelling onward, the hills on their right, known in that part as the Sierra del Sur, began to approach the road, which passing over a small eminence, opened out upon a wide country of meadow land, with clusters of fine oak free from underwood. It strongly re- sembled a nobleman's park: herds of cattle and horses were grazing upon the rich pasture, and nume- rous fallow-deer, startled at the approach of strangers bounded off to seek protection among the hills. The resemblance, however, could be traced no farther. Instead of a noble mansion, in character with so fine a country, the party arrived at a miserable mud dwel- ling, before the door of which a number of half-naked Indians were basking in the sun. Several dead geese, deprived of their entrails, were fixed upon pegs around a large pole, for the purpose of decoying the living game into snares, which were placed for them in favourable situations. Heaps of bones also of various animals were lying about the place, and sadly disgraced the park-like scenery around. This spot is named San Matheo, and belongs to the mission of San Francisco. Quitting this spot, they arrived at a farm-house about half way between San Francisco and Santa Clara, called Las Pulgas (fleas) ; a name which af- forded much mirth to our travellers, in which they were heartily joined by the inmates of the dweUing, who were very well aware that the name had not been bestowed without cause. It was a miserable habita- tion, with scarcely any furniture, surrounded by PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 45 decaying hides and bones. Still, fatigue renders re- pose sweet upon whatsoever it can be indidged, and our party were glad enough to stretch themselves awhile upon a creaking couch, the only one in the hut, notwithstanding that the owner had a numerous family. Here, had there been accommodation, and had the place not acquired the reputation its name conveys, they would willingly have ended their day's journey ; but the idea of las pulgas, sufficiently numerous in all the houses of California, determined them to proceed as soon as they conveniently could. The plain still continued animated with herds of cattle, horses, and sheep grazing ; but the noble clusters of oak were now varied with shrubberies, which afforded a retreat to numerous coveys of Cahfornian partridges, of which handsome species of game the first specimen was brought to England by the Blossom, and is now living in the gardens of the Zoological Society. They are excellent food ; and the birds, in the coun- try nov/ under description, are so tame that they would often not start from a stone directed with Indian skill. The sun went down before they reached Santa Clara, which was to terminate that day's journey, and being unaccustomed to ride, the whole party were thoroughly fatigued. Indeed, so wearying was the journey even to the animals that bore them, that but for the relays of horses, which were now broueht ••11 • m with a lasso, they might have been compelled to pass the night upon the plain among the geese, the jackals, and the bears, which in the vicinity of Santa Clara are by no means scarce. The pleasure of re- moving from a jaded horse to one that is fresh is not unknown probably to my readers, and our party rode 46 VOYAGE TO THE ill comparative comfort the remainder of the journey, and reached the mission of Santa Clara at eight o'clock. Santa Clara, distant by the road about forty miles from San Francisco, is situated in the extensive plain before described, v;hich here, however, becomes more marshy than that part of the ground over which they had just travelled. It nevertheless continues to be occupied by herds of cattle, horses, sheep, and flocks of geese. Here, also, troops of jackals prowl about in the most daring manner, making the plain resound with their melancholy bowlings ; and indeed both wild and domesticated animals seem to lose their fear and become familiar with their tvrant man. The buildings of the establishment, which was founded in 1768, consists of a church, the dwelling-house of the priests, and five rows of buildings for the accommoda- tion of 1,400 Indians, who since Vancouver's visit, have been thus provided with comparatively comfortable dwellings, instead of occupying straw huts, which were always wet and miserable. Attached to these are some excellent orchards, producing an abundance of apples and pears. Olives and grapes are also plen- tiful, and the padres are enabled to make from the latter about twenty barrels of wine annually. They besides grow a great quantity of wheat, beans, peas, and other vegetables. On the whole this is one of the best regulated and most cleanly missions in the country. Its herds of cattle amount to 10,000 in number, and of horses there are about 300. When our travellers visited the mission it was governed by padres Jose and Machin, two priests of the mendicant order of San Francisco, to which class belong all the priests in Upper California. They ap- PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 47 peared to lead a comfortable life, though not over well provided with its luxuries. We will not, however, pry too narrowly into the internal arrangements of the good fathers' dwelling ; let it suffice, that they gave our travellers a cordial welcome, and entertained them at their board in a most hospitable manner. After joining them in a dram of aquadente, they allowed their guests to retire to their sleeping apartment, where, stretched upon couches of bull-hide as tough and impenetrable as the cuirass of their friend the dragoon (who left them at this place), they soon fell asleep — thanks to exces- sive weariness — and slept as soundly as las pulgas would let them. Having breakfasted the following morning with the padres, and being provided with fresh horses, a new escort and vaqueros, the party was about to start, but were delayed by the punishment of an Indian who had stolen a blanket, for which he received two dozen lashes with a leathern thong upon that part of the human frame, which, we learn from Hudibras, is the most susceptible of insult. Some other Indians were observed to be heavily shackled, but the causes of their punishment were not stated. A beautiful avenue of trees, nearlv three miles in length, leads from the mission to the pueblo of San Jose, the largest settlement of the kind in Upper California. It consists of mud houses miserably provided in every respect, and contains about 500 inhabitants — retired soldiers and their families, who under the old government were allowed the privilege of forming settlements of this nature, and had a quantity of ground allotted to them for the use of their cattle. They style themselves G^nte de Raz6n, 48 - VOYAGE TO THE to distinguish them from the Indians, whose intel- lectual qualities are frequent subjects of animadversion amongst these enhghtened communities. They are governed by an alcalde, and have a chapel of their own, at which one of the priests of the mission oc- casionally officiates. About eighteen miles from Santa Clara, the party alighted upon the banks of a limpid stream, the first they had seen in their ride. It w^as too favourable a spot to be passed, and placing some milk and pears, which had been furnished by the hospitable priests at the mission, under the cool shade of an aliso-tree, they regaled themselves for a few minutes, and then re- sumed their journey. At the distance of eight leagues from Santa Clara, they passed some remark- able hills near the coast named El ojo del coclie ; and a few miles further on, they descended into the plain of Las Lldgas, so called from a battle which took place between the first settlers and the Indians, in which many of the former w^ere wounded. Stop- ping towards the extremity of this fertile plain at some cottages, named Ranchas de las animas, the only habitations they had seen since the morning, they dined upon some jerk beef, which, according to the old custom in this and other Spanish colonies, was served in silver dishes. Silver cups and spoons were also placed before our travellers, offering a singu- lar incongruity with the humble wooden benches, that were substituted for chairs, and with the whole ar- rangement of the room, which, besides the board of smoking jerk beef, contained beds for the family, and a horse harnessed to a flour mill. Leaving Llano de las Llagas, they ascended a low range of hills, and arrived at a river appropriately PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 49 named Rio de los Paxaros, from the number of wild ducks which occasionally resort thither. The hanks of this river are thickly lined with wood, and being very steep in many places, the party wound, with some difficulty, round the trunks of the trees and over the inequalities of the ground ; but their Californian steeds, untrammelled with shoes, and accustomed to all kinds of ground, never once stumbled. They rode for some time along the banks of this river, which, though so much broken, were very agreeable, and crossing the stream a few miles lower down, they left it to make its way towards the sea in a south-west direction, and themselves entered upon the Llano de San Juan, an extensive plain surrounded by mountains. It should have been told, before the party reached thus far, that as they w^ere riding peaceably over the Llano de las Animas, the clanking of their guide's huge broadsword, which had been substituted for the long musket of the soldier from the presidio, drew the attention of the party to his pursuit of a wild moun- tain-cat, which he endeavoured to ensnare with his lasso for the sake of its skin, which is said to be valuable. Two of these cats, which in species ap- proach the ocelot, were shot by our sportsmen at San Francisco. Their skins were preserved to be brought to this country, but on opening the collection they were not found, and we have reason to suspect that a man who assisted the naturalist disposed of these, as well as many other specimens, to his own advantage. Twilight approached as the party drew near to the mission of San Juan, where they alighted, after a ride of fifty-four miles, just as the bell tolled for vespers, andj stiff and tired, gladly availed themselves of the accommodation afforded by padre Arroyo, who in VOL. IT. E 50 VOYAGE TO THE hospitality and good humour endeavoured to exceed even the good father of Santa Clara. This worthy man was a native of Old Castile, and had resided in California since 1804, dividing his time between the duties of his holy avocation and various ingenious inventions. Supper was served in very acceptable time to the fatigued visiters, and the good-natured padre used every persuasion to induce them to do justice to his fare ; treating them to several appro- priate proverbs, such as " Un dia alegre vale cien anos de pesadumbre," (one day of mirth is worth a hundred years of grief,) and many more to the same purpose. Though so many summers had passed over his head in exile, his cheerfulness seemed in no way diminished, and he entertained his guests with a variety of anec- dotes of the Indians and of their encounters with the bears too long to be repeated here. Nor was his patriotism more diminished than his cheerfulness, and on learning that one of the party had been at the siege of Cadiz, his enthusiasm broke forth in the celebrated Spanish patriotic song of "Espana de la guerra, &c." Having served them with what he termed the viatlco, consisting of a plentiful supply of cold fricole beans, bread, and eggs, he led the party to their sleeping apartment amidst promises of horses for the morrow, and patriotic songs of his country adapted to the well-known air of Malbrook. Inter- rupting the good man's enthusiasm, they endeavoured to persuade the priest to allow them to proceed early in the morning, before the commencement of mass ; this, however, was impossible, and he shut them into their apartment, repeating the proverb, " Oir misa y dar cebada no impede Jornada," (to hear mass and bestow alms will not retard your journey). PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 51 When the morning came, it was a hoHday, and the vaqii^ros, not at all disposed to lose their recreation, had decamped with the saddles, and the party were obliged to pass the day at San Juan. After a small cup of chocolate, and a strip of dry bread, the only meal ever served in the missions until twelve o'clock, the party strolled over the grounds, and visited about thirty huts belonging to some newly converted Indians of the tribe of Tooleerayos (bulrushes). Their tents were about thirty-five feet in circumference, constructed with phable poles fixed in the ground and drawn to- gether at the top, to the height of twelve or fifteen feet. They are then interwoven with small twigs and covered with bulrushes, having an aperture at the side to admit the inhabitants, and another at the top to let out the smoke. The exterior appearance of these wretched wigwams greatly resembles a bee-hive. In each dwelling were nine or ten Indians of both sexes, and of all ages, nearly in a state of nudity, huddled round a fire kindled in the centre of the apartment, a prey to vermin, and presenting a picture of misery and wretchedness seldom beheld in even the most savage state of society. They seemed to have lost all the dignity of their nature ; even the black-birds (oriolus niger) had ceased to regard them as human beings, and were feeding in flocks among the wigwams. This was said to be the state in which the Indians naturally live, and the reader will not be surprised to hear that this party had voluntarily come from the mountains to be converted, and to join their civilized brethren at the mission. Happy \vould it be for these savages could they be once taught to make a proper use of that freedom which ought to follow their conversion to the pure religion of Christ, even under the restrained e2 52 VOYAGE TO THE form of Catholicism, that their minds might become by this means sufficiently improved to allow of their settling in independent Christian communities ; but, judging from their present mental capacity, it must be long before so great and desirable a change can be effected. The experiment of liberating the Indians has been tried and has failed ; * and appearances cer- tainly justify the assertion that the Indian is happier under control than while indulging his free soul in the wilds of his native country. What might seem a remarkable example of this was met with on turning from the dwelling of wretched- ness just described to a scene of the greatest mirth and happiness amongst some converted Indians, who were passing their holiday in amusement. Some were playing at tahersia, a game which, as already de- scribed, consists in trundling a hoop, or rather a piece of wood with a hole in it, and in endeavouring to pierce it with a short lance as it rolls. Another party were playing at a game resembling hochey, and in various parts of the plain adjoining the mission many others were engaged in pleasant recreations, passing their day in exercise, content, and enjoyment. In the neighbouring meadows there were several large herds of cattle ; and the geese settled there In flocks, as at the mission of Santa Clara. The rocks, where they protruded, were ascertained by Mr. Collie to be sandstone conglomerate with a calcareous basis. The welcome peal of the mission bell assembled the party at dinner ; but the padre, who for some time before had been earnestly engaged in endeavouring to * The effect of emancipation on the Indians is spoken of more fit large in an after part of this work. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 53 convert one of his heretic guests, was unwilHng to quit the train of theological disquisition which in his own opinion he had almost brought to successful issue, until reminded by his other visitors, who had not been accustomed to go so long without their breakfast, that they required something more sub- stantial. I will not attempt to stimulate the appetite of my reader by enumerating the various exquisite dishes which successively smoked on the board of the ge- nerous priest, suffice it that there were many good ones, as the padres in California are careful to have their table well supplied at all times of the year, and have an indulgence from the pope to eat meat even during the greater part of Lent, in consequence of the difficulty of procuring fish. Having performed the honours of the table, padre Arroyo retired to indulge his usual siesta : this, how- ever, caused but a brief suspension to the eiforts he most industriously continued to make for the purpose of converting his heretical opponent to the true faith, reading him innumerable lectures in refutation of the Lutheran and Calvinistic doctrines, and in favour of the pope's supremacy, infallibility, and power of re- mitting offences. It more than once occurred to the party — and I be- lieve, not without good foundation for their opinion — that it was the hope of success in this conversion which occasioned all the little manoeuvring to delay them, that I have before described. But having at length given his pupil over as irrevocably lost, he con- sented to their departure on the following morning. The padre appeared to be of an active mind, and had constructed a water clock which communicated with a 54 VOYAGE TO THE bell by his bedside, and which by being arranged at night could be made to give an alarm at any stated hour. It was here that our travellers were surprised at the intelligence of the north-west passage having been effected by a Spaniard, and were not a little amused at the idea of having stumbled upon the long-sought north-west passage in an obscure mission of California. The padre, however, was cjuite in earnest, and pro- duced a work published by the Duke of Almodobar, Director of the Royal Academy in Spain, in which was transcribed at full length the fictitious voyage of Maldonado. It was in vain they endeavoured to persuade the padre that this voyage was not real, see- ing that it bore even in its detail all the marks of truth, and that it emanated from such high authority. His credulity in this instance affords a curious proof of the very secluded manner in which these holy men pass their time, for it may be remembered, that it was in the very ports of California that both Vancouver and Quadra anchored, after having satisfactorily proved the voyage in question to have been a fabrication. A still greater instance of the simplicity of the priest is related at his expense by persons in the mission. A youthful Indian couple who had conceived an affection for each other eloped one day, that they might enjoy each other's society without reserve in the wild and romantic scenery of the forests. Soldiers were imme- diately sent in pursuit, when, after a week's search, the fugitives were brought back ; upon which padre Ar- royo, to punish their misbehaviour, incarcerated them together, and kept them thus confined until he thought they had expiated their crime. In addition to his other manifold accomplishments. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 55 padre Arroyo was a grammarian, and said that he had written a vocabulary and grammar of the Indian lan- guages, but he could not be prevailed upon to show them : such works, were they in existence, would, I believe, be the only ones of the kind ; and it is a pity that they should not be given to the world as a matter of curiosity, though I cannot think they would be of much use to a traveller, as the languages of the tribes differ so materially, and in such short spaces, that in one mission there were eleven totally different dialects. I cannot omit to mention padre Arroyo's disquisition on the etymology of the name of the Peninsula of California. I shall observe first, that it was never known why Cortes gave to the bay* which he first discovered, a name which appears to be composed of the Latin words calida and foniai., signifying heat and furnace, and which was afterwards transferred to the peninsula. Miguel Venegas supposed it arose from some Indian words which Cortes misunderstood, and Burney, in his history of voyages in the Pacific,-}- observes, that some have conjectured the name to have been given on account of the heat of the weather, and says, it has been remarked that it was the only name given by Cortes which was immediately derived from the Latin language. Without entering into a discussion of the subject, which is not of any moment, I shall observe, that it was thought in Monterey to have arisen in consequence of a custom which prevails throughout California, of the Indians shutting them- selves in ovens until they perspire profusely, as I have already described in speaking of the Temeschal. It is * Bernal Diaz de Castillo, in his " Conquest of Mexico," calls California a bay. t Vol. I. p. 178, 410. 56 VOYAGE TO THE not improbable that the practice appeared so singular to Cortes that he applied the name of California to the country, as being one in which hot ovens were used for such singular purposes. Padre Arroyo, how- ever, maintained that it was a corruption of colofon, which, in the Spanish language, signifies resin, in con- sequence of the pine trees which yield that material being so numerous. The first settlers, he said, at the sight of these trees would naturally exclaim, " Colo- fon," which, by its similarity to Californo, (in the Ca- talonian dialect, hot oven,) a more familiar expression, would soon become changed. Our travellers, after taking leave of the hospitable and amusing priest the preceding evening, with the intention of proceeding early in the morning, experi- enced much delay in consequence of the refusal of the guard to start without hearing mass and receiving the benediction of the priest ; but at length they quitted the plain of San Juan, and ascended with difficulty some steep hills commanding a view of the spacious bay of Monterey. Then winding among valleys, one of which was well wooded and watered, they entered an extensive plain called " Llano del Rey," which, until their arrival, was in the quiet possession of nu- merous herds of deer and jackals. This tract of land is bounded on the north, east, and south-east, by mountains which extend with a semicircular sweep from the sea at Santa Cruz, and unite with the coast line again at Point Pinos. It is covered with a rank grass, and has very few shrubs. In traversing this plain, before they could arrive at some ranchos, named Las Salinas, where they proposed to dine, the party had to wade through several deep ditches and the Rio del Rey, both of which were covered with wild 1 82«. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 57 ducks. The cottages called Las Salinas are on the chap. farm of an old Scotchman, to whom the land was .^ ^" granted in consequence of some services which he Nov. rendered to the missions. They rested here, and to the provision they had brought with them very gladly added some pumpkins, procured from the Indians. Here, also, they were surprised with the novel occur- rence of having water brought to them in baskets, which the Indians weave so close, that when wet they become excellent substitutes for bowls. The remainder of the plain over which they passed toward Monterey was sandy, and covered with fragrant southernwood, broken here and there by dwarf oaks, and shrubs of the syngenesious class of plants. As they approached the town, pasture lands, covered with herds of cattle succeeded this wild scenery : and riding ownward, trees of luxuriant growth, houses scattered over the plain, the fort, and the shipping in the bay, announced the speedy termination of their journey. At five o'clock in the evening they alighted in the square at Monterey, and met a kind reception from Mr. Hartnell, a merchant belonging to the firm of Begg and Co. in Lima, who was residing there, and who pressed them to accept the use of his house while they remained in the town — an offer of which they thankfully availed themselves. Gonzales, the governor to whom the party went to pay their respects, was an officer who had been raised by his own merit from the ranks to be captain of artillery and governor of Monterey : his family were residing with him, and having been educated in Mexico, complained bitterly of their banishment to this outlandish part of the world, where the popula- tionj the ladies in particular, were extremely ignorant. 58 VOYAGE TO THE and wretched companions for the Mexicanus instrid- das. Besides, there were no balls or bull-fights in Monterey ; and for all the news they heard of their own country, they might as well have been at Kam- schatka. To compensate for these dreadful privations, the ladies generally amused themselves in the evening by smoking and playing cards, and relating the perils they encountered in the land journey from Mexico to the shores of the Pacific. Politeness and attention, however, were the characteristics of these good people, who offered our party every assistance in their power during their stay at Monterey. Upon inquiry after the stores and medicines the ship stood in need of, the result was highly unfavour- able ; as there were no medicines to be had, and some stores which were essential to the ship could nowhere be procured. The exchange on bills was favourable, but there was no specie : Mr. Marsh therefore pur- chased what stores he could from the inhabitants and from the shipping in the roads, and arranged with a person who had come out from Ireland for the pur- pose of salting meat for the Lima market, to cure a quantity for the use of the ship, and to have it ready on her arrival at Monterey. They then hastened their departure, but the same diflftculty arose about horses as before, and they were much inconvenienced in con- sequence, being obliged to alter a plan they had con- templated of returning by a different route. This, very unexpectedly to padre Arroyo, brought them again under his roof. The padre either did not Hke this second tax on his hospitality, or was put out of tem- per by the increase of a complaint to which he was subject, as he gave them a less cordial reception, and appeared very little disposed to conversation. It was PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 59 imagined, however, that he still entertained hopes of the conversion of one of the party, and that with this view he again occasioned a delay in furnishing horses for the next day's journey ; offering as excuses, that some of the horses of the mission were engaged hy soldiers in pursuit of a Mexican exile, who had de- serted ; that others had been taken by the vaqu^ros to look after a male and female Indian, who had likewise absconded, and that the rest were gone to join the ex- pedition against Los Gentiles, the Cosemenes. Vexed at this delay, the party endeavoured to hire horses at their own expense, but the price demanded was so exorbitant that they determined to wait the return of those that were said to be absent. It is more than probable that some one of my readers may have been in the same predicament — in a strange town, in a strange country, with a beast fatigued to death, and an urgent necessity for pro- ceeding ; he will then easily remember the amiable and benevolent alacrity with which the inhabitants endeavoured to lighten his load of every stray crown they could obtain from him, on every pretence that ingenious cupidity can invent. So at least did the good people at San Juan, when padre Arroyo would no longer assist our poor companions. Private horses could be had, it was true, but the terms were either thirteen shillings sterling for the journey, or seven- teen shillings sterling for the purchase of the horse, which in California is considered so exorbitant that our shipmates did not think proper to suifer the im- position, and awaited the horses belonging to the mission. After a day's delay, during which they again heard many invectives against the new government of ()Q VOYAGE TO THE Mexico, which had deprived the priesthood of their salaries, and obhged the missions to pay a tithe to the state, they resumed their journey, and arrived at San Francisco on the 1 7th of November. In this route it will be seen that, with the excep- tion of the missions and pueblos, the country is almost uninhabited ; yet the productive nature of the soil, when it has been turned up by the missions, and the immense plains of meadow land over which our travellers passed, show wnth how little trouble it might be brought into high cultivation by any farmers who could be induced to settle there. The unwelcome intelligence brought by this party of the nature of the supplies to be obtained at Mon- terey, obliged me to relinquish the plan I had con- templated of completing the survey of that part of the coast of California which had been left unfinished by Vancouver ; and rendered it necessary that I should proceed direct either to Canton or to Lima, as the most Hkely places for us to meet with the medicines and stores of which we were in such imminent need. The western route of these two afforded the best opportunity of promoting the objects of the expedi- tion, by bringing us into the vicinity of several groupes of islands of doubtful existence, at which, in the event of their being found, our time might be use- fully employed until it should be necessary to proceed to Beering's Strait. An additional reason for this decision was, a request which I had made to the consul of the Sandwich Islands, if possible, to pur- chase provision for the ship at that place. I there- fore determined, after taking on board the few stores that were purchased at Monterey, to proceed to the Sandwich Islands, searching in our way thither for PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. gj «ome islands said to have been discovered by an American vessel, and from thence to prosecute the voyage to Canton. While we remained in San Francisco refitting the ship, the boats were constantly employed sounding and surveying the harbour, in which duty we received every assistance from Martinez, the governor, vdio allowed us to enter the forts, and to take what angles and measures we pleased, requiring only in return for this indulgence a copy of the plan, when finished, for his own government : his proposal seemed so fair that I immediately acceded to it, and, on my return to the place the following year, fully complied with his re- Cjuest. It is impossible to pass unnoticed the differ- ence between this liberal conduct of Martinez and that of the former Spanish authorities, who watched all Vancouver's actions with the greatest suspicion, and whose jealousy has been the subject of animadversion of almost every voyager who has touched at this port. On the 12th of December a salute was fired from the battery ; high mass was said in all the missions, and a grand entertainment, to which all the officers were invited, was given at the pr^isidio, in honour of Santa Seiiora Guadaloupe. There was also to have been a fight between a bear and a bull, but for some reason not known to us — probably the trouble it re- quired to bring the animal so far, as the bears do not come within many miles of the presidio — it did not take place ; and we were all greatly disappointed, as we had offered to reward the soldiers for their trouble, and had heard so much of these exhibitions from every body, that our curiosity had been highly excited. This is a favourite amusement with the Californians, but it is of rare occurrence, as there is much trouble 52 VOYAGE TO THE in getting a bear alive to the scene of combat, and there is also some risk and expense attending it. We were informed that when a fight is determined upon three or four horsemen are dispatched with lassos to the woods where the bears resort, and that when they come to an advantageous spot they kill a horse or a bullock as a bait, and hide themselves in the wood. Sometimes they have to wait a whole day or more before any of these animals appear, but when they come to partake of the food, the men seize a favour- able opportunity, and rush upon them at different points with their lassos, and entangle one of them until he is thrown upon the ground, when they manage to suspend him between the horsemen, while a third person dismounts and ties his feet together; he is then extended upon a hide and dragged home ; during which time it is necessary, they say, to keep him con- stantly wet to allay his thirst and rage, which amounts almost to madness — and woe to him who should be near if he were to break away from his fastenings. The entangling of the animal in the first instance ap- pears to be by no means devoid of risk, as in case of the failure of a lasso it is only by speed that a rider can save himself and his horse. The bear being caught, two or three men are dispatched for a wild bull, which they lasso in an equally dexterous man- _ ner, catching him either by the horns or by whichso- ever leg they please, in order to trip him up and retain him between them. It is necessary to begin the fight as soon as the animals are brought in, as the bear cannot be tempted to eat, and is continually exhausting himself in strug- gling for his liberty. The two animals are then tied together by a long rope, and the battle begins, some- PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 63 times to the disadvantage of the bear, who is half dead chap. with exhaustion, but in the end ahnost always proves *«— v— fatal to the bull. It is remarkable that all the bears Pi"; 1826. endeavour to seize the bull by the tongue, for which purpose they spring upon his head or neck and first grapple with his nose, until the pain compels the bull to roar, when his adversary instantly seizes his tongue, pierces it with his sharp talons, and is sure of victory. These battles were the everlasting topic of conversa- tion with the Californians, who indeed have very little else to talk about, and they all agreed as to the man- ner of the fatal termination of the spectacle. Subjoined is a spirited sketch of a Californian las- soing a bull, taken from life by Mr. Smyth, in which the method, as well as the costume of the natives is admirably delineated. The lasso, though now almost entirely confined to Spanish America, is of very great antiquity, and originally came from the east. It was used by a pastoral people who were of Persian descent, and of whom 8,000 accompanied the army of Xerxes.* By Christmas-day we had all remained sufficiently long in the harbour to contemplate our departure without regret : the eye had become familiar to the picturesque scenery of the bay, the pleasure of the chase had lost its fascination, and the roads to the mission and presidio were grown tedious and insipid. There was no society to enliven the hours, no incidents to vary one day from the other, and to use the ex- pression of Donna Gonzales, California appeared to be as much out of the world as Kamschatka. On the 26th, being ready for sea, I was obliged to relinquish the survey of this magnificent port, which * Rennell on the 20 Satrapies of Darius Hystaspes, p. 287. 64 VOYAGE TO THE possesses almost all the requisites for a great naval establishment, and is so advantageously situated with regard to North America and China, and the Pacific in general, that it will, no doubt, at some future time, be of great importance. We completed the examina- tion of those parts of the harbour which were likely to be frequented by vessels for some years to come, in which it is proper to mention, in order to give as much publicity to the circumstance as possible, that we discovered a rock between Alcatrasses and Yerba Buena Islands, dangerous to both shipping and boats, in consequence of its rising suddenly from about seven fathoms, so near to the surface as to occasion strong overfalls with the tides. A shoal was also found to the eastward of the landing-place off the presidio, which ought to be avoided by boats sailing along shore. In my nautical remarks, I have given di- rections for avoiding both these dangers, which are the only hidden ones in that part of the harbour, which is at present frequented. On the 28th we took leave of our hospitable and affable friends, Martinez and Padre Tomaso, full of 2:ratitude for their kindness and attention to our wants ; weighed anchor, and bade adieu to the Port of San Francisco, in which we had all received material benefit from the salubrity of its climate, the refreshing product of its soil, and the healthy exercise we had enjoyed there. In the ship's company, in particular, there was the most apparent amendment ; some of them, from being so emaciated on their arrival that the surgeon could scarcely recognize them, were now restored to their former healthy appearance, and we had the satisfaction of sailing without a single case of sickness on board. We had to regret during our stay PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 65 the loss of one of our best men, Joseph Bowers, a marine. He had aecompanied one of the officers on a shooting excursion, and was led by his naturally ar- dent and bold disposition to plunge into a lake after some wild fowl that had been shot, forgetting that he could not swim. His eagerness led him beyond his depth, and in his attempt to regain his footing, he un- fortunately perished before any aid could be brought. His body was interred at the burial ground near the presidio landing place, and was followed to the grave by all the officers. As the coffin was lowering into the ground, the good understanding that existed be- tween the ship's company and the inhabitants was tes- tified in the most gratifying manner, by the latter ap- proaching and performing the last office for the de- ceased, by dropping the earth in upon his coffin. I cannot recollect ever having met with such conduct in any other foreign port, and the act, most certainly, did not lessen our regard for the inhabitants. VOL. 11. F GQ VOYAGE TO THE CHAPTER II. Observations on the Country of California and its Trade — Climate — Meteorological Remarks — Short Account of the Wild In- dians— Natural Productions — Monterey — Mission of San Car- los— Departure. The more we became acquainted with the beautiful country around San Francisco, the more we were con- vinced that it possessed every requisite to render it a valuable appendage to Mexico; and it was impossible to resist joining in the remark of Vancouver, " Why such an extent of territory should have been subju- gated, and, after all the expense and labour bestowed upon its colonization, turned to no account whatever, is a mystery in the science of state policy not easily explained," Situated in the northern hemisphere, be- tween the parallels of 22° and 39*^, no fault can be found with its climate ; its soil in general is fertile, it possesses forests of oak and pine convenient for build- ing and contributing to the necessities of vessels, plains overrun with cattle, excellent ports, and navi- gable rivers to facilitate inland communication. Pos- sessing all these advantages, an industrious population alone seems requisite to withdraw it from the obscu- rity in which it has so long slept under the indolence of the people and the jealous policy of the Spanish PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 67 government. Indeed it struck us as lamentable to see such an extent of habitable country lying almost de- solate and useless to mankind, whilst other nations are groaning under the burthen of their population. It is evident, from the natural course of events, and from the rapidity with which observation has recently been extended to the hitherto most obscure parts of the globe, that this indifference cannot continue ; for either it must disappear under the present authorities, or the country will fall into other hands, as from its situation with regard to other powers upon the new continent, and to the commerce of the Pacific, it is of too much importance to be permitted to remain long in its present neglected state. Already have the Rus- sians encroached upon the territory by possessing them- selves of the Farallones, and some islands oft' Santa Barbara; and their new settlement at Rossi, a few miles to the northward of Bodega, is so near upon the boundary as to be the cause of much jealous feeling ; — not without reason it would appear, as I am in- formed it is well fortified, and presents to California an example of what may be efi^ected upon her shores in a short time by industry. The tract situated between California and the eastern side of the continent of North America, hav- ing been only partially explored, has hitherto pre- sented a formidable barrier to encroachment from that quarter ; but settlements are already advancing far into the heart of the country, and parties of hunters have lately traversed the interior, and even penetrated to the shores of the Pacific ; — not without the loss of lives from the attacks of the Indians, it is true, but with ease, compared with the labour and difficulty expe- rienced by Lewis and Clarke, who had not the benefit f2 68 VOYAGE TO THE which more recent travellers have derived from the establishment of inland depots by the American fur companies. One of these depots, we were informed by a gentleman belonging to the establishment, whom we met at Monterey in 18'27, is situated on the western side of the rocky mountains on a fork of the Columbia called Lewis River, near the source of a stream supposed to be the Colorado. The trade of Upper California at present consists in the exportation of hides, tallow, manteca, horses to the Sandwich Islands, grain for the Russian establish- ments at Sitka and Kodiak, and in the disposal of provisions to whale-ships and other vessels which touch upon the coast, — perhaps a few furs and dollars are sent to China. The importations are dry goods, furniture, wearing-apparel, agricultural implements, deal-boards, and salt; and silks and fireworks from China for the decoration of the churches and celebra- tion of the saints' days. In 1827 almost all these articles bore high prices : the former in consequence of the increased demand for them ; and the latter, partly from the necessity of meeting the expenses of the purchase of a return cargo, and partly on account of the navigation act. The missions and the inhabitants in general com- plained loudly of these prices, not considering that the fault was in a great measure their own, and that they were purchasing some articles which had been brought several thousand miles, when they might have procured them in their own country with moderate labour only. For example, they were actually living upon the sea-coast and amongst forests of pine, and yet were suffering themselves to buy salt and deal boards at exorbitant prices. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 59 With a similar disregard for their interests, they were purchasing sea-otter skins at twenty dollars apiece, whilst the animals were swimming about un- molested in their own harbours ; and this from the Russians, who are intruders upon their coast, and are depriving them of a lucrative trade : and again, they were paying two hundred dollars for carts of inferior workmanship, which, with the exception of the wheels, might have been equally well manufactured in their own country. With this want of commercial enterprise, they are not much entitled to commiseration. With more jus- tice might they have complained of the navigation laws, which, though no doubt beneficial to the inha- bitants on the eastern coast of Mexico, where there are vessels belonging to the state in readiness to conduct the coasting trade, are extremely disadvantageous to the Californians, who having no vessels to employ in this service are often obliged to pay the duty on goods introduced in foreign bottoms. This duty for the en- couragement of the coasting trade w^as made seventeen per cent, higher than that on cargoes brought in vessels of the state. Thus not only must the inhabitants pur- chase their goods on very disadvantageous terms, but, as a foreign vessel cannot break stowage without land- ing the whole of her cargo, they must in addition incur the expenses attending that, which will in gene- ral fall upon a few goods only, as the towns in Cali- fornia are not sufficiently populous, any one of them, to consume a whole cargo ; and it is to be remem- bered, that no foreign vessel, after breaking stowage, can proceed to another port in the same dominion without being liable to seizure by the customs. The imprudent nature of these laws, as regards Ca- 70 VOYAGE TO THE lifornia, appears to have been considered by the autho- rities in that country, as they overlook the introduc- tion of goods into the towns by indirect channels, ex- cept in cases of a gross and palpable nature. In this manner several American vessels have contrived to dispose of their cargoes, and the inhabitants have been supplied with goods of which they were much in need ; but had the navigation laws been strictly at- tended to, the vessels must have returned unsuccessful, and the inhabitants have continued in want. Far more liberal has been the hand of nature to this much neglected country, in bestowing upon it a cli- mate remarkable for its salubrity. The Spanish set- tlers in California enjoy an almost uninterrupted state of good health. Many attain the age of eighty and ninety, and some have exceeded a hundred years. There have been periods, however, when the small pox and measles have affected the population, and par- ticularly the Indians in the missions, who, unlike the Spaniards, appear to suffer severely from diseases of all kinds. The small pox many years ago prevailed to an alarming extent, and carried off several thousand In- dians; but since the introduction of cattle into the country, and with them the cow pox, it has not reap- peared. Vaccination was practised in California as early as 1806, and the virus from Europe has been recently introduced through the Russian establish- ment at Rossi. The measles have also at times seriously affected the Indians, and in 1806 proved fatal to thousands, while it is remarkable that none of the Spaniards affected with the disease died. Dysen- tery, the most prevalent complaint amongst the con- verted Indians, no doubt arises in a great measure from the coldness and dampness of their habitations. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 71 and becomes fatal through the want of proper medical assistance. They are happily free from the hooping cough. This state of ill health does not extend to the unci- vilized Indians ; and, notwithstanding the mortality in the missions, the climate of California must be con- sidered salubrious. Perouse, Vancouver, and Langs- dorft' were of the same opinion ; and to judge of it by the general health of the Spanish residents, and by the benefit that our seamen derived from it during their short stay, it would certainly appear not to be sur- passed. The summer and early part of the autumn are the least healthy parts of the year, in consequence of continued fogs, which occur at these periods. It is, in all probability, in consequence of these fogs during the warmest part of the year that the coast of California has the reputation of being much colder than that of Chili in corresponding parallels of latitude. In the month of December the mean tem- perature of San Francisco was 53" 2', the maximum (56^^, and the minimum 46*^. We nevertheless saw hoar frost upon the grass in the mornings, and in the following year observed snow lie several hours upon the ground. As the minimum of temperature was so many degrees above the freezing point, the former was in all probability occasioned by the radiation, which is very great in that country. The winter of 1826 was said to be a very favour- able season ; we could not judge from our own ex- perience, therefore, of what weather was usual on the coast at that period of the year. But there were very few days during our visit in which a vessel might not have approached the coast with safety. The strongest and most prevalent winds were from the north-west ; 72 VOYAGE TO THE but these winds, though they blew direetly upon the coast, were generally attended by clear weather, which would have enabled a vessel to find a port, had it been necessary. They were strongest about the full and change of the moon. From the prevalence of the westerly swell oft' the harbour, and from the wind moderating as we ap- proached the coast in both years, I am inclined to think that these winds do not usually blow home upon the shore. There was a curious anomaly observed in the movements of the barometer and sympeisometer during our stay at San Francisco : the former rose with the winds which brought bad weather, and fell with those which restored serenity to the sky. The maximum height was 30-46, the minimum 29-98, and the mean 30-209. The hygrometer on the whole indicated a dry atmosphere, and ranged from 0° to 20' of dryness on the thermometric scale, the mean degree of dryness being 6 ', 6'. The particulars of these observations are inserted in tables in the Appendix to the 4to edition. The clear weather occasioned by the north-west wind was favourable for astronomical observations ; but many were lost in consequence of a haze over- hanging the land at night, and from the incovenience arising from a heavy deposition, which, besides occa- sioning much mirage, fell so profusely upon the glasses of the instruments that they were obliged to be repeatedly wiped, and sometimes at the most in- convenient moments.* Our observations, however, were very satisfactory, and are important, as the * I found this in a great degree obviated by fixing a long paper tube to the field end of the telescope. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 73 longitudes of the places between Nootka Sound and San Diego are dependent upon the situation of San Francisco and Monterey ; Vancouver having, in his survey of the coast, rated his chronometers between the meridians of these places. My observatory was erected upon a small eminence near the anchorage at Yerba-Buena, from whence the observations were carefviUy reduced to the fort at the entrance of the harbour. The results have been published in the 4to edition, where will also be found some observations on the dip and variation of the needle, the tides, and other subjects. I shall conclude this imj^erfect sketch of Upper California with a short description of the Indian mode of living, and of the natural productions of the coun- try, derived principally from the information of the priests, and from the journals of the officers who went overland to Monterey. The Indians who enter the missions with which we became acquainted are di- vided in their wild state into distinct tribes, and are governed by a chief whose office is hereditary, but only in the male line, The widows and daughters, however, though not allowed to partake of this pri- vilege, are exempted from labour, and are more re- spected than other women. Each tribe has a different dialect ; and though their districts are small, the lan- guages are sometimes so different, that the neigh- bouring; tribes cannot understand each other. I have before observed, that in the mission of San Carlos there are eleven different dialects. Their villages con- sist of wigwams made with poles covered with bul- rushes, and are generally placed in an open plain to avoid surprise. Like the Arabs and other wandering tribes, these people move about the country, and pitch 74 VOYAGE TO THE their tents whereever they find a convenient place, keeping, however, within their own district. They cultivate no land, and subsist entirely by the chase, and upon the spontaneous produce of the earth. Acorns, of which there is a great abundance in the country, constitute their principal vegetable food. In the proper season they procure a supply of these, bake them, and then bruise them between two stones into a paste, which will keep until the following sea- son. The paste before it is dried is subjected to several washings in a sieve, wdiich they say deprives it of the bitter taste common to the acorn. We cannot but remark the great resemblance this custom bears to the method adopted by the South-sea Islanders to keep their bread fruit, nor ought we to fail to notice the manner in which Providence points out to differ- ent tribes the same wise means of preserving their food, and providing against a season of scarcity. The country inhabited by the Indians abounds in game, and the rivers in fish ; and those tribes which inhabit the sea-coast make use of muscles and other shell fish, of which the haliotis gigantea is the most abundant. In the chase they are very expert, and avail themselves of a variety of devices to ensnare and to decoy their game. The artifice of deceiving the deer by placing a head of the animal upon their shoulders is very successfully practised by them. To do this, they fit the head and horns of a deer upon the head of a huntsman, the rest of his body being painted to resemble the colour of a deer. Thus dis- guised, the Indian sallies forth, equipped with his bow and arrows, approaches the pasture of the deer, whose actions and voice he then endeavours to imitate, tak- ing care to conceal his body as much as possible, for PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 75 which purpose he generally selects places which are overgrown with long grass. This stratagem seldom fails to entice several of the herd within reach of his arrows, which are frequently sent with unerring aim to the heart of the animal, and he falls without alarm- ing the herd ; but if the aim should fail, or the arrow only wound its intended victim, the whole herd is im- mediately put to flight. Their method of taking ducks and geese and other wildfowl is equally ingenious. They construct large nets with bulrushes, and repair to such rivers as are the resort of their game, where they fix a long pole upright on each bank, with one end of the net at- tached to the pole on the opposite side of the river to themselves. Several artificial ducks made of rushes are then set afloat upon the water between the poles as a decoy ; and the Indians, who have a line fas- tened to one end of the net, and passed through a hole in the upper end of the pole that is near them, wait the arrival of their game in concealment. When the birds approach, they suddenly extend the net across the river by pulling upon the line, and inter- cept them in their flight, when they fall stunned into a large purse in the net, and are captured. They also spread nets across their rivers in the evening, in order that the birds may become entangled in them as they fly. The occupation of the men consists principally in providing for their support, and in constructing the necessary implements for the chase and for their own defence. The women attend to their domestic con- cerns, and work a variety of baskets and ornamental parts of their dress, some of which are very ingenious, and all extremely laborious. Their closely wove 76 VOYAGE TO THE baskets are not only capable of containing water, but are used for cooking tbeir meals. A number of small scarlet feathers of the oriolus phoeniceus are wove in with the wood, and completely screen it from view on the outside ; and to the rim are affixed small black crests of the Californian partridges, of which birds a hundred brace are required to decorate one basket : — they are otherwise ornamented with beads, and pieces of mother-of-pearl. They also embroider belts very beautifully with feathers of different colours, and they work with remtirkable neatness, making use of the young quills of the porcupine, in a similar manner to the Canadian Indians ; but here they manufacture a fine cloth for the ground, whereas the Canadians have only the bark of the birch-tree. They also manu- facture caps and dresses for their chiefs, which are extremely beautiful ; and they have a great many other feather ornaments, which it would be stepping beyond the limits of my work to describe. The stature of the Indians which we saw in the missions was by no means diminutive. The Alchones are of good height, and the Tuluraios were thought to be, generally, above the standard of Englishmen. Their complexion is nmch darker than that of the South-sea Islanders, and their features far inferior in beauty. In their persons they are extremely dirty, particularly their heads, which are so thatched with wiry black hair that it is only by separating the locks with the hand that it can be got at for the purposes of cleanliness. Many are seen performing such acts of kindness upon their intimate friends ; and, as the readiest means of disposing of what they find, con- suming it, in the manner practised by the Tartars, who, according to Hakluyt — " cleanse one anothers' 1826. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 77 heades, and ever as thei take an animal do cate her, chap. II. saeing, thus wille I doe to our enemies."* Their bodies are in general very scantily clothed, Dec and in summer many go entirely naked. The women, however, wear a deer skin or some other covering about their loins : but skin dresses arc not common among any of the tribes concerning whom we could procure any information. The women are fond of ornaments, and suspend beads and buttons about their persons, while to their ears they attach long wooden cylinders, variously carved, which serve the double purpose of ear-rings and needle-cases. Tattooing is practised in these tribes by both sexes, both to ornament the person, and to distinguish one clan from the other. It is remarkable that the v/omen mark their chins precisely in the same way as the Es- quimaux. The tribes are frequently at war with each other, often in consecpience of trespasses upon their territory and property ; and weak tribes are sometimes wholly annihilated, or obliged to associate themselves with those of their conquerors ; but such is their warmth of passion and desire of revenge that very little hu- manity is in general shown to those who fall into their power. Their weapons consist only of bows and arrows : neither the tomahawk nor the spear is ever seen in their hands. Their bows are elegantly and ingeniously constructed, and if kept dry will discharge an arrow to a considerable distance. They resemble those of the Esquimaux, being strengthened by sinews at the back of the bow, but here one sinew, the size of the wood, occupies the whole extent of the back, * Hakluyt's Selection of curious and rare Voyages, Supplement. 78 VOYAGE TO THE and embraces the ends, where they are turned back to receive the string ; the sinew is fixed to the bow while wet, and as it becomes dry draws it back the reverse way to that in which it is intended to be used. The Indian manner of stringing these bows is pre- cisely similar to that practised by the lovers of archery in England ; but it requires greater skill and strength, in consequence of the increased curvature of the bow, and the resistance of the sinew. The religion of all the tribes is idolatrous. The Olchone, who inhabit the seacoast between San Fran- cisco and Monterey, worship the sun, and believe in the existence of a beneficent and an evil spirit, whom they occasionally attempt to propitiate. Their ideas of a future state are very confined : when a person dies they adorn the corpse with feathers, flowers, and beads, and place with it a bow and arrows ; they then extend it upon a pile of wood, and burn it amidst the shouts of the spectators, who wish the soul a pleasant journey to its new abode, which they suppose to be a country in the direction of the setting sun. Like most other nations, these people have a tradition of the deluge ; they believe also that their tribes originally came from the north. The Indians in their wild state are said to be more healthy than those which have entered the missions. They have simple remedies, derived from certain me- dicinal herbs, with the property of which they have previously made themselves acquainted. Some of these roots are useful as emetics, and are administered in cases of sickness of the stomach : they also apply cataplasms to diseased parts of the body, and practise phlebotomy very generally, using the right arm for this purpose when the body is affected, and the left PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 79 where the Hmbs. But the temiscal is the grand remedy for most of their diseases. The very great care taken of all who are aiFected with any disease ought not to be allowed to escape a remark. When any of their relations are indisposed, the greatest attention is paid to their wants, and it was remarked by Padre Arroyo that filial affection is stronger in these tribes than in any civilized nation on the globe with which he was acquainted. Our knowledge of the natural history of this country cannot be expected to be very extensive. In the woods not immediately bordering upon the missions, the black bear has his habitation, and when food is scarce it is dangerous to pass through them alone in the dusk of the evening ; but when the acorns abound there is nothing to apprehend. It is said that the white bear also visits this district occasionally, from the northward. The lion (fells concolor P) and the tiger (felis onca ?) are natives of these woods, but we never saw them ; the inhabitants say they are small, and that the lion is less than the tiger, but more powerful. A large species of mountain cat (gato del montej is common: a pole cat (viverra putorius) also is found in the woods : wolves and foxes are numerous, and the cuiotas, or jackalls, range about the plains at night, and prove very destructive to the sheep. The fallow-deer browses on the pasture land, not only in the interior, but also upon some of the islands and around the shores of the harbour : it is sought after for its skin, of which the Spaniards make boots, shoes, &c. The rein-deer also is found inland, particularly upon a large plain named Tulurayos, on account of the number of bulrushes growing there. In the months of May and June the Spaniards resort to this 80 VOYAGE TO THE plain with their lassos, and take as many of these ani- mals as they can ensnare, for the sake of their fat, of which they will sometimes procure between four and five arobas from one animal. The fields are burrowed by a small rat, resembling the 7nus arvalis, by a mountain rat of the cricefus species, and also by the ardillo, a species of sciurits, rather a pretty little animal, said to be good to eat ; another of this species was seen among the branches of the trees. A small variety of lepus cuniculiis is very common in the sand-hills near the presidio ; hares are less common, and indeed it is doubtful whether any were seen by us. Raccoons are found in the mountains at a distance from the coast. The sea otter (mustela liitris) is not an unfrequent visiter in the harbour of San Francisco, but very few of them are taken, notwithstanding their fur is valuable. Judg- ing from the accounts that have been published, these animals are becoming less numerous upon the coast : in 1786 it was stated that 50,000 of them might be collected annually, whereas at present the number is reduced to about 2,000. Porpoises and whales are numerous outside the harbour, and the common seal may occasionally be seen basking on the rocks of Yer- babuena, and other places. The feathered tribe in San Francisco are very nu- merous, and have as yet been so little molested that there must be a rich harvest in store for the first na- turalist who shall turn his attention to this place. We succeeded in killing a great many birds of different species, several of which were found to be quite new, and will be described in the natural history, which will shortly appear as a supplement to this voyage : but there are not many which delight, either by the bril- PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. gl liancy or beauty of their plumage, or by the melody of their note. The birds of prey are the black vul- ture (vultus aura), sometimes large ; several species oi falco, one of which attacks the geese, and is in consequence called mato gansas, also a kite, and a sparrow hawk. The horned owl (a variety of the strijo virginiana ?) flies about after dark to the terror of the superstitious Indians, who imagine its screech for- bodes evil. Several species of oriolus are met with in the plains, and one, the oriolus phoeniceus, is seen in immense flocks. The natives say that this bird, which in its first year is of a greyish black colour, changes to deep black in the second, and ultimately becomes black with red shoulders ; but Mr. Collie thinks there is some error in this. There is another oriolus which frequents moist and rushy places ; crows in great num- bers, some which are white, and smaller than those of England ; and several species of finches, buntings, and sparrows, prove very destructive to the grain when sown. The magpie is also an inhabitant here, and a small blue jay frequents the woods. The California quail (tetrao virgbiiamis) , wood pigeons with bronzed imbricated feathers on the back of the neck, plovers (charadrius hiaticula ?J, snipes^ several species of sanderlings (tringa), razorbills (hematopus), herons (ardeaj, curlew (scolopax linosa aud recurvirosta), and two species of rallus, afforded amusement to our sportsmen, as did also some of the many species of geese, ducks, widgeon, and teal, which frequent the lakes and plains. The two latter species and one of the anas (erycthropus PJ were similar to those which had been seen in Kotzebue Sound ; and the natives remark that they arrive from the north in the month of September, and depart again in May. The grey VOL, II. G 82 VOYAGE TO THE geese are said to be good, to eat, but we found them all fishy ; not so the ducks, the greater part of which are very palatable : these birds, of which we procured about twenty species, and the mallard, are so common that several were frequently killed at one shot. It was observed that some kinds of ducks always preferred salt water to the lakes, particularly a species with a dark-coloured body and a white head, which we did not obtain. Among those which frequent the fresh water there were generally an abundance of water-hens. Pe- licans (peUcanus onocratiilus) may be seen morning and evening winging their long hue of flight across the harbour, and settling upon the little island of Al- catrasses, which they have completely covered with their exuviae, and rendered extremely ofl^ensive to per- sons passing near the place. Shags (pelicanus gracu- lus) also abound in the harbour. I ought to have noticed in its proper place the humming bird, which, notwithstanding the high latitude of the country, is an inhabitant of the woods, and if we may rely upon Padre Tomaso, may be seen there all the year round. We noticed several of them fluttering about some . gooseberry bushes near our anchorage, and shot one in full flesh : as this was in the middle of winter, the information of the j:fadre was probably correct. To this list of birds several were added the succeed- ing year at INIounterey, which, being found so near the place we are describing, may justly be classed with them : these consisted of the golden-winged wood- pecker, a goat-sucker, several species of small birds unknown to us, and a golden-crested wren. At this place there were also several species of piciis. I shall pass rapidly over the reptiles, which are not numerous at San Francis co^, and none were procured PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. g3 cliiring our stay. The Spaniards assert that there is an adder in the wood which is venomous, and that there are rattlesnakes upon the island of Molate in the harbour ; but w^e saw neither the one or the other, notwithstandiuiT Mr. Elson and a boat's crew landed upon Molate, which is very small indeed. Fish are not much sought after in California, in consequence of the productions of the land being so very abundant ; several sorts, however, are brought to the tables of the missions. In the Bay of Monte- rey we noticed the scomber colias, and another kind of mackerel, the torpedo and another species of raia, achimara, and swarms of small fish resembling the Sardinia. Muscles are found in considerable quantities upon the shores, and form a large portion of the food of the Indians bordering upon the coasts and rivers. At Monterey two species of haliotis of large size are also extremely abundant, and equally sought after by the Indians. They are found on the granite rocks forming the south-east part of the bay, which appears to be their northern limit. The natives make use of these shells for ornaments, and decorate their baskets with pieces of them. Besides these shell-fish, there were noticed a few patella, Umpef, turbo, cardium, and mya shells, and among other lepas, a rare species of /. anotifera and a chiton (tiuiicatus '^) The forests of this part of California furnish prin- cipally large trees of the pinus genus, of which the p. rigida and the red cedar are most abundant, and are of sufficient growth for the masts of vessels. Two kinds of oak arrive at large growth, but near the coast they do not appear to be very numerous. There is here a low tree with a smooth reddish-brown bark bearing red berries, which from the hardness of its g2 84 VOYAGE TO THE wood, would serve the purpose of lignum viteie : there are also some birch and plane trees ; but there are very few trees bearing fruit which are indigenous ; the cherry tree and gooseberry bush, however, appear to be so. The shrubs covering the sand hills and moors are principally syngenesious, or of the order rhamnus, while those which prefer the more fertile and humid soils are a gaudy-flowered currant bush, and a species of honeysuckle ; but the most remarkable shrub in this country is the yedra, a poisonous plant affecting only particular constitutions of the human body, by pro- ducing tumours and violent inflammation upon any part with which it comes in contact ; and indeed even the exhalation from it borne upon the wind, is said to have an effect upon some people. It is a slender shrub, preferring cool and shady places to others, and bears a trefoil crenated leaf. Among other useful roots in this country there are two which are used by the natives for soap, amole and jamate. From San Francisco we proceeded to Monterey to take in the stores that had been purchased at that place, and to procure some spars which grow more conveniently for embarkation there than at San Fran- cisco. Though the distance between these two places is very little more than a hundred miles, our passage was prolonged to two days by light winds. On the last day of the year we passed Punto ano nuevo, which with Punto Pinos forms the bay of Monterey. This is a spacious sandy bay about twenty miles across, and according to Perouse with anchorage near the shore in almost every part ; but it is not advisable to enter it in any other place than that which is frecpiented as an anchorage, in consequence of a heavy swell which PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. g5 almost always rolls into it from the westward. The mission of Santa Cruz is situated at the north extre- mity of the bay near Punto ano nuevo, and vessels occasionally anchor off there for fresh water and sup- plies of vegetables, neither of which are to be had in any quantity at Monterey. Care should be taken in landing at Santa Cruz, as the surf is very heavy, and the river of St. Lorenzo has a bar off it, which it is necessary to pass. We dropped our anchor in Monterey Bay on the first of January, and with the permission of the go- vernor, D. Miguel Gonzales, immediately commenced cutting the spars we required ; for each of which we paid a small sum. Through the assistance of Mr. Hartnell, we procured several things from the mis- sions which we should otherwise have sailed without, and our thanks are further due to him for his kind- ness and attention during our stay. The anchorage of Monterey is about two miles south-east of point Pinos, in the south angle of the great bay just described. It is necessary to lie close to the shore, both on account of the depth of water, and in order to receive the protection of point Pinos, without which ships could not remain in the bay. It presents to the eye a very exposed anchorage, but no accidents have ever occurred to any vessel properly found in cables and anchors ; in which respect it very much resembles the bay of Valparaiso, nearly in the same parallel in the southern hemisphere. The village and presidio of Monterey are situated upon a plain between the anchorage and a range of hills covered with woods of pine and oak. The pre- sidio is in better condition than that at San Fran- gg VOYAGE TO THE cisco ; Still as a place of defence it is quite useless. The fort is not much better, and its strength may be judged of from its having been taken by a small party of seamen who landed from a Buenos Ayrean pirate in 1819, destroyed the greater part of the guns, and pillaged and burnt the town. At the distance of a league to the southward of the presidio lies the mission of San Carlos, a small establishment containing 260 Indians. It is situated in a valley near the river St. Carmelo ; a small stream emptying itself into a deep rocky bay. The shores of this bay, and indeed of the whole of the coast near Point Pinos, is armed with rocks of granite upon which the sea breaks furiously ; and as there is no anchorage near them on account of the great depth of water, it is dangerous to approach the coast in light or variable winds. Fortunately some immense beds of sea weed (fucus pyrifonnis) lie off the coast, and are so impenetrable that they are said to have saved several vessels which were driven into them by the swell during calm and foggy weather. The ride from the presidio to San Carlos on a fine day is most agree- able. The scenery is just sufficiently picturesque to interest, while the hills are not so abrupt as to incon- venience a bold rider. The road leads principally through fine pasture lands, occasionally wooded with tall pine, oak, and birch trees; but without any underwood to give it a wildness, or to rob it of its park-like aspect. Before the valley of San Carmelo opens out, the traveller is apprized of his approach to the mission by three large crosses erected upon Mount Calvary ; and further on by smaller ones placed at the side of the road, to each of which some history is attached. In the church is a drawing of the reception PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. §7 of La Peroiise at the mission, executed on board the Astrohibe, by one of the officers of his squadron. I much wished to possess this valuable relic, with which however the padre was unwilling to part. We found lying in the port of Monterey an Ame- rican brig endeavouring to dispose of a cargo of dry goods, and to procure hides and tallow in return ; and we opportunely received from her a supply of spirits, as the last cask was abroach. On the 4th a Russian brig, named the Baikal, belonging to the Russian American Fur Company, anchored in the bay. This vessel was employed upon the coast, trading between Sitka, Bodega, and several ports in California, either in carrying or arranging the supplies for the Russian settlements to the northward. She was commanded by an officer in the Russian navy, and had on board IVIr. Klebnekoff, the agent. There are several of these vessels upon the coast carrying guns, and wearing pendants. On the 5th we took leave of our hospit- able acquaintances, and put to sea on our passage to the Sandwich Islands. gg VOYAGE TO THE CHAPTER 111. Passage to the Sandwich Islands — Woahoo— Historical Sketch of the Islands — Progress in Civilization — Sandal Wood — Re- sources of the Government — Slow Progress of Education — Ef- forts of the Missionaries — Unsuccessful Result of their Zeal — Sentiments of the King and Chiefs — Entertainment given by the King — Death of Krymakoo — Wailing Scene — Departure of Kahumana for Owyhee. Upon leaving Monterey we steered to the south- ward with a fair wind, which carried us into the trades, and attended us the whole way to the Sandwich Islands. In our course we searched unsuccessfully for all the islands that were marked near our route, rounding to every night when near the position of any one, that it might not be passed unobserved, and mak- ing sail on a parallel of latitude during the day. In this manner we searched for Henderson's and Cooper's Islands, besides several others said to lie near them, and also for a group in the latitude of 16" N., and longitude between 130° and 133" W. ; but we saw nothing of them, nor had we any of the usual indica- tions of the vicinity of land ; so that if any of these islands exist, they must be in some other parallel than that assigned to them in the American Geographical Table, pubHshed in 1825.* * I have been recently informed that an island of moderate height has been seen by the Sultan American Whaler in latitude PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. , 89 On the 25th, after a pleasant passage of twenty days, chap. we saw the Island of Owyhee ; and the following day anchored in the harbour of Honoruru, the capital of the Sandwich Islands. We had the satisfaction to meet all our former acquaintances well, and to re- ceive their congratulations on our return ; we had also the pleasure to find Mr. Lay the naturalist ready to resume his occupations. During our absence, he had unfortunately been prevented pursuing his re- searches among the islands by a severe illness. After the usual etiquette of salutes, I visited the king and Kahumana, who appeared very glad of our arrival, and being informed that the ship was to re- main a few weeks in the harbour, they very kindly appropriated three houses to the use of the officers and myself, and seemed determined to show by other acts of attention that the regard they had alwavs ex- pressed for our nation was not merely an empty pro- fession. In my first visit to this place, I gave a sketch of the appearance of the town of Woahoo and of the inhabit- ants, with the advances which the country appeared to be making in civilization. It may not be super- fluous here to insert a very concise account of the islands during the last few years, to enal)le my readers to judge more correctly of their progress, and to fur- nish information to such as may not have the history of them fresh in their memories. At the time the Sandwich Islands were discovered by Captain Cook, Owyhee was under the sovereignty of Terreeoboo, or Teriopu, who died shortly after the departure of the discovery ships. Tamehameha, who 150 30' N., longitude between 130o and 134o W. And that ano- ther was landed upon in latitude 18" 22' N., longitude Hi" W. 90 VOYAGE TO THE afterwards became so celebrated, was the nephew of Terreeoboo. He is not mentioned in the official ac- count of Cook's voyage, but in a narrative of the fiicts relating to the death of the great navigator., published by Mr. Samwell, the surgeon of the Discovery, Meah Meah, as he is called by that gentleman, is represented to have slept on board that ship, and to have had with him a magnificent feather cloak, with which he would not part, except for iron daggers, six of which he procured, and returned to the shore well pleased with his bargain. No doubt his intention was to wrest the sovereisrntv from the hands of the successor of Ter- reeoboo, an enterprize which he performed shortly afterwards by assembling his forces and defeating him in a pitched battle, in which he is said to have slain him w ith his own hands. After this victory, no other chief possessing sufficient power to oppose Tameha- meha, we find that on the arrival of Vancouver in in 1792 he had acquired supreme authority both in Owyhee and Mowee. He soon afterwards attacked and conquered Woahoo, and, assisted by his valiant proteg^ Krymakoo, in 1817, became sovereign of all the Sandwich group. Vancouver was very instrumental in establishing the power of this chief on a firm basis, by noticing Tamehameha in a manner which could not escape the observation of the other chiefs, and by building him a decked vessel, which gave him a decided superiority of force, and enabled him to keep them in subjection. In return for these important benefits, the grateful chief, in presence of Vancouver and the Eries of the group, made a formal cession of the islands to the king of Great Britain, and the natives have ever since considered themselves under the inunediate protection of this country. 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 91 In the early stage of our intercourse with these chap. islands^ several acts, such as the death of Cook, the . ^"' murder of Lieutenant Hergerst, and the treacherous jan. seizure of an American vessel, rendered merchant vessels cautious of communicating with savasjes of apparently so ferocious a character ; but when it was known that the perpetrators of these murders were punished by Tamehameha, and when his real character was made public by the voyages of Vancouver and other navigators, every vessel employed in the Pacific was desirous of visiting his dominions. In course of time a reeular market was established for the sale of the productions of the islands ; the natives were in- structed to accept Spanish dollars and European clothing in exchange for their goods ; and several foreigners, by the king's persuasion, were induced to settle upon the islands. The native chiefs, in imita- tion of their sovereign, began to dress in the European style. A fort was built for the protection of the prin- cipal town, and a number of the natives were instructed in the use of fire-arms. The harbour of Honoruru soon became crowded v^ith ships of all nations, and latterly the place has assumed the appearance of an European colony. The discovery of sandal wood in the mountains opened a profitable channel of commerce ; and several adventurers, chiefly from the United States remained to collect it from the natives. They found a ready market for it in China ; the goods of that country were brought in return to the Sandwich islands, and thus was laid the foundation of a trade which still continues. Tamehameha having purchased several vessels with this precious wood, attempted to conduct this trade with his own resources, and sent a schooner 1827. 92 VOYAGE TO THE CHAP, bearing his flag to Canton ; but, owing to the forms _>___^ and impositions practised in China, and other circum- Jan. stances which he could not control, the speculation failed, and this advantageous trade has since been car- ried on by the Americans. In all these plans for the benefit of his country, for the introduction of civilization among his subjects, and for the establishment of his assumed authority, Tame- hameha was greatly indebted to the advice and assist- ance of two respectable English seamen, Young and Davis, whom he persuaded to remain in the islands. Their services were not unrequited by the great chief, whose generous disposition and intimate knowledge of human nature induced him to bestow upon them both rank and fortune, by raising them to the station of chiefs, and giving them estates. They in turn proved grateful to their benefactor, and conducted themselves so properly that every visitor to the islands has spoken of them in the highest terms. Davis died in 1108, and was buried at Woahoo, where the place of his interment is marked by a humble tombstone : Young still survives, at the advanced age of eighty- two. Besides these advisers, Tamehameha had a faith- ful and wise counsellor in Krymakoo, afterwards bet- ter known by the appellation of Billy Pitt. Tamehameha having seen his country emerge from barbarism under his well-directed efforts, and having conferred upon it other important benefits, died in May 1819, at the age of sixty-three. His biographer will do him injustice if he does not rank him, how- ever limited his sphere, and limited his means, among those great men who, like our Alfred, and Peter the Great of Russia, have rescued their countries from barbarism, and who are justly esteemed the benefac- PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 93 tors of mankind. His loss as a governor, and as a father to his people, was universally felt by his sub- jects. It is painful to relate that, though his death occurred so recently, several human victims were sacri- ficed to his manes by the priests in the morals ; and, according to the custom of the islands, some who were warmly attached to him committed suicide, in order to accompany his corpse to the grave ; while great numbers knocked out their front teeth, and otherwise mutilated and disfigured themselves. Tamehameha was no sooner dead than his son Rio- Rio, who succeeded him, effected the most important change the country had yet experienced. Having held conferences with the chiefs, and obtained the sanction of Keopuolani, a powerful female of rank, he ordered all the morais to be destroyed, and declared the religion of the foreigners, — of the principles of which he was then very ignorant, should henceforth be the religion of the state. The burning of the idols and the abolition of the tahoo immediately succeeded this destruction of the morais, and put an end to many cruel and degrading customs, both injurious to the interests of the country and oppressive to the people, especially to the females, who were thenceforth ad- mitted to an equality with the men. The prejudices of Tamehameha had always opposed this change in the religion of his subjects, not so much, I am informed, from his being bigoted to idol- atry as from its being better adapted to his politics. The maxims of our religion he thought would tend to deprive him of that despotic power which he exercised over the lives and fortunes of his subjects. The ter- ror inspired by human sacrifices, and the absolute command which the superstitions of his idolatrous 1827. 94 VOYAGE TO THE CHAP, subjects gave him, suited the plan of his government >__i,^ better than any other religion, and he, consequently, Jan- opposed every attempt to propagate the gospel among his people. Up to this period no missionaries had reached the Sandwich Islands, and for nearly a year there might be said to be no religion in the country ; but at the expi- ration of that period (in 1820), several missionary gentlemen arrived from the United States, and imme- diately entered upon their vocations. Keopuolani be- came the first actual convert to the Christian religion, though in 1819 both Boki and Krymhakoo were bap- tized by the clergyman of Captain Freycinet's ship. Keopuolani being a chief of powerful influence, her example was followed by a great many persons, and the missionaries have since added daily to the num- ber of their converts, and have been protected by the government, particularly by Kahumana and Kapeo- lani, two female chiefs next in rank to Keopuolani, and probably first in power in the islands. Keopuolani died in 1823, after having received the sacrament. She was a grandchild of Terreeoboo, and a daughter of Kevalao, who was slain at Mowee. At the time of this victory, which added Mowee to the dominion of Tamehameha, Keopuolani was only thir- teen years of age. She happened to be on the field at the moment of the defeat of her party, and became the prisoner of the conqueror, who, in order to secure his conquest by right as well as by victory, united her to himself in marriage. She had, however, afterwards, agreeably to the custom of the country, several hus- bands, of which one was Krymakoo, who also fell into the hands of the king at Mowee, and whose life was generously spared ; and another, Hoapiri, who, though PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 95 a plebeian, was adinitted to the honour of being one of the favourites of the queen. This person is the re- puted father of KiukiuU the present king, while Ta- niehameha is said to have been the father of Rio-Rio. The queen, however, dechired both her sons to be children of the illustrious chief, and they succeeded to the throne accordingly, in cases of this nature the de- claration of the mother being held sufficient. Rio-Rio is represented to have been far inferior in intellect to his predecessor, and his youth and inexpe- rience encouraged the superior chiefs to plan means for recovering their independence. At the moment the order was given for the destruction of the idols, a chief named Kekoakalane treacherously seized the war god, and joined by a party of rebels fled with it to Owyhee, where he hoped to excite the inhabitants in his favour, and to establish himself as an independent chief ; but he was closely pursued by the gallant Kry- makoo, and slain at Lakelakee, and hence that place has become celebrated, as the spot on which the last struggle for idolatry occurred. Another insurrection soon afterwards occurred at Atooi, which was quieted by the courage and promptitude of Rio-Rio, who em- barked with a few faithful followers in a canoe, and in a personal conference brought the rebels back to their duty. Atooi was the last of the Sandwich Islands that was reduced to subjection by Tamehameha, and its chiefs were constantly on the watch for opportunities of recovering their independence. Russia, or at least her subjects, taking advantage of the disaffected state of Atooi, landed some guns upon that island, and erected a fort, which was taken possession of by the natives. Krymakoo, however, with a body of fol- lowers from Woahoo, overthrew the rebels. The 96 VOYAGE TO THE chief being permitted to choose the manner of his death, desired that he might be carried to sea, and be drown- ed by having a weight fastened round his neck. In addition to this attempt of the Russians to separate Atooi from the kingdom, it was supposed that Ame- rica was also desirous of forming a settlement upon one of the islands. Rio-Rio foreseeing that occa- sional rebellions might arise in his dominions, through the interference of foreign powers, determined on a voyage to England to have a personal interview with the king, under whose protection the islands had been placed by Tamehameha, and also, perhaps, from a desire to see the country which furnished articles so supe- rior to the manufactures of his own dominions. The death of Rio-Rio and his queen, it is well known, occurred in this visit to England. Their bo- dies were conveyed to the Sandwich Islands by Lord Byron, in H. M. Ship Blonde, and lodged in a house built for the purpose, where they still remain.* Lord Byron havino- given the chiefs, in Boki's words, " good advice," and having placed the crown upon the head of Kiukiuli, the brother of Rio-Rio, and seen the go- vernment confided to Krymakoo as regent, quitted the islands about ten months before our first arrival. Previous to the death of Tamehameha, several European houses appeared in Woahoo. Vessels and warhke stores had been purchased with sandal wood. The navigation of the Pacific became more general in * In 1827, some of the chiefs had been persuaded that it was improper to keep the bodies above ground, and these beautiful coffins covered with crimson velvet and silver were about to be lowered into the earth, as a commendable mortification of pride, when they were prevented by the timely arrival of a gentleman, from whom this account was derived. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 97 consequence of the return of peace, and the islands were more frequently visited. The abolition of the taboo had already produced an entire change in the state of society, and frequent interviews with fo- reigners created amongst the inhabitants a desire for dress and for luxuries, which was increased by the visit of the chiefs to England. Thus improvement advanced, as might have been expected under such advantageous circumstances as those in which the Sandwich Islands were placed. At the period of our visit there were in Woahoo several respectable Ame- rican merchants, in whose stores were to be found all the necessary articles of American manufacture, the pro- ductions of the China market, wines, and almost every article of sea store. There were also two hotels, at which a person might board respectably for a dollar a day ; two billiard rooms, one of which was the pro- perty of Boki ; and ten or a dozen public houses for retaihng spirits. The houses of the chiefs were fur- nished with tables and chairs, and those belono-ino- to Kahumana with silk and velvet sofas and cushions. Not contented with the comforts of life, they latterly sought its luxuries, and even indulged in its extrava- gances. Kahumana filled chests with the most costly silks of China, and actually expended four thousand dollars upon the cargo of one vessel. Boki paid three thousand dollars for a service of plate as a present for the king, notwithstanding he had other services in his possession ; one of which was of expensively cut glass from Pellatt and Green in London. This progress of luxury was attended by an equally remarkable change in the civil and political arrange- ments of the country. At the period of our visit the king was always attended by a guard under arms ; a VOL. II. H 98 VOYAGE TO THE sentinel presented his musket when an officer entered the threshold of the royal abode ; soldiers paraded the ramparts of a fort mounting forty guns ; and " all's well" was repeated throughout the town during the night. The harbour in the spring and autumn was crowded with foreign vessels, as many even as fifty having been seen there at one time ; five thousand stand of arms were said to be distributed over the island ; three hundred men were embodied and dressed in regimentals ; and the Sandwich Island flag was daily displayed by five brigs and eight schooners. The islands had already received consuls from Great Britain and the United States ; had concluded treaties of alliance with them ; and we have just heard that their spirit of enterprise has induced them to fit out, and despatch an expedi- tion to take possession of some of the islands of the New Hebrides. This state of advancement, considering the remote- ness of the situation of these islands, and the little intercourse they have hitherto held with the civilized world, could hardly have been anticipated ; and we hope it may not prove too rapid to be advantageous to the country, which has now several expensive es- tablishments to maintain, and extravagant ideas to satisfy, with means evidently diminishing, if not nearly exhausted. The treasures accumulated by Tamehameha, and the supply of that precious wood which has been so instrumental in bringing the islands into notice, have been drained to meet the expenses of ruinous purchases which have materially contri- buted to the apparent show of grandeur and prospe- rity above mentioned. The sandal wood, it is known, requires many years to arrive at a fit state for the market, and its cultivation not having been attended 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 99 to, the wood is now becoming scarce, while the debt chap. of the nation has considerably increased. During our v . '._ visit, in order to avoid the expense attending the col- J""^ lection of this wood, it became necessary to levy a tax upon the people of a pecul, or 1331b. each, which they were required to bring from the mountains, under a penalty of four dolLirs, and to deposit with the autho- rities at Honoruru for the purpose of liquidating the debt of the nation. The greater part of the wood brought in was small and crooked, and only fit for the use of the Jos houses in China, where it is burned as incense, but the consumption of it there is diminish- ing in consequence of an order for its disuse in those places of worship. The odour of the sandal wood of the Sandwich Islands is very inferior to that of Mala- bar, Ceylon, and other parts of India. With the ex- ception of the profits arising from the sale of sandal wood, of salt, and from the port dues, and from the advantage derived from merchant vessels visiting the islands for refreshments, there is no revenue of con- sequence ; certainly none that is at all adequate to meet the expenses of the nation. The chiefs, foreseeing the approaching crisis, are anxious to avail themselves of any prospect of an in- crease of revenue. Thus attempts have been made to manufacture sugar from the canes which grow very abundantly and in great luxuriance in the islands ; and I sincerely hope that Mr. Marini, who has hitherto been of the greatest benefit to the government of Woahoo, may succeed in the mill which he was con- structing for this purpose during our visit. But ma- chines of this nature have already cost a very large sum, and have not hitherto succeeded, partly, perhaps, in consequence of the want of proper materials. A h2 100 VOYAGE TO THE CHAP, cargo of this sugar it was hoped would be ready for ■ , exportation in 1827, which was then to be carried to Jan. the Cahfornian market, where, as it has already been said, sugar attains a high price. But the Sandwich Islands, until much more advanced in the science of cultivation, will always have to compete with Manilla in the sale of this material. Tobacco, coffee, and spices have been introduced into the islands, and it is to be hoped they will succeed under the fostering hand of the indefatigable individual before mentioned. An attempt was made to encourage the planting of cotton, which was tolerably successful the first year, but for some reasons, which were ascribed to the . rigid observance of the church duties, the labourers were prevented from gathering the crop, and it rotted in the pod. It is particularly unfortunate that the attempt to cultivate this plant, which would be of great advantage to the islands, should have failed both in the Society and Sandwich groups, as it will pro- bably discourage the inhabitants from any further en- deavour to produce it. Salt has been collected from some lakes near the town, and for some time past has produced a small revenue. Hereafter it is likely to be in greater request, for the purpose of curing meat for sea store, or for exportation to Kamschatka, where it is in great demand. Flax of a good quality grows upon Owyhee, and rope for the vessels of the country is made from a species of urtica P As yet, however, the sandal wood is the only material that has produced any revenue of consequence. Soon after the Christian religion had been intro- duced into the Sandwich Islands, several of the chiefs were taught to read and write, and were so delighted at the idea of being able to communicate their thoughts to friends at a distance, without the necessity PACIFIC AND BEERLNG'S STRAIT. IQl of disclosing them, and free from the risk of misinter- chap III. 1827. pretation, that some of the scholars laboured at their task as if the prosperity of the islands depended upon Jan penmanship alone. Education in other respects has made much slower progress than every well wisher of the country could desire. A few individuals who have had the advantage of continued instruction have acquired a limited knowledge of the scriptures, but many remain ignorant even of the nature of the prayers they repeat ; and in other subjects are entirely uninstructed. The missionaries appear to be very anxious to dif- fuse a due knowledge of the tenets of the gospel among all the inhabitants, and have laboured much to accomplish their praiseworthy purpose : but the resi- dents in Honoruru well know what little effect their exertions have produced, probably on account of the tutors having mistaken the means of diffusing educa- tion. In the Sandwich Islands, as in all other places, there is a mania for every thing new, and, with due reverence to the subject, this was very much the case with religion in Honoruru, where almost every person might be seen hastening to the school with a slate in his hand, in the hope of being able soon to transcribe some part of the jjala pala (the scriptures). This feeling under judicious management might have pro- duced the greatest blessings Woahoo could have en- joyed ; and the gentlemen of the mission might have congratulated themselves on having bestowed upon the inhabitants very important benefits. But they were misled by the eagerness of their hopes, and their zeal carried them beyond the limits calculated to prove beneficial to the temporal interests of a people, still in the earliest stage of civilization. The apparent 102 VOYAGE TO THE thirst after scriptural knowledge in Honoruru created a belief among the missionaries that this feeling was become general, and auxiliary schools were established in different parts of the island, at which we were in- formed every adult was required to attend several times a day. While this demand upon their time was confined within reasonable limits, the chiefs, generally, were glad to find their subjects listen to instruction ; but when men were obliged to quit their work, and to repair to the nearest auxiliary school so frequently during the day, so much mischief was produced by loss of labour, and such ruinous consequences threat- ened the country, that many of the chiefs became de- sirous of checking it. Kahumana and her party, however, persisted in considering it desirable, and in supporting the missionaries ; while a powerful party, at the head of which were the king and the regent, exerted themselves to counteract their endeavours. Thus dissensions arose very prejudicial both to the cause of religion and to the interests of the country. The chiefs lost their influence, the subjects neglected their work, and hypocrisy on the one side, and intem- perance on the other, became the prevailing errors of the time ; the latter indulged in probably to a greater extent, with the view of bringing ridicule on the opposite party ; a scheme in which it is said that Boki himself condescended to join. At length the regent and other chiefs determined to break through this rigid discipline. The ten com- mandments had been recommended as the sole law of the land ; this proposition was obstinately opposed ; a meeting was called by the missionaries to justify their conduct, at which they lost ground by a proposal that PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. IQ3 the younger part of the community only should be obhged to attend the schools, and that the men should be permitted to continue at their daily labour. The king, whose riding, bathing, and other exercises had been restricted, now threw off all restraint, and ap- peared in public wearing the sword and feather be- longing to the uniform presented to him from this country by Lord Byron, which his preceptor had for- bid him to use, under the impression that it might excite his vanity. The boys, following the example of their youthful sovereign, resumed their games, which had been suppressed ; and among other acts which, though apparently trifling, discovered to the common people a spirit of opposition, and an ear- nestness on the part of the chiefs to overthrow the system that had been brought into operation, Koanoa, who had long been enamoured of a female chief, Kenow, whom Kahumana intended for the king (al- though she was old enough to be his mother), being refused the marriage ceremony by the mission, carried off the object of his desire, and took her to his home. This was the state in which we found Woahoo, and from it the missionaries might extract a useful lesson while imparting religious instruction to mankind, of the necessity of combining their temporal interests with those which relate to their prospects of futurity. It was supposed, from the manner in which Kahu- mana persevered in her support of the missionaries, that she was actuated by a deeper policy than ap- peared. Her jealousy at the investment of the sove- reign power in the king and Boki was well known ; and it was surmised that she entertained hopes of creating a party which, in the event of the death of Pitt, then daily expected, would forward her ambitious 104 VOYAGE TO THE views. Whether this surmise was just I do not pre- tend to say ; but she certainly did not succeed, that event having passed off during our stay without any movement in her favour. Amidst this conflicting interest of parties, we were gratified to observe the greatest cordiaUty between the chiefs and the Enghsh and American residents, neither of whom took part in these state quarrels. To strengthen this feeling, a public dinner was given by the officers of the Blossom and myself to the king and all the royal family, the consuls, the chiefs, and the principal merchants resident in the place. On this occasion, the king was received with the honours due to his rank. He was dressed in full uniform, and altogether made a very elegant appearance. His be- haviour at table was marked with the greatest pro- priety, and though he seemed fully aware of the supe- riority of Europeans, he appeared at the same time conscious that the attentions he received were no more than a just tribute to his rank. Boki, the re- gent, Koanoa, the colonel of the troops, and Manuia, the captain of the port, were dressed in the Windsor uniform ; and Kahumana, and the two female chiefs next in rank, were arrayed in silk dresses, and had expended a profusion of lavender water upon their cambric handkerchiefs. Many loyal and patriotic toasts succeeded the dinner, some of which were pro - posed by Boki, in compliment to the king of England and the president of the United States, between both of whom and his royal proteg6 he expressed a hope that the warmest friendship would always subsist. The chiefs drank to the health of several persons who had shown them attention in London, and in com- pliment to the ladies of England proposed as a toast, PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 105 " The pretty girls of the Adelphi." Throughout the day the islanders acquitted themselves very creditably, and their conduct showed a close observance of Eu- ropean manners. A few days afterwards the king gave an entertain- ment, at which his guests were seated at a long table spread in the European style, and furnished with some very good wines. Among other good things we had Leuhow, a dish of such delicious quality that excursions are occasionally made to the plantations for the pleasure of dining upon it ; and, from this cir- cumstance, a pic-nic and a Leuhow party have become nearly synonymous. The ingredients of the dish are generally the tops of the taro plant and mullet which have been fattened in ponds ; these are wrapped in large leaves and baked in the ground, though some- times fowls and pork are used. In order to amuse us, the king had also assembled several dancers and the best bards in the island ; and we had the pleasure of witnessing some native performances, which were the more interesting, as these entertainments will shortly lose all their originality by the introduction of foreign customs. On the present occasion, indeed, it was difficult to procure performers of any celebrity, and both bards and dancers were sent for from a consider- able distance ; and even then only two of the latter were considered worth our notice. The performance opened with a song in honour of Tamehameha, to which succeeded an account of the visit of Rio Rio and his queen to England ; their motives for under- taking the voyage were explained ; their parting with their friends at Woahoo ; their sea-sickness; their landing in England; the king's attempts to speak English ; the beautiful women of this country ; and ]06 VOYAGE TO THE the sickness and death of the youthful royal pair, were described with much humour, good-nature, and feeling. The natives were delighted with this performance, especially with that part which exhibited the sea-sick- ness, and the efforts of the king to speak English ; but our slight acquaintance with the language did not enable us fully to appreciate the allusions. In the next performance, however, this defect was less felt. The song was executed by three celebrated bards, whose gray beards hung down upon their breasts : they were clothed in their rude native costume, and each had the under part of his right arm tattooed in straight lines from the wrist to the armpit. They accompanied themselves upon drums made of two gourds neatly joined together, and ornamented with black devices. Each bard had one of these instru- ments attached to his left wrist by a cord ; the instru- ment was placed upon a cushion, and the performer throughout measured time by beating with his right hand upon the aperture of the gourd. The subject related to the illustrious Tamehameha, whose warlike exploits are the constant theme of these people. Oc- casionally the bards seemed to be inspired ; they struck their left breasts violently with the palms of their hands, and performed a number of evolutions with their drums, all of which were executed simulta- neously, and with ease, decision, and grace. On the whole it was an exhibition very creditable to the talents of the performers. To this succeeded several dances : the first, performed by a native of Atooi, was recommended principally by a display of muscular energy ; the next was executed by a man who was esteemed the most accomphshed actor of his time in PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. |Q7 Woahoo, and the son of the most celebrated dancer the islands ever had. He wore an abundance of native cloth, variously stained, wrapped about his waist, and grass ornaments fixed upon his legs above the ancles. A garland of green leaves passed over his right shoulder and under his left arm, and a WTeath of yel- low blossoms, very commonly worn in the Sandwich Islands, was wound twice round his head. Unlike the former dance, the merit of this consisted in an exhi- bition of graceful action, and a repetition of elegant and unconstrained movements. The dance of the females was spoiled by a mistaken refinement, which prevented their appearing, as for- merly, with no other dress than a covering to the hips, and a simple garland of flowers upon the head; in- stead of this they were provided with frilled chemises, which so far from taking away the appearance of in- decency, produced an opposite effect, and at once gave the performance a stamp of indelicacy. In this dance, which by the way is the only one the females of these islands have, they ranged themselves in a line, and began swinging the arms carelessly, but not ungrace- fully, from side to side ; they then proceeded to the more active part of the dance, the principal art of which consisted in twisting the loins without moving the feet or the bust. After fatiguing themselves in accomplishing this to the satisfaction of the spectators, they jumped sidewise, still twisting their bodies, and accompanying their actions with a chorus, the words of which we supposed bore some allusion to the perform- ance. We had afterwards a sham-fight with short spears, wherein very little skill was exhibited, and, compared with the dexterity of the warlike Tameha" meha, who is said by Vancouver to have successfully 108 VOYAGE TO THE evaded six spears thrown at him at the same instant, the present representation was quite contemptible. These exercises are now seldom practised, and in a short time, no doubt, both they and the dances will cease to be exhibited. On the 12th of February, we received the melan- choly intelligence of the death of Krymakoo, who had long suffered under a dropsical complaint, for which he had undergone frequent operations. Only four days previously he went to bathe in the sea at Kairua, in Owyhee, and on coming out of the water he was taken ill, and died very soon afterwards. He was at an advanced age, and had been present at the death of our immortal countryman in Karakakoa Bay, and perfectly recollected that fatal transaction. Krymakoo, or, as he was more generally called, Pitt, from the circumstance of his being a contemporary prime mi- nister with our great statesman, became a protege of Tamehameha shortly after the departure of Cook's ships. He is first introduced to our notice by Van- couver, who particularly remarks his superior manners and conduct. His life was devoted to the advantage of his country, and to the support of his illustrious patron, in whoso service he distinguished himself alike as a warrior and a counsellor. Intelligent, faithful, and brave, he was confided in and beloved by his king and his countrymen, and he was a chief in whom the foreign residents placed imphcit reliance. His ardent spirit and anxiety for the welfare of his country led Tamehameha on one or two occasions of insurrection to suspect his fidehty, and in order to put it to the test he is said to have deprived him for the time of his estates ; an act of injustice, calculated rather to in- crease than to allay any dissatisfaction that might have PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 109 existed in his mind. Pitt, nevertheless, remained faithful, and fought by the side of his patron. After the death of Tamehameha, he enjoyed almost sove- reign power, which he employed to the benefit and civilization of his countrymen. His command of temper was not less praiseworthy than his other virtues. On the occasion of some misunderstanding between the missionaries and the seamen of an American ves- sel, the crew went on shore with the view of burning Mr. Bingham's house, but mistaking the place, they set fire to one belonging to Pitt. The natives imme- diately flew to protect the property of their favourite chief, and a serious quarrel was about to take place, to the disadvantage of the Americans, when Pitt, who had escaped the flames, harangued the mob with the greatest composure, induced them to desist from acts of violence, and persuaded the crew, who by this time had discovered their mistake, to return to their vessel. It has been asserted of Pitt that he was extremely ambitious ; but his ambition seems to have had no other object than the welfare of his country: had he aspired to the crown, there were many favourable op- portunities of which he might have availed himself without much risk of failure, of which the death of Tamehameha, the revolt of Kekoakalane, the insur- rection of Atooi and others are sufficient instances. He left one son, whom he was very anxious to have educated in England, and pressed his request so ear- nestly that I had consented to take him on board the Blossom, but the vessel which was sent to bring him from Owyhee returned hastily with the news of the death of the chief, which frustrated the plan. Imme- diately this event was known the flags of the forts and the shipping were lowered half-mast, and the shores of the bay resounded with thewailings of the inhabitants. 110 VOYAGE TO THE CHAP. III. It had been supposed that the ambition and jealousy ^"T> — ' of Kahuniana and the conflicting interests of the 1827. chiefs would have displayed themselves in insurrection on this occasion, and that the disaffected chiefs would have availed themselves of this moment to remove the supreme power from the hands of the young king ; but whatever results this melancholy event might have produced had it occurred at an earlier date, nothing was now attempted. Boki, however, thought it pru- dent to assemble the troops in the fort, and the Blos- som was put in readiness to preserve order, if ne- cessary, and to receive the foreign residents, should their safety require it. Anxious to witness the effect of this occurrence upon the court, I immediately paid a visit of condolence to Kahumana, who was seated amidst a motley assemblage of attendants, looking very sorrowful. It appeared, however, from the following incident, that the sincerity of her grief was questionable. Happening to cast her eye upon a Bramah inkstand which I was conveying to the observa- tory, she seized it with both hands, and declared, her countenance brightening into a smile, how much she should like to have it. As it was the only one I possessed, I did not intend at first to gratify her ma- jesty's wishes, but she fairly tore it from me : so that, making a virtue of necessity, I presented it to her. After bestowing some praise upon the invention, she passed it to Kami, a female chief next in rank to her- self, and then dismissing her pleasant looks, she re- sumed her sorrow, and convinced every person pre- sent that she was quite an adept in this barbarous custom of her country. Many of the court seemed to consider this moment one of apprehension, and every person who ap- PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. m preached the queen's ahode was at first supposed to chap. ifi. be the bearer of the news of some insurrection or other convulsion of the state. As he entered the room, therefore, there was a dead silence ; but when it was found that these visits were made merely to inquire after the health of the queen, the wailing, as if it had suffered by the disappointment, burst forth with redoubled energy. Kahumana herself evidently anticipated some disturbance, for she whispered to me to be upon my guard, as there was a probability that the people would be mischievous. Nothing, however, occurred to disturb the tranquillity of the town but the wailing around the royal abode. It is unnecessary here to describe many instances of the extent to which this hypocritical affectation of grief was carried ; suffice it to say, that several per- sons, as if determined to perpetuate the barbarous practice of self-mutilation, knocked out their front teeth with hammers. The queen almost immediately after the death of her brother embarked for Owyhee in a native schooner, to the great satisfaction of the chiefs and the Euro- pean residents in Woahoo. As it was probably the last time she would see us, she was complimented with a royal salute on leaving the harbour. 112 VOYAGE TO THE CHAPTER IV. Further Remarks on the Inhabitants — Treaty of Alliance — Cli- mate— Medicinal Properties of the Ava — Supplies — Departure — Passage to China — Ladrone and Bashee Islands — Arrival at Macao — Transactions there — Departure — Botel Tobago Xima — Arrival at the Great Loo Choo. On the return of the ship to the Sandwich Islands the chiefs were very anxious to learn where she had been, and to be informed whether in some of the countries she had visited, the produce of their domi- nions might not find a favourable market. Kahu- mana, in particular, was so much interested in these inquiries that she condescended to direct her atten- tion to them, and laid aside a missionary book with which she had been instructing her mind while the back part of her body was undergoing the soothing operation of being pinched by one of her female attendants. The conversation happening to turn upon Bird Island, Boki, on hearing it was so near to the Sandwich group, meditated its addition to the domi- nions of the king, no doubt under the impression of its being similar to one of the Sandwich Islands, and was greatly disappointed when informed that the island was not worth his possession. The account of the high price of sugar in California quite put him in good humour with his sugar-mills, which for some PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 113 time past had been a subject of annoyance to him, in consequence of the expense incurred by their con- tinually breaking. All parties were evidently desirous to extend their commerce, and a spirit of enterprise appeared to have diffused itself amongst them, which it is to be hoped may continue. During our absence two important political events had occurred — the negociation of a treaty of alliance between Captain Jones, of the United States' sloop Peacock, on the part of America, and Boki, the regent, on the part of the Sandwich Islands ; by which the reception of the American vessels in the Sandwich Islands, on the footing of the most favoured nation, was guaranteed to America in the event of that nation being involved in hostilities with any other power. The other was the resignation of Pitt, who, being aware of his approaching dissolution, retired to Owy- hee, and left his brother Boki to act as regent. Boki, who, it may be remembered, accompanied the late king Rio-Rio to England, appears to have derived much benefit from that visit, and on his return to the Sandwich Islands to have become very desirous of improving the condition of his countrymen. He was, however, a less active governor than Pitt, and less capable of effecting those changes which experience had nevertheless convinced him were necessary for their advancement. The town of Honoruru had now a more cleanly and lively appearance than on our former visit, and the streets, occupied by happy little children who had resumed their games, wore a more cheerful aspect. There was an improvement also in the society of the place, arising apparently from the arrival of some Europeans, particularly of the consul's family, which VOL. II. I IJ4 VOYAGE TO THE was of very great advantage to the females of Woahoo, who seemed anxious to imitate their manners, and w^ere so desirous of becoming acquainted with the method of arranging their different articles of dress, that it required an unusual share of good nature to avoid taking offence at the rude manner in which they gratified their curiosity. The females of Woahoo are shrewd observers of these matters, and on great occa- sions endeavour to imitate foreigners as nearly as they can ; but the powerful influence of fashion has not been yet able entirely to get the better of that other powerful principle, early habit, and the women of the Sandwich Islands in retirement still adhere to their old customs, affording as curious an instance as was ever beheld of barbarism walking hand in hand with civilization. The lower class of the inhabitants of Woahoo have varied their dress very little from its original style ; though in Honoruru some females may be seen clothed in the cotton of Europe, and even in the silks of China, with green and red shoes, and sometimes with parasols. They obtain these articles as presents from the crews of such ships as touch at the port. In every uncivilized country which has as much foreign intercourse as Woahoo, incongruities must be of fre- quent occurrence ; thus we were daily in the habit of seeing ladies disencumber themselves of their silks, shppers, and parasols, and swim off in fine style to different vessels, carrying their bundles on their heads, and resuming their finery when they got on board. Nor was it less amusing to observe them jump over- board soon after daylight, and continue sporting and swimming about the vessels in the harbour like so many nereids ; practices to which they adhere with as PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. H^ much fondness as ever. Many, however, now think it necessary to put on a bathing gown when they take this recreation. The men make very tolerable seamen, and are par- ticularly useful in boats. Accustomed from their infancy to the water, they are as much at home in that element as on land ; and having frequently en- countered gales of wind at sea in their open canoes, they have no apprehension of them on board a strongly built ship. They are active and honest, and many of them are taken on board merchant ships visiting the islands, as part of their crews. In the course of time it is to be hoped that they will become sufficiently enlightened to navigate their own vessels, as they at present depend upon foreigners for the performance of that service. Their vessels are now generally chartered to Americans, who bear a certain proportion of the expenses of the voyage, and have carte blanche to proceed where they please, and to collect, sell, and purchase cargoes at their discre- tion, and as it may seem most advantageous for them- selves and the owners, who divide the profits of the venture at the end of the voyage. Their occupation consists principally in trading with California and the islands of the Pacific, or in making sealing voyages ; in which case the skins they obtain are carried to some foreign market, and the proceeds applied to the purchase of a new cargo adapted to the wants of the Sandwich Islanders ; such as horses, or furniture, and other household materials. Upon the whole, these returns are said to be by no means equal to the risk and expenses of the voyage ; and the ships, being built of slight materials, require constant repair, I 2 1827. l\Q VOYAGE TO THE CHAP, and soon wear out : so that their navy, at present, is ,^ ^^' J of no great advantage to the state. Feb. No duties have as yet been imposed on any goods, either imported or exported, and the only charges made by the government are the port dues, which are very prudently lighter on vessels touching at the islands for refreshments only, than upon those which bring cargoes of merchandize ; the charge in the former case is six, and in the latter fifty, cents per ton for the outer anchorage, and ten and sixty cents per ton respectively for the inner anchorage. The Sandwich Islanders will apparently make as good soldiers as they do sailors, and are so proud of the honour of being embodied in the corps of the state, that they cannot suffer a greater disgrace than to have the regimentals taken from them and to be turned out of the ranks. They were repeatedly drilled by our serjeant of marines, and though under the disadvantage of not understanding the language in which the word of command was given, they im- proved quite as much as men in general would have done who had been in the habit of seeing the exer- cise performed. The inhabitants appear disposed to learn any thing that does not rec|uire labour, and soldiering soon became so completely a mania, that the king had the choice of his subjects ; and little boys were seen in all parts of the town tossing up a sugar cane, with a " shoulder ump ! " and some of the troop, even after being dismissed, would rehearse the lesson of the day by themselves. The islanders have a good idea of acting in concert, derived from their early exercise of the palalu, so interestingly described by Vancouver, in which they were accustomed to PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 117 form solid squares ; and when engaged, presented a formidable phalanx, which it was not easy to force. Among other services which we performed for the king was an inspection of his cannon in the forts, some of which were so corroded, that in all proba- bility their discharge would have been productive of serious accidents to some of his subjects. We also furnished him with twenty tons of stones, which we had taken in at Chamisso Island as ballast, to be used in rebuilding the wall of his mud fort. It is unnecessary to describe further the inhabitants of a country which has already been the subject of several volumes. Enough has been said to show that the people are fast imbibing foreign customs, and daily improving both in their manners and dress. The harbour of Honoruru is the general rendezvous of all the whale ships employed in the North Pacific Ocean. In the spring time these vessels assemble here to the number of forty or fifty sail at a time, and take on board large supplies of vegetables and fruit, as sea stock, to enable them to remain upon their fishing ground until the autumn, when many of them return to the port. The fresh provision which they procure at these islands is of the greatest advantage to the crews of the whalers, who would otherwise be af- flicted with scurvy ; and the goods which they give in exchange are very acceptable to the inhabitants. A number of idle dissolute seamen however, discontented with their ships, generally remain behind, and live in the public houses until their money and clothes are expended, or attach themselves to females, and in either way become dependent upon the inhabitants for food. These characters do infinite mischief to the 118 VOYAGE TO THE lower order of the natives, by encouraging them in intemperance, debauchery, idleness, and all kind of vice ; nearly sufficient of themselves to counteract all the labours of the missionaries in the diffusion of mo- rality and religion. The harbour is formed by a coral reef, which ex- tends along the coast from the Pearl River to Wytiete Bay, but connected with the shore at intervals, so as to impede the passage of vessels. The entrance is very narrow and intricate, and vessels are generally towed in early in the morning, before the breeze freshens. There is a rock nearly in mid-channel upon which the sea generally breaks. Sometimes indeed it breaks quite across the entrance, and renders it ne- cessary at that time, in particular, to employ a pilot. The depth in the channel at high w^ater is about eighteen feet ; but as I did not make a plan of this port, in consequence of Lieutenant Maiden of the Blonde having so recently executed all that was ne- cessary in that respect, I cannot speak positively. In sailing along the reefs in boats it is necessary to keep at a considerable distance on account of the sudden rise of the sea, w^hich is very apt to fill or upset them when it breaks ; and boats should not at any time pull for the entrance until they have gained a proper station off it. I refer to the directions in my nautical remarks for finding this station, and also for further information regarding this port. The climate of the Sandwich Islands is more re- freshing than that of Otaheite, although the group is scarcely farther from the equator. I am not aware that any register has been kept for a whole year at Otaheite ; but at Woahoo this has been done by the gentlemen attached to the missions, from which it ap- PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. Hp pears that the mean temperature for 1821 was 75*^, the maximum 88^, and the minimum 59°, and that the daily range on an average was about 13°. In the last fortnight of May 1826, we found the maximum 83°, and minimum 74° ; and in the last fortnight of February 1827, maximum 80°, and minimum 58°. The N. E. trade wind, in general, blows strong to the windward of the Sandwich Islands, though for many miles to leeward of them frequent calms and light baffling winds prevail, and impede the navigation between the islands. About the period of the rainy season these winds are interrupted by gales from north-west to south-west, but when they cease the trade resumes its usual course. The duration of this season at Woahoo is from February to May. In 1826 it was over on the 19th of May ; and in 1827, it began on the 17th of February. At this period the rains are occasionally very heavy ; in 1826 and 1830, I have been informed they were particularly so ; at other times, however, the reverse takes place, and from Au- gust 1821, to the same month of the following year, it appears by the register of the missionaries that there were but forty days on which rain fell. The windward sides of the islands are said to be much colder, and to be subject to more rain than those to leeward. They are also liable to fogs in the spring of the year, while those which are opposite are enjoying sunshine. The mountains, from their height, act upon the atmosphere as powerful condensers, and in particular times of the year are scarcely ever free from mists ; these are occasionally detached by gusts of wind and carried over the leeward parts of the island, and it is not unusual in Honoruru to expe- 120 VOYAGE TO THE rience a pretty sharp sprinkling of rain without per- ceiving any cloud from whence it proceeds. Water-spouts not unfrequently visit these islands, one of which I was told burst over the harbour of Honoruru, discharging such a quantity of water that the sea rose three feet. I have repeatedly seen this phenomenon on a small scale carrying a column of dust along the plains near Honoruru, and whirling hats into the air; and I once saw a native boy greatly puzzled to escape from its influence. I shall conclude these remarks with some observa- tions on the use and effects of the ava, a root which was formerly in much use in the Pacific, taken from the Journal of the surgeon of the Blossom. The intoxi- cating property of the ava root, the cutaneous eruption which succeeds its use, and the renovating effect it has upon the constitution, have been noticed ever since the discovery of the Society Islands. Mr. Collie ob- serves, that — " a course of it is most beneficial in renovating constitutions which have been worn out by hard living, long residence in warm climates, with- out, however, affections of the liver, and by protracted chronic diseases; more especially if the disorder be such as by the humoral pathologists would be attri- buted to an attenuated or acrid state of the blood." He had an opportunity of seeing " a gentleman, a foreigner, who had undergone a course of it to remove a cutaneous affection said to have been similar to St. Anthony's fire. It had affected at different times al- most every part of the body, going from one place to another, but had been particularly obstinate in one leg. He took two doses a day of half a pint each, one before breakfast and one before dinner, by which his appetite was sharpened ; and by the tune he had PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 121 finished his meal a most pleasing state of half intoxi- cation had come on, so that he was just able to go to his couch, where he enjoyed a sound and refreshing sleep. " About the second or third week, the eyes became suffused with blood, and the cuticle around them be- gan, to scale, when the whole surface of the body assumed the appearance above described. The first dose is continued for a week or so, according to the disease, and then gradually left off'. The skin clears at the same time, and the whole system is highly be- nefited. " I recommended the ava, and had an opportunity of seeing the first effects upon a man affected with chronic superficial ulceration, affecting the greater part of the toes, and the anterior part of the soles of the feet. The legs and feet were oedcmatous and swelled ; the pain was very distressing, preventing any sound repose, and not permitting him even to lie down or bring them up, so as to be near a line horizontal with the body. The ulcers were covered with a tough, viscid, dark -coloured discharge that adhered to the surface, and entirely concealed it. His frame was emaciated, pulse quick and irritable, appetite gone, tongue dry and reddish ; he had taken mercurial pre- parations at two previous periods, as he said, with con- siderable benefit ; but for want of the medicines it was stopped, when the sores were nearly healed. He had been, and I believe still was, addicted to drinking spirituous liquors. The ava was given three times a day with the same immediate effects as before-men. tioned, and at the end of ten days the ulcers were clean and healing. From the commencement of the course he had been able to lie down, allowing his feet 122 VOYAGE TO THE to hang over the bed-side : he had slept soundly, and his appetite was good. Could he have procured and applied a suitable dressing for the ulcers, with appro- priate support to the oedematous extremities, I have no hesitation in saying that the plan would have suc- ceeded. Even with all these disadvantages, I am in- clined to believe that a cure will be elFected if he ab- stains from liquor." In this account of the Sandwich Islands, I have avoided touching upon subjects connected with the mythology, traditions, and early manners and customs of the islanders, from a conviction that I could give but an imperfect sketch of them, and from a hope that they will hereafter be laid before the public by the author of Polynesian Researches, who from his intimate knowledge of the language, his long resi- dence in the Pacific, and from the nature of his occu- pations, has greater opportunities of becoming ac- quainted with them than any other foreigner. My endeavour has been to give as faithful an account as I could of the government, and of the state of so- ciety in the islands at the time of our visit, and of the resources and commerce of the country. Had my occupations been less numerous, I might have done more justice to these subjects ; but the determination of the position of the place, and attention to other observations, occupied my time so completely, that I had very little leisure for other pursuits. The results of the observations that were made there will be given in the Appendix ; and the natural his- tory will form part of two volumes which will shortly appear before the public. During the absence of the ship from the Sandwich Islands, Captain Charlton, the consul, had succeeded March. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 123 in procuring a supply of salt provision for her. This was the more opportune, as the meat which had been corned in California was found on examination to be so bad that it was necessary to throw the whole of it *^" overboard. We at first imagined that this failure pro- ceeded from our ignorance of the method of curing the meat, but that which had been prepared at Mon- terey, by a person brought up to the business, was found to be equally bad ; and the failure, in all proba- bility, arose from the heated and feverish state in which the animals were slaughtered. We frequently remonstrated with the governor of San Francisco against being obliged to kill the animals in this state, and begged he would have them penned up until the following day, as they were quite wild, had been harassed with lassos, and dragged many miles by tame bullocks. We did not however succeed, and if the animals were not slaughtered as they were delivered into our charge, they either made their escape, or, as was the case with several, broke their necks in their struggles for freedom. The present supply of provi- sion was consequently of the greatest importance. In addition to this we procured a few other stores, but not sufficient for our purpose, and there were no medi- cines to be had, so that it was still necessary to pro- ceed to China. As soon as the ship was ready for sea, therefore, we endeavoured to sail, but the wind about this time blew from the south-west, and kept us imprisoned a fortnight ; the harbour of Honoruru being so diffi- cult of egress, that, unless the wind be fair, or there be a perfect calm, a vessel cannot proceed to sea. On the 4th of March, however, we took our leave of the authorities and residents of the place, from both of 124 VOYAGE TO THE whom we had received the greatest attention, and put to sea on our way to Macao. M^ch, Upon leaving the Sandwich Ishinds I directed the 1827. course to the southward ; and next day, having gained the hititude of 18^ 32' N., I stood to the westward, with the intention of pursuing the above-mentioned pa- rallel as far as the Ladrone Islands. I did this with a view of keeping fairly within the limit of the trade wind, which, at the season of the year in which this passage was made, is frequently variable in a higher latitude, and even subject to interruptions from strong north-westerly winds. I was also desirous of ascer- taining the position of an island bearing the name of Wake's Island, upon Arrowsmith's chart, situated directly in the route between the Sandwich Islands and China. A fresh trade-wind attended us until the fifth day after our departure, when it was interrupted by a breeze from the southward. The serenity of the sky which accompanied the trade, now became obscured by heavy thunder clouds, which gathered around us until the night of the 6th, when they completely blackened the sky. We had lightning frequently during the day, which increased so much towards night, that from eight o'clock to daylight the follow- ing morning the sky presented an uninterrupted blaze ofhght. It was unusually near ; the forked lightning passed between the masts several times, and the zenith occasionally presented a fiery mass of short curved lines, which shot off in dift'erent directions like as many ar- rows ; while the heavy peals of thunder which generally accompany these storms were subdued by crackling dis- charges not unlike the report of musketry from a long line of infantry. About the commencement of 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 125 this storm the temperature fell four degrees, but gra- dually rose again to its former height. The sympeiso- meter was not sensibly affected. March, On the following day fine weather was restored, the trade took its proper direction ; and the sea, which had been much agitated by the changeable winds, abated, and we pursued a steady course. About four days afterwards a brilliant meteor was discharged from the zenith towards the north-west, in the direction of some heavy clouds (nimbi), which were pouring down tor- rents of rain. It presented a long bright liquid flame of a bluish cast, and was followed by a train of sparks, until it had reached within 15^ of the horizon, when it exploded, and three distinct fragments, having the appearance of being red hot, were discharged. They gradually lost their brilliancy as they fell, and were quite extinguished before they came in contact with the water. With the exception of the nimbi in the north-west, the sky was perfectly clear, particularly at the zenith, whence the meteor appeared first to be dis- charged. After these meteorological disturbances we had fine weather almost all the remainder of the passage. At two o'clock on the 15th we were within a few leagues of the situation of Wake's Island, and the ship was brought to until daylight ; but seeing no land at that time we bore away again, and at noon were ex- actly on the spot where the island is placed in Arrow- smith's chart. A few tern and a gannet were seen about eight o'clock in the morning, but we had no other indi- cations of land : still in the expectation of falling in with it, we continued the course due west, and ran through- out the night, which was clear and fine, but without being more successful. I afterwards learned that the 1827. 126 VOYAGE TO THE master of an American trader landed upon a coral island, nearly in the same longitude, in the latitude 19° 18' ~M^^ N. which is about twenty-three miles to the north- ward of the island in Arrowsmith's chart, and in all probability is the same place. With fine weather and a fair wind we pursued our course, without experiencing any inconvenience except that occasioned by a long swell from the northward, which made the ship roll heavily almost all the pas- sage. On the 25th we saw the island of Assump- tion, and the next day passed close to it, in order to determine its position. The island is about a league in circumference, and rises from the sea in the perfect form of a cone to the height of 2,026 feet. Time must have made an agreeable alteration in the appear- ance of this island since it was visited by La Perouse. Instead of a cone covered with lava and volcanic glass, and presenting the forbidding aspect he describes, we traced vegetation nearly to the summit, and observed woods of palm-trees skirting its base ; particularly in the south-west side. We were more fortunate than La Perouse in obtaining a view of the crater formed at the apex of the cone; it appeared to be very small and perfect, and to emit no smoke. La Perouse, in sail- ing to leeward of this island, experienced a strong sulphurous odour. There was none, however, when we visited the spot ; but it is very probable that the volcano may have been in action when he passed, which might also account for the desolation of which he speaks. There appeared to be no danger near this island, but, on the contrary, judging from the deep blue colour of the sea, there w^as deep water close to the base of the island. The south-west side is the least abrupt, but even in that direction La Perouse informs PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 127 US ships are obliged to comevery close to the shore before they can find anchorage, and then only with a very long scope of cable. This bank is formed of IviiXT lava and scoriae, and, being on the leeward side of the *^^''- island, has probably been raised by frequent eruptions of the volcano. There were no projections in any part of the island, that we could perceive, sufficient to afford protection to a boat attempting to land, and the sea in consequence broke heavily against it in every direction. The day being clear, we looked to the southward for the island of Agrigan, which on Arrows mith's chart is placed within twelve miles of the Man^s. but no land could be discerned in that direction, and from the state of the weather, I should think there could not have been any within at least twelve leagues dis- tance of us. This would make the channel be- tween Assumption and Agrigan about forty miles wide : the Jesuits extend it to sixty ; but this cannot be the case, as it would place Agrigan near the lati- tude of 18° 45' N. in which parallel Ybargottia, ac- cording to Espinosa, has placed the island of Pagon. It seems necessary, therefore to contract the channel between Assumption and Agrigan as marked in the Jesuits' plan, and to reduce the size of Agrigan in order to reconcile the position of the islands. Arrow- smith has incorrectly placed the Mangs on the south side of Assumption ; by our astronomical bearings they are situated N. 27^ 7 30" W. (true) from the south-east end of that island, and are in latitude 19° 57' 02" N. They consist of three high rocks, lying in a south-easterly direction.* * It is somewhat remarkable that in passing to the southward of the island of Assumption, at the distance of four miles and a half, we did not discover the rocks which Captain Freycinet has 128 VOYAGE TO THE From what I saw of the island of Assumption it appears to be a very proper headland for ships coming from the eastward and bound to Canton to steer for. It is high, and may be safely approached in the night if the weather is clear ; and there is a wide channel to the southward of it. It is far preferable to adopt this channel than to pass to the northward of the Mariana group, which is sometimes done ; as I am credibly in- formed that there is much broken ground in that direction. We have as yet no good chart of this group of islands. The geographical position of As- sumption and of the Mangs will be found in the table at the end of this work. Under the lee of the island we observed a great many birds, principally of the pelican tribe, of which there was a species supposed by our naturalists to be new. It is described as being smaller than the frigate- bird, and of a dark brown colour, with the exception of the belly and breast, which were white, and the bill, which was either white or of a light lead colour. From the Ladrones, I directed the course for the Bashee Islands, and on the 7th of April, after expe- riencing light and variable winds, got sight of the two northern islands of that group. The long northerly swell, which had attended us almost all the way from the Sandwich Islands, ceased immediately we were to the westward of the Ladrones ; and indeed supposed to be the Mangs, situated in latitude ig^SS'N. Our latitude when in the meridian of Assumption was 19° 36'. N. by which it is evident that we must have passed within four miles of these rocks, provided both latitudes be correct. Had I known of their existence at the time, I should certainly have stood to the southward, in order to connect them by triangulation with the Assumption and the Mangs ; but Captain Freycinet's discoveries were not then published. 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 129 the sea between them and the Bashee Islands was so smooth that its heave was scarcely perceptible. We found by our observations that the magnetic meridian Ap.ii, intersects the channel between these two groups of islands in the meridian of 226'^ 48' W. in the latitude of 20^ 12' N. The Bashee Islands, so called by the Buccaneers, in consequence of a drink of that name, which was ex- tracted by the natives from the sugar-cane, form a long group very similar to the Ladrones, and extend in the same direction nearly from north to south. Until these islands were surveyed by Captain Hors- burgh their positions were as incorrectly determined as those of the Ladrones are at present. A contrary wind, which rendered it necessary to beat through the channel between them and Botel Tobaso Xima. afforded an opportunity of connecting these islands trigonometric-ally, and of obtaining transit bearings when in intermediate stations between them. The longitude also was afterwards measured backwards and forwards between them and Macao, and we thus had an opportunity of examining the chart of Captain Horsburgh, which appeared to be constructed with great truth and with his usual accuracy. I regret not having seen the Cumbrian reef; we stood purposely towards it until sun-set, and were within six miles of its situation when we were obliged to go about by the approach of night. The next day we stood toward the island of For- mosa and tacked within four niiles of the Vele rete rocks, the largest of which has the appearance of a vessel under sail. They lie off the south end of the island of Formosa,* and are surrounded bv breakers, * The large rock bears S. 29o 09' 15' E. from the west end of Lauiay Island. VOL. II. K 130 VOYAGE TO THE which in thick weather could not be approached with safety. We observed strong ripples in the water near them, but the w^ind did not permit us to enter any for the purpose of sounding; ; late in the evening, however, when w^e were several leagues from them, the weather being nearly calm, we were drawn into one of these ripples and continued in it several hours, during which time we tried for soundings with a hun- dred fathoms of line without success. Upon trial a current was found to set S. E. seven furlongs per hour ; this experiment, however, was made from the ship by mooring a buoy, and was probably incorrect, as the water was much agitated ; and had a vessel seen it, or even heard it in the night-time (for it made a considerable noise), she would have taken it for breakers and put about. A peculiar smell was de- tected in the atmosphere while we remained un- manageable in this local disturbance of the water, which some ascribed to sea-weed, and others to dead fish, but it was never ascertained whence it arose. Some seamen have an idea, though it is not very general, that this peculiar odour precedes a change of weather, and sometimes a storm, particularly in the Mediterra- nean. On the present occasion nothing of the kind occurred immediately, though about twenty-six hours afterwards, when crossing the channel between For- mosa and the mainland, the temperature fell sixteen degrees from the average height of the preceding day, and the wind blew strong from the northward. Before daylight on the 1 0th, while we were crossing the channel to the westward of Formosa, going at the rate of ten miles an hour, w^e found ourselves sur- rounded by Chinese fishing boats, and narrowly es- caped running over several of them, as it was very PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. l^J dark, and they were so thick that in trying to escape one we endangered another, and were obhged to lie to until daylight. These boats are large vessels, and April, would endanger a small merchant ship were she to run foul of any of them. We were informed that they were upon their usual fishing ground, and vessels therefore in approaching the spot should be cautious how they proceed, as these boats carry only a large paper lanthcrn, which cannot be seen far off, and I believe they only show this when they perceive a strange vessel. They were fishing in pairs, one vessel being attached by cables to each end of an enormous net, which kept them both broadside to the sea ; they were constantly covered with the spray, and being light, were washed about in so violent a manner that it scarcely appeared possible for people to stand upon their decks. Still the crews of several which we passed consisted principally of females, who did not appear to be in the least inconvenienced by their situation. In the forenoon we passed Piedra Branca, and in the evening entered the channel between the Great Lemma and Potoy. As no pilot offered, I stood on, guided by the chart of Lieutenant Ross, which was extremely accurate, and at ten at night brought up in the Lantao passage, and at nine o'clock next morning anchored in the Typa. In entering this harbour we found less depth of water than is marked in the plan of Captain King ; and by the survey which we sub- sequently made, it appeared that at low water a ship cannot depend upon a greater depth than two fathoms, until after she passes the rocky head on her rifi^ht. Immediately after we were anchored, I visited the late Sir William Fraser, who was then chief officer of K 2 1827. 1827 132 VOYAGE TO THE the company's factory at Canton, and we both waited upon the Portuguese governor. He gave us a very Airii, ungracious reception, for which we could account in no other way than by supposing he felt annoyed at our unceremonious entry of the Typa, without either pilot or permission ; for the Portuguese at Macao, I understand, claim the Typa as their own, under the emperor's original grant of Macao to them for their services to China. Some Portuguese officers who came on board during my absence intimated that the ship would not be allowed to remain in the harbour. We heard nothing more of the matter, however, for several days, when a mandarin waited upon Sir Wil- liam Fraser to inquire into the business of the man of war anchored in the Typa. About the same time several war junks, two of which had mandarin's flags, came down the river, beating their gongs, and an- chored not far from us. The mandarin received a satisfactory answer from Sir William Fraser, but some days after, the Hoppo finding the ship did not go away, addressed the fol- lowing letter to the Hong merchants : — " Wan, by imperial appointment, commissioner for foreign duties of the port of Canton, an officer of the imperial household, cavalry officer, &c. &c, &c. raised three steps, and recorded seventeen times, " Hereby issues an order to the Hong merchants. " The Macao IVeiigum have reported, that on the 18th of the 13th moon, the pilot Clihinang-Kwang announced that on the 17th an Enghsh cruiser, Peit- che,* arrived, and anchored at Taiisae. * The Chinese call their vessels by the names of the persons vv'ho comiriand them. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. I33 "On the pilot's inquiring, the said captain affirmed that he came from his own country to cruise about other parts, but gales of wind forced him in here, where he would anchor awhile till the wind was fair, and then he would take his departure. I could only in obedience ascertain these circumstances, and also the following particulars : "There are in the ship 120 seamen, 26 guns, 60 muskets 60 swords, 700 catties of powder, and 700 balls. " This information is hereby communicated to higher authority. "Coming before me, the Hoppo, I have inquired into the case, and since the said vessel is not a mer- chant ship nor convoy to merchantmen, it is inexpedi- ent to allow pretexts to be made for her anohoring, and creating a disturbance. I, therefore, order her to be driven out of the port, and on the receipt of this order, let the merchants, in obedience thereto, enjoin the said nations, foreigners, to force her away. They will not be allowed to make glossing pretexts for her lingering about, and creating a disturbance which will implicate them in crime. Let the day of her de- parture be reported. Haste! Haste! a special order.. " Taou Kwang, " 7th year, 3d month, 24th day." The Hong Merchants transmitted this bombastic letter of the Hoppo to the British factory with the following letter : but I must observe that the pilot was incorrect in saying that he derived his information from me, or that such a pretext for putting into the Typa was made. "We respectfully inform you that on the 23d inst. 1826. 134 VOYAGE TO THE we received an edict from the Hoppo concerning Peit- che's cruiser anchoring at Tausae, and ordering her A(^;i, away. We send a copy of the document for your perusal, and beg your benevolent brethren of the com- mittee to enforce the order on the said Peitche's cruiser to go away and return home. She is not al- lowed to linger about. " We further beg you to inform us of her departure, that we may with evidence before us report the same to government. " We write on purpose about this matter alone, and send our comphments, wishing you well in every respect. " To the chiefs : " We the merchants : Mr. Fraser, Wooshowchang, (Howqua's son), Mr. Toone, and others." Mr. Plowden." The officers of the factory were aware of the ground upon which the Chinese founded their appeal, it being understood, I believe, that a vessel of war is not to enter the Chinese territory except for the purpose of protecting their own trading ships. At the same time they were sufficiently acquainted with the Chi- nese style of writing to know that this was only a common remonstrance, however strong the language used might appear, and they amicably arranged the business until near the time of our departure, when another letter arrived, to which they were able to give a satisfactory answer by our moving out of the Typa. As our object was to procure the stores we required, and to proceed to sea as quickly as possible, our move- ments were not in any way influenced by this order of the Hoppo ; and had it not been necessary to pro- PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 135 ceed to Canton to ascertain what was in the market there, we should have sailed before this dispatch reached its destination. It appeared that we had arrived at an unfortunate period, as there were very few naval stores in the place, and the Chinese were either so dilatory, or so indifferent about delivering some that had been bargained for in Canton, that we were obhged to sail without them. We, however, procured sufficient supplies to enable us to prosecute the voyage, and on the 30th of April took our departure. During our stay at Macao we received the greatest attention from the officers of the Company's esta- blishment, who poHtely gave us apartments in their houses, and in every way forwarded our wishes ; and I am happy to join in the thanks expressed in my officers' journals for the hospitality we all experienced. Soon after our arrival in the Typa, a febrile ten- dency was experienced throughout the ship, and before we sailed almost every officer and seaman on board was affected with a cold and cough, which in some cases threatened aneumonia ; but the officers who re sided in the town were free from complaint until they returned to the ship. The probable causes of this were the humid state of the air, the cold heavy dews at night, and the oppressively hot weather during the day, added to the currents of air which made their way between the islands into the Typa, where the atmo- sphere, penned in on all sides by hills, was otherwise excessively close. On this account I think the Typa very objectionable, and should recommend the anchor- age off Cabreta Point in preference. By a plan of the Typa, which we contrived to make during our visit, it appears that the depth of water is diminishing in the harbour, and that in some parts of 136 VOYAGE TO THE the channel there is not more tlian ten feet and a half at low water spring tides ; the rise of the tide at this time being seven feet one inch. The channel has shifted since the surveys of Captains King and Hey- wood, and new land-marks for entering, which I have given in my Nautical Remarks, are become necessary. On leaving Macao we hoped that the S. W. mon- soon would set in, and carry us expeditiously to the northward ; instead of this, however, we were driven down upon the island of Leuconia in the parallel of 17* 16' N. where we perceived the coast at a great distance. Here it fell calm, and the weather, which had been increasing in temperature since our departure from Macao, became oppressively hot, the thermo- meter sometimes standing at 89° in the shade, and the mean height for the day being 85°,7 of Fahrenheit. About this time we saw several splendid meteors, which left trains of sparks as they descended On the 6th a parhelion was visible at 21" 50' on the south side of the sun, when about 2' of altitude, and as we passed Orange Island we felt a sudden shock, accom- panied by a momentary gust of wind which threatened the masts : the sky at this time was quite clear and cloudless. On the 7th we saw the south Bashee Islands, cele- brated as one of the resorts of the Buccaneers, and the day following made the Island of Botel Tobago Xima. While off the Bashee Islands we noticed a great rippling in the Balingtang Channel, and during the night we experienced so strong a current to the north west that instead of passing the Cumbrian Reef ten miles to the eastward, as we expected, on the fol- lowing morning we found, greatly to our surprise, that we had been set on the opposite side of it, and much PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. I37 closer than was consistent with security in a dark nio;ht. These currents render precaution very necessary ; that by which we were affected ran N. 56° W. twenty-six miles during the night, or about two miles and a half per hour. We continued to feel this effect until we were a full day's sail from Botel Tobago Xima, and we were obliged in consequence to beat through the channel between that island and Formosa. In doinir this w^e had an opportunity of examining the shores of Botel Tobago Xima, and of constructing a tolerably good plan of its northern and western sides, besides determining its position more accurately than had been done when we passed it on the former occasion. The aspect of this part of the island is both agree- able and picturesque. The mountains are covered with wood and verdure to their summit, and are Ijroken by valleys which open out upon plains sloping rather abruptly from the bases of the hills to the sea coast. Almost every part of this plain is cultivated in the Chinese manner, being walled up in steep places, like the sides of Dane's Island in the Tigris. Groves and tufts of palm trees break the stiffness which this mode of cultivation would otherw^ise wear, and by their graceful foliage greatly improve its appearance. In a sandy bay on the north side of the island there is a large village consisting of low houses with pointed roofs. There are several rocky points on the north-west side, and some detached rocks lie off the northern ex- tremity, which are remarkable for their spire-like form. The coast is rocky in almost every part, and probably dangerous to land upon, as these needle rocks are seen in many parts of the island. With the exception, however, of those off the north extreme, thev are 138 VOYAGE TO THE attached to the island by very low land, but the shore under water often assumes the character of that which is above, in which case a vigilant look out for rocks would here be necessary in rowing along the coast. At three miles distance from the land we had no bot- tom with 120 fathoms of line. After beating two days off Tobago Xima without being able to make much progress against the cur- rent, which on the average ran a mile and a quarter per hour, on the 10th a change of wind enabled us to steer our course. We took our departure, from Sam- sanna, an island to the northward of Tobago Xima, situated, by our observations, nearly in latitude 22^* 42' N., and exactly 8' west of the eastern extreme of the Little Tobago Xima. I intended, on leaving Macao, to explore the sea to the eastward of Loo Choo, particularly that part of it where the Yslas Arzobispo, the Malabrigos, and the Bonin Islands, are laid down in various charts. It was, however, no easy matter to reach thus far, and what with light, variable winds, and contrary currents, our progress was extremely slow, so that on the 15th, we found ourselves not far from the Great Loo Choo with a contrary wind. About this time it was discovered that the water we had taken on board at Macao was extremely bad, owing to the neglect of the comprador in filling the casks, and as I had no object in reaching Kamschatka for nearly two months, I determined upon proceeding to Napakiang in Loo Choo. I was further induced to do this, on account of the longitude of the places we might meet between it and Petropaulski. We there- fore boi3 away to the westward, and in the evening- saw the island bearing W. by N. ten leagues distant. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. J 39 The following^ morning- we were close to the reefs by which the Island of Loo Choo is nearly surround- ed, and steered along them to the southward, remark- ing as we passed the excellent harbours which appear to be formed within them ; and planning a chart of them as correctly as our distance from the shore, and other circumstances, would permit. The sea rolled furiously over the reefs, which presented a most for- midable barrier to encounter in a dark night, but we were glad to find that this danger was lessened by soundings being found outside them, in a depth of water which would enable a vessel to anchor in case of necessity. This depth gradually increased to seventy- five fathoms, at four miles distance from the reefs. Daylight had scarcely dawned the following morn- ing before several fishermen paddled towards the ship, and fastened their canoes alongside. They had taken several dolphins, which they exchanged for a very small quantity of tobacco, tying the fish to a rope, and with- out the least mistrust contentedly waiting until the price of it was handed to them. Their canoes were capable of holding five or six persons each, but there were seldom more than two or three in any of them. They were hollowed out of large trees, and rather clumsily made ; but it was evident, from the neat manner in which the inside was fitted with bambo gratings, that the constructors of them were capable of much better workmanship. They had no outriggers, and their sail was made of grass. After remaining alongside some time they ventured upon deck, and saluted us in the Japanese manner, by bowing their heads very low, and clasping their hands to their breasts. They appeared to be a very diminu- tive race, and were nearly all bow-legged, from the 140 VOYAGE TO THE habitual confinement of their canoes. Many of them were naked, with the exception of a maro ; but those who were clothed wore coarse cotton gowns with large sleeves ; and almost every person had a pipe, tobacco- pouch, and match fastened to his girdle. As the Loo-Chooans are reputed to be descended from the Japanese, we naturally sought in the countenances of these people features characteristic of that nation, but found that they bore a much nearer resemblance to those of the Malay tribe. Their manners, however, were very different from those of the Malays ; and they were marked with a degree of courtesy and good breeding, which we certainly should not have expected to find in persons of their humble occupation, and inferior condition in life. Having obtained permission to look over the ship, they examined attentively those things which inter- ested them, and when their curiosity was satisfied they made a low bow, and returned to their canoes, leaving us well pleased with their manners. About this time several dolphins swam round the ship, and the fisher- men threw over their lines, and met with tolerable suc- cess. Our lines had for some time been towing- overboard with various devices of flying-fish, pieces of cloth, &c. attached to them, and springing from the water with the rise of the ship, in imitation of the action of the flying-fish, but without any success, and we were happy to take a lesson from our new ac- quaintances. Their lines were similar to ours, but their snoeuds were made of wire, and their hooks, when probably baited, were quite concealed in the body of a flying-fish which had one side of the flesh cut away. Several lines thus prepared were allowed PACIFIC AND BEERTNG'S STRAIT. 141 to rim out to the length of about ten fathoms, and when the dolphins were near, speed was given to the canoe, that the bait might have the appearance of a fish endeavouring to escape pursuit. In this manner several were taken at no great distance from us. If the fish happened to be large, the line was carefully drawn in, and they were harpooned with an instru- ment which every canoe carried for the purpose. We stood towards Loo Choo, accompanied by seve- ral of these canoes, until within a few miles of the land, when fearing to be seen from the shore, they quitted us, first making signs for us to go round to the other side of the island. About sunset the wind left us close off the south extremity of the Great Loo Choo ; and all the next day it was so light that the boats were obliged to tow the ship toward the harbour. This slow progress would have been far less tedious had we been able to see distinctly the coimtry we were passing, and the villages situated in the bays at the back of the reefs ; but this prospect was unfortunately destroyed by a dense haze which rendered every distant object indistinct, and tantalized our expectations by the variety of fallacious appear- ances it created. Our course, until four o'clock in the afternoon, was along the western side of Loo Choo, between it and a reef lying about midway be- tween this western shore and the Kirrama islands. About that time we arrived off Abbey Point, and were entering the harbour of Napakiang, guided by our charts, when we were obliged to drop the anchor to avoid striking upon a coral bank, with only seven feet water on its shallowest part. Upon examination we found that this bank, which had hitherto escaped 1827. J 42 VOYAGE TO THE CHAP, observation, had a deep channel on both sides of it ; ^^- we therefore weighed, and steered through the south- May, gi-n passage. It afterwards became necessary to beat up to the anchorage, in doing which we discovered another rock, and had a still narrower escape^. We reached our destination a little before sunset, and then came to an anchor off the town of Napa. * The position of these rocks are given in the plan of Napa- kiano-, which we constructed during our stay here. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. I43 CHAPTER V. Appearance of Loo Clioo — Visits of the Natives — Deputation- Permission given to land — Excursions into the Country — Disco- ver Money in Circulation — Mandarin visits the Ship — Depar- ture of a Junk with Tribute — Visit of the Mandarin returned — Further Intercourse — Transactions of the Ship — Departure — Observations upon the Religion, Manners, and Customs of the People ; upon their Laws, Money, Weapons, and Punishments ; their Manufactures and Trade — Remarks upon the Country, its Productions and Climate — Directions for entering the Port — Historical Sketch of the Kingdom of Loo Choo. Loo Choo from the anchorage presents a very agree- able landscape to the admirers of cjuiet scenery. The land rises with a gradual ascent from the sea-coast to something more than five hundred feet in height, and in almost every part exhibits a delightful picture of indus- try. The appearance of formality is just removed by a due proportion of hill and valley, and the monotonous aspect of continued cultivation is broken by rugged ground, neatly executed cemeteries, or by knots of trees which mingle the foliage of the tenjperate zone with the more graceful vegetation of the tropics. The most remarkable feature is a hill named Sumar, the summit of which commands a coup-d'oeil of all the country round it, including the shores of both sides of the island. Upon this hill there is a town apparently of greater importance than Napa, called Shui or Shoodi, 144 VOYAGE TO THE supposed both by Captain Hall and ourselves to be the capital of Loo Choo. With our telescopes it ap- peared to be surrounded by a wall, and it had several flags (hattas) flying upon tall stafts. The houses were numerous, but the view was so obstructed by masses of foliage which grew about these delightful resi- dences that w^e could form no estimate of their num- bers. Upon a rise, a little above the site of the other houses of the town, there was a large building half obscured by evergreen trees, which some of us imagined might be the residence of the king, who had chosen so elevated a situation, In order to enjoy the luxury of breathing a high current of air in a country occasionally exposed to excessive heat. A rich carpet of verdure sloping to the westw ard connects this part of the landscape with the bustling town of Napa, or Napa-ching,* of which we could see little more than a number of red roofs turned up at the corners in Chi- nese style, or at most only a few feet down the chu- nammed walls which support them, in consequence of a high wall surrounding the towni. To the right of the town a long stone causeway stretches out into the sea, w^ith arches to allow the water a free access to the harbour at the back of it, and terminates in a large square building with loop-holes. To this cause- wav sixteen iunks of the larii:est class were secured: some had prows formed in imitation of animals, and * Napa is decidedly the name of the village, and the words ching and keang, which are occasionally subjoined, in all probabi- lity are intended to specify whether it is the town, or the river near it, that is intei ded; ching being in chinese language a town, and kenns a river : and thou^-h these substantives are differently expressed in Loo Choo, yet when thus combined, the Chinese ex- pression may probably be used. < o ft) < y > t> ^ 2 ^ > ■% PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 145 gorgeously coloured ; others presented their sides and sterns highly painted and gilt ; while, from among their clumsy cordage aloft, and from a number of staffs placed erect along the stern, were suspended variously shaped flags, some indicating, by their colour, or the armorial bearing upon them, the mandarin captain of the junk ; some the tributary flag of the celestial empire, and others the ensign of Japan. Many of these were curiously arranged and stamped in gilt characters on silken grounds. To the left of Napa is the public cemetery, where the horse-shoe sepulchres rise in galleries, and on a sunny day dazzle the eye with the brightness of their chu- nammed surfaces, and beyond them again, to the northward, is the humble village of Potsoong, with its jos-house and bridge. The bay in every part is circumscribed by a broad coral ledge, which to seaward is generally occupied by fishermen raising and depressing nets extended upon long bamboo poles, similar to those of the Chinese. Beyond these reefs are the coral islands of Tzee, the more distant islands of Kirrama, and far, in a northern direction, the cone of Ee-goo-sacoo, said to be covered with houses rising in a spiral direction up its sides. The whole when viewed on a fine day, and when the harbour is enlivened by boats passing to and fro, with well-dressed people chanting their harmonious boat- song, has a pleasing effect which it is diflScult to de- scribe. Before our sails were furled the ship was surrounded by boats of various descriptions, and the tops of the houses on shore, the walls, and the forts at the en- trance of the harbour, were crowded with spectators watching our operations. Several persons came on VOL II. L 146 VOYAGE TO THE board, and with a respectful salutation begged permis- sion to be allowed to look over the ship ; but they were interrupted by the approach of a boat with an officer, apparently of rank, whom they endeavoured to avoid. His person underwent a severe scrutiny through our telescopes long before he came on board, and we could distinctly see that he had not the hatchee-matchee, or low cylindrical cap worn by persons of rank in Loo Choo, in the same manner as the cap and buttons are by the mandarins of China, yet he was evidently a man of consequence, from the respect paid him by the natives in making room for his approach. When he came along side he was invited upon deck, but for some time he stood minutely examining the outside of the ship, counting the number of port-holes, and apparently forming an estimate of her length and height. At last he ascended the side and made a low salutation on the quarter deck, bowing his head in a respectful manner, and clasping his hands to his breast, as before described. Finding we could not under- stand his language he waved his hand to seaward, in intimation that we should not be allowed to remain in the port. He then looked down upon the gun deck, and pursued his examination of the inside of the ship W'ith the same rigour that he had bestow^ed upon the exterior, making notes of what he saw. When he was satisfied, he expressed his thanks for our civility and returned to the shore. Soon after his departure, several well-dressed per- sons, with boys holding parasols over them, were ob- served coming off to us : they were seated in Chinese style upon mats spread in the bottom of the boat, over neat ratan platforms, and were propelled by several persons working at a large oar as a scull, keeping time 182/ PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. I47 to a song, of which the chorus was ya ha mashaivdy, chap. or words very simihir. v They were elegantly dressed in gowns made of grass May, cloth, of which the texture was fine and open, and be- ing a little stift', formed a most agreeable attire in a country which was naturally warm. To prevent this robe being incommodious while walking, it was bound at the waist with a girdle, linen or silk, according to the rank of the wearer. They had sandals made of straw, and one of them, whose name was An-yah, had linen stockings. None of them had any covering to the head, but wore their hair turned back from all parts, and secured in a knot upon the crown, with two silver pins, kamesashe and oomesashe, the former of which had an ornamental head resembling a flower with six petals ; the other was very similar to a small marrow-spoon. Each person had a square silken to- bacco-pouch embroidered with gold and silver, and a short pipe of which the bowl and mouth-piece were also silver, and one who was secretary to An-yah car- ried a massy silver case of writing materials. They saluted us very respectfully, first in the man- ner of their own country and then of ours, and An- yah, by means of a vocabulary which he brought in his pocket, made several inquiries, which occasioned the following dialogue. " What for come Doo Choo* ?" " To get some water, refit the ship, and recover the sick." " How many mans ?" "A hun- dred." " Plenty mans ! you got hundred ten mans ?' " No, a hundred." " Plenty ^guns ?" "Yes." "How many ?" " Twenty-six." " Plenty mans, plenty guns ! * This word is pronounced Doo-Choo by the Natives, but as it is known in England as Loo Choo, I shall preserve that ortho- graphy. L 2 148 VOYAGE TO THE What things ship got?" "Nothing, ping-chuen*." " No got nothing?" " No, nothing." " Plenty mans, plenty guns, no got nothing !" and turning to his se- cretary he entered into a conversation with him, in which it appeared almost evident that he did not wholly credit our statement. It was, however, taken down in writing hy the secretary. In order more fully to explain myself I showed them some sentences written in Chinese, which informed them that the ship was an English man-of-war ; that the king of England was a friend of the emperor of China ; and that ships of our nation had frequent in- tercourse with the town of Canton. The secretary, who read these sentences aloud, immediately wrote in elegant Chinese characters-}- " What is your reason for coming to this place ? How many men are there on board your ship ?" and was both sorry and surprised to find I could not understand what he had written. Indeed he appeared to doubt my sincerity, particularly after I had shown him the next sentence, which hap- pened to be an answer to his question, but which na- turally followed the first, stating that we were in want of water and fresh provisions, and that the sick re- quired to be landed to recover their health, and con- cluding by specifying our desire to be allowed to pay for every thing that was supplied to us. An-yah re- ceived this information with satisfaction, and replied, " I speakee mandarin ; Doo Chooman no want pay." These sentences were kindly furnished me by Dr. * A man-of-war in China is called ping-chuen or soldier-ship. -{• This, as well as several other papers written by the Loo Chooans, was afterwards interpreted by Mr. Hultmann of the Asiatic Society, to whom, and also to Sir William Ousely, I beg permission to be allowed to express my thanks. PACIFIC AND BEERIXG'S STRAIT. |49 Morrison, at my own request, in case circumstances should render it necessary to put into Loo Choo, and they were written in Chinese characters, which Dr. Morrison was well aware would be quite intelligible to the literati of Loo Choo, who express themselves in the same character as the Chinese, though their lan- guage is totally different. They contained many in- teresting inquiries, and afforded the means of asking questions without the chance of misinterpretation. To several of them the negative or affirmative was all that was required, and these are expressions under- stood by most people. It happened, however, that An-yah had learned enough of the English language to say something more than these monosyllables ; so that what with his proficiency, and the help of these sentences, besides a dictionary, vocabulary, and dia- logues in both languages, which Dr. Morrison had also very generously given me, \ve had the means of gaining a good deal of information 5 more, probably, than we could have done through an indifferent inter- preter. As, however, opinions vary concerning the written character of China being in general use in Loo Choo, I shall hereafter offer some observations on the subject. After our visiters had satisfied their curiosity con- cerning our object in putting into Loo Choo, they sat down to dinner, which was ready, and with much ad- dress and good-humour showed us they had learned to chin-chin, or drink healths in the English manner. I was very anxious to find out who my guest with the vocabulary was, as it at first occurred to me that it might be Madera, of whom Captain Hall so fre- quently speaks in his delightful publication on Loo Choo ; but then he did not seem to be so well ac- 150 VOYAGE TO THE quainted with the English language as Mddera ap- pears to have been, and, besides, he must have been much younger. His objection to answering our in- quiries on this head, and disclaiming all knowledge of any vessel having ever been at Loo Choo before, put it out of my power at first to inform myself on the point, and had not his own curiosity overcome his prudence, it would perhaps have long remained a secret. The manner in which the discovery was made is curious : after the sackee* had gone round a few times, An-yah inquired if "ship got womans?" and being- answered in the negative, he replied, somewhat sur- prised, " other ships got womans, handsome womans !" alluding to Mrs. Loy, with whom the Loo Chooans were so much captivated that, it is thought, she had an offer from a person of high authority in the island. I then taxed him with having a knowledge of other ships, and when he found he had betrayed himself, he laughed heartily, and acknowledged that he recol- lected the visit of the Alceste and Lyra, which he cor- rectly said was 144 moons ago, and that he was the linguist An-yah whom Captain Hall calls An-yah Toonshoonfa, but he disclaimed all right to this ap- pendage to his name. Having got thus far, I inquired after almost all the characters which so much inter- ested me in reading the publication alluded to above ; but they either prevaricated, or disclaimed all recol- lection of the persons alluded to, and I found it ex- tremely difficult to get a word in answer. At last one of them said Ookoma was at the other end of the island, and another immediately added that * The Loo Choo name for wine or spirits. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 151 he had ffone to Pekin. A third stated tliat Madera chap. to imagination. When they had drank enough sackee they rose to take their leave, and, emptying the contents of the fruit dishes into their pockets, retired in great good humour; but An-yah, not quite satisfied about the number of men on board the ship, probably imagining, from the number he saw aloft, that there were manv more, again asked the question, " how many mans ?" and on being answered as before, replied " not got hundred one ?" which he wrote down a second time ; * An island situated neai* Ty-ping-chan, upon which Captain Broughton was wrecked. V. 1827. was very ill at the capital, while it was asserted by others that he was dead, or that he was banished to May, Patanjan^. They all maintained they had never any knowdedge of such persons as Shangfwee, and Shang- Pungfwee, the names given to the king and prince of Loo Choo in Captain Hall's publication. From this conversation it was very evident that they knew per- fectly well who Ookoma and Madera were, but did not intend to give us any correct information about them. I was a little vexed to find that neither An-yah nor Isaacha-Sandoo, who was also of our party, and is mentioned by Captain Hall, made the slightest inquiry after any of the officers of the Alceste or Lyra, by whom they had been treated in the most friendly manner, and for whom it might have been inferred, from the tears that were shed by the Loo Chooans on the departure of those ships, that the greatest re- gard had been entertained. The only time they al- luded to them was when Mrs. Loy recurred to their J52 VOYAGE TO THE and having satisfied himself on this knotty point shook us by the hand and said, " well, I speakee mandarin, to-morrow come water ; Doo Chooman no want pay : fife day you go away." " That," I returned, " will depend upon the health of the sick, who must be al- lowed to land and walk about." I then desired him to tell the mandarin, that to-morrow I should go on shore and wait on him in his own house. An-yah, alarmed lest the threat might be carried into execu- tion, hastily exclaimed, " No, no, I speakee mandarin, mans go shore, walk about, no go house — no go house." Thus by threatening to do more than was intended, we obtained a tacit consent to that which we wanted without much chance of giving offence. Un- willing to give him any further uneasiness, I permitted him to go, requesting he would deliver to the manda- rin an invitation to visit the ship, which he promised to do ; and seating himself and his companions on the mat in the boat, he sculled on shore to the musical chorus of " ya-ha-me-shawdy." Our decks were by this time crowded with spectators, who had been coming off in boat loads. The place did not appear to afford many of these conveyances, and they had to go backwards and forwards between the ship and the shore a great many times, always singing their boat songs as they sculled themselves along. Our visiters had paid us the compliment of putting on their best attire, all of which was made of the grass- cloth in the manner before described ; the colours were various, but mostly blue. The utmost good breeding was manifested by every one of them, not only in scrupulously making their bow when they entered and quitted the ship, but in not allowing their curiosity to carry them beyond PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. I53 what they thought perfectly correct. They all seemed determined to be pleased, and were apparently quite happy in being permitted to indulge their curiosity, which was very great, and bespoke them a people ex- tremely desirous of information. It was amusing to observe which objects attracted the particular attention of each individual, which we thought always accorded with the trade or profession of the party ; for, as we had at different times all the population of Napa on board the ship, we nuist have had persons of all occu- pations. We observed two of these people, after having gratified their curiosity about the deck, seat themselves in their canoes, and commence drawing a picture of the ship— one selected a broadside view, and the other a quarter, each setting at defiance all rules of perspective. The artist on the quarter had of course the most difficult task, and drew the stern as a continuation of the broadside, by which it appeared like an enormous quarter gallery to the ship. That they might make an exact representation, they took their station at the distance of twenty feet from the side of the ship, and commenced their drawing upon a roll of paper about six feet in length, upon which they pourtrayed not only the outline of the ship, but the heads of all the bolts, the but ends of the planks, and before it was finished, no doubt, intended to trace even the grain of the wood. Whatever merit might have been attached to the drawing, the artists were en- titled to commendation for their perseverance, which overcame every difficulty ; and they had some few to contend with. A little before sunset they rolled up their paper and paddled on shore. We were scarcely up the following morning before our ears were assailed by the choruses of the boatmen 192 154 VOYAGE TO THE CHAP, bringing off new visiters to the ship, who continued ^' , to pass between her and the shore the whole of the May, day, carrying a fresh set at every trip, so that the har hour, if possible, presented a more lively scene than it did the day before : on shore the walls and housetops were occupied by groups who sat for hours looking towards the anchorage. Our visiters as before were well dressed and well bred people, and extremely apprehensive of giving offence or even of incom- moding us. The mandarin, however, fearful we might experi- ence some annoyance from having so maiiy people on board without any person to control them, sent off a trusty little man with a disproportionably long bam- boo cane to keep order, and who was in consequence named Master at Arms by the seamen. This little man took care that the importance of his office should not escape notice, and occasionally exercised his baton of authority, in a manner which seemed to me much too severe for the occasion ; and sometimes even drew forth severe though ineffectual animadversions from his peaceable countrymen : but as I thought it better that he should manage matters in his own way, I did not allow him to be interfered with. Among the earliest of our visiters were An-yah, Shtafacoo, and Shayoon ; three intelligent, good-na- tured persons, who, I have no doubt, were deputed to watch our movements. They were the bearers of a present of a pig and some vegetables. As An-yah had promised, several boats commenced supplying the ship with water, bringing it off in large tubs.* In * This water proved to be bad, for though it had no very un- pleasant taste, it was found, upon being analysed, to contain in solution a large proportion of magnesia and some salt; a circum- PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. J 55 reply to my request that the officers and invahds might be allowed to walk about on shore, An-yah said he had spoken to the mandarin, who had sent off a Loo Choo physician to administer to the health of our invalids, and in fact who would see whether our statement concerning them was correct or not. A consequential little man, with a huge pair of Chinese spectacles, being introduced as the Esculapius in ques- tion, begged to be permitted to visit the sick and to feel their pulse. The surgeon says — " he gravely placed his finger upon the radial artery first of one wrist and then of the other, and returned to the first again, making considerable pressure for upwards of a minute upon each. To one patient affected with a chronic liver complaint, and in whom the pulsations are very different in the two arms, in consequence of an irregular distribution of the arteries, he recommended medicine : of another person affected with dyspepsia whose pulse was natural, he said nothing ; no other part of the animal economy attracted his notice. He appeared to be acquainted with quicksilver and moxa, but not with the odour of cinnamon." After this careful examination he returned to the cabin and wrote in clumsy Chinese characters that one of the patients had an affection of the stomach and required medicine ; and inquired of another if he were costive. This report, which we did not understand at the time, was satisfactory to An-yah, who immedi- ately gave us permission to land at Potsoong and Abbey Point, but with an understanding that we were not to go into the town. He then produced a list of stance which should be borne in mind by vessels obtaining a supply at this place. 156 VOYAGE TO THE inquiries, which he had been ordered to make, such as the dimensions of the ship, the time we had been from England, Canton, &c., and lastly, what weather we had experienced, as he said Loo Choo had been visited by a violent tyfoong in April, which unroofed the houses and did much other mischief. The permission to land was immediately taken ad- vanta2;e of by several of the officers, who went to Potsoong, and were received in a very polite manner by a great concourse of spectators, who conducted them to the house in which Sir Murray Maxwell and his officers had been entertained ; and regaled them with (tsha) tea, and (amasa) sw^et cakes. Some of the party, instead of entering the house, strolled in- land to botanize, and to look at the country ; but they had not proceeded far before two or three per- sons ran towards them, and intimated that their com- pany was expected at the house where the other offi- cers were assem])led drinking tea, and were waiting for them. This was the Loo Choo polite manner of preventing their proceeding inland, or of making themselves acquainted with the country ; and thus, whenever any parties landed afterwards, they were shown to this house, where there was always tea ready prepared, and kept boiling in a kettle, inclosed in a neatly japanned wooden case; there were also trays of charcoal for lighting pipes, and a box to receive the ashes when they were done with : the natives endeavoured, by every possible means, to engage their attention at this place, by putting a thousand inquiries, offering pipes, and pressing them to smoke, and to drink tsha, which was always poured out in small cups, and drank without milk or sugar, which, as it was quite new, and not of the best kind, 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. I57 or much improved by being- kept boiling, had a very chap. insipid taste ; it, however, served to quench the thirst v_^^j^ on a hot day. May. On no account would these people receive any pre- sent, nor would they sell any of their property in pubhc ; but if they thought we desired to possess any thing they could spare, they would offer it for our acceptance. I one day made a present to a person who had been very civil in showing me over his grounds, which he at first refused, and when I insisted on his taking it, and placed it in his pocket, he gave it me back again ; but finding I would not receive it, he threw it after me ; and it was not until after I had returned it in the same manner, that he was prevailed upon to accept it. Upon doing this, he first exhibited it to the crowd around him, and then thanked me for it. On another occasion one of the officers offered a man, named Komee, two Spanish dollars for his pouch, which he declined, and could not be prevailed upon to accept ; but with perfect good breeding he presented to him the object he desired, and insisted upon his keeping it. In private, however, they had less ob- jection to presents, and even asked for several things: small bargains were also effected. From this time we visited the shore daily, and made many excursions into the country, confining our ram- bles within reasonable limits, to avoid giving uneasi- ness to our guides, who were very much distressed whenever we strayed beyond what they considered strictly within the limits prescribed by their instruc- tions. We met many peasants and other persons in these excursions, all of whom seemed eager to show us attention, and with whom there was less reserve, and less disinclination to our proceeding inland, than 1827. ]58 VOYAGE TO THE was manifested by our guides from Napa, who were evidently acting under much constraint. May, Lieutenant Wainwright, who, since leaving Sdn Francisco, had been an invalid, having suffered severely from a disease of the heart, was provided with a horse by the natives, and permitted to ride every day for his health. He was attended by a guide, and received much kindness and attention from the humane Loo Chooans, who, though they often gave us many rea- sons to suspect the purity of their intentions, were, by their acts, certainly entitled to our gratitude. On the 19th we received a bullock weighing lOOlbs., five pigs, a bag of sweet potatoes, some firewood, and some more water. Several of the officers landed and walked into the country, attended by the natives, who endeavoured by every species of cunning, and even by falsehood, to prevent their going near the villages, or penetrating far inland. We had again a ship full of visiters, and the two artists were employed the greater part of the day in completing their drawing, which they refused to part with. After the strangers were gone on shore, a thermometer that was kept upon deck for the purpose of registering the temperature was missed, and the natural conclusion was, that it had attracted the attention of some of our visiters, who, it must be remembered, were of all classes. It was a curious coincidence, but I believe perfectly accidental, that the day after the instrument was missed not a single person came off to the ship, except those employed in bringing water : when An-yar came on board the next morning I made our loss known to him ; he was much distressed at hearing of it, and said he would nmke every inquiry about it on shore, and added—" plenty Doo Choo man teef— plenty PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. J 59 mans teef," he also advised us at the same time to look well after our watches, handkerchiefs, and particularly any of the instruments that were taken on shore. These precautions I am almost certain were unnecessary, and I am inclined to believe that An-yah painted his coun- trymen in such odious colours to make us take proper precautions. Though the Loo Chooans are extremely curious, and highly prize such an instrument, yet the theft is not in character with the rest of their conduct, and however appearances may condemn them, I am inclined to believe them guiltless of taking the ther- mometer, which, probably, was left in the tub used for drawing up sea-water to try its temperature, and was accidentally thrown overboard. And yet in so large a body of people there must naturally be some who are bad ; however, we never heard any thing more of the thermometer. A little before noon I landed to observe the me- ridional altitude, and met Shtafacoo and several other Loo Choo gentlemen, who were attended by little boys holding parasols over them, and carrying small japanned cases containing smoked and dried meats, small cups of preserves, and boiled rice, sackee, a spirit resembhng the samchew of China, and fresh water. They ordered mats to be spread for us, and we made a good luncheon of the many nice things in their boxes. We afterwards crossed over to Potsoong, where we were met by an elderly gentleman, who made a very low obeisance, and pressed us to come into the house in which the officers of Sir Murray Maxwell's squadron and of the Blossom had been entertained, and which appeared to be set apart entirely for our use. It was situated in a square area laid out in lawn and flower beds, and enclosed by a high wall ; the 160 VOYAGE TO THE house was built of wood, and roofed with tiles in the Chinese style; the floor was raised about two feet from the ground, and the rooms, though small, were capable of being thrown into one by means of shifting panels. To the right of the house there was a large brass bell, which was struck with a wooden club, and had a very melodious tone ; at the further end of the garden was a jos house, a place of worship, which, as it has been described by Captain Hall, I shall notice only by the mention of a screen that was let down before the three small images on the inside. It was made of canvas stretched upon a frame forming two panels, in each of which was a figure ; one represent- ing a mandarin with a yellow robe and hatchee- matchee seated upon a bow and quiver of arrows, and a broad sword ; the other, a commoner of Loo Choo dressed in blue, and likewise seated upon a bow and arrows. The weapons immediately attracted my at- tention, and I inquired of my attendant what they were, for the purpose of learning whether he was ac- quainted with the use of them, and found that he was by putting his arms in the position of drawing the bow, and by pointing to the sword and striking his arm forward ; but he implied that that weapon be- longed to the mandarins only. A great many pieces of paper were suspended on each side of the picture, some of them marked with Chinese characters, and were, no doubt, invocations to the deities for some temporary benefits, as all the sects are in the habit of writing inscriptions of this kind, and depositing them in the jos houses, or placing them upon stones, of which there are several in Loo Choo under the name of Karoo. Under a veranda which surrounded the temple there were several wooden forms strewed with PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 161 flowers, and upon the middle one a drum was sus- pended by thongs in a handsome japanned stand. A building in front of this jos house, mentioned by Captain Hall, has been rebuilt, but was not quite finished at the time of our visit : though so near to the temple the panels were scrawled over with groups of figures, some of which were very inappropriate to such a situation. After we had partaken of tea in the dwelling-house, we determined upon a walk in the interior, much to the discomfiture of the old gentleman, who used every means he could think of to induce us to desist, and produced pipes, sweet cakes, tcha, and masa chorassa, preserves with which they tempted us whenever they feared our walk would be directed inland. Finding he could not detain us, he determined to be our com- panion, and endeavoured to confine us to the beach by praising the freshness of the breeze, saying how hot we should find it inland, and what bad paths there were in that direction, every word of which proved to be false, as we found the roads very good, and by gaining elevated situations we enjoyed more of the breeze. We passed some tombs excavated in the cliffs, and in one that was broken down we discovered a corpse lying upon its back, half decayed and covered over with a mat ; a jar of tea and some cups were placed by it, that the spirit might drink ; but there was nothing to eatj and our guide informed us that it was customary to place tea only by the side of the bodies, and that food was never left there. He turned us away from this shocking spectacle as much disgusted as ourselves, and seemed sorry that we had hit upon it. This dis- covery seems to strengthen some information which VOL. II. M 162 VOYAGE TO THE I afterwards received concerning the manner in which the dead were disposed of, namely, that the flesh is allowed to decay before the bones are placed in jars in the cemetery. From this place we ascended a hill covered with tombs, which were excavated in the rock in a manner very similar to those near Canton ; they had almost all of them niches, wherein bowls of tea, lamps, and cups were placed, and appeared to be kept in good order, as they had a cleanly and decent appearance. We wan- dered among these some time, without finding any open, but at last we came to one of an inferior kind, in which the door was loosely placed before the en- trance ; it consisted of a large slab of red pottery, pierced with a number of holes about an inch in dia- meter. Having removed this, we saw about twenty jars of fine red pottery covered with lids shaped like mandarins' caps ; the size of the jars was about twenty inches deep by eight in the broadest part, which was one-third of the way from the mouth ; they were also perforated in several places with holes an inch in diameter. We did not remove any of the lids, as it seemed to give offence, but were told that the jars contained the bones of the dead after the flesh had been stripped off or had decayed. On putting the question whether they burned the bones or the flesh off them, it was answered by surprise, and an inquiry whether we did so in England ? Therefore, unless the custom has altered, the account of Supoa Quang, a learned Chinese, who visited Loo Choo in 1719, is incorrect. After visiting the grave of one of the crew of the Alceste who was buried in this island, we were satisfied with this tour of the tombs, and turned off inland. A LOO CHOO SEPULCHRE. u..'.liul,^.i f... tl^.,^.. r'^.n r...^ o.'^J.,...; n....v;,... Kr. ... r/..../.'...,/>i« vtn.M-f Iwul 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 163 very much to the discomfiture of our guide, and in chap. spite of a great many remonstrances. He was a v. ^ silent companion until we came to a path that went ^'y> back to the beach, and there, politely stepping for- ward, said it was the one that would take us where we wished to go, and, touching our elbow, he would have turned us into it had he not thought it rude ; but we pursued our original path, followed by a crowd of persons, who seemed to enjoy the discomfiture of our companion, and laughed heartily as we came to every track that crossed ours, each of which our officious and polite conductor would have persuaded us to take, as being far more agreeable than the other, and as Ictiding to our destination. The mirth of the crowd pretty well satisfied us there was no great danger in ad- vancing, and we went on further than we should other- wise have done ; but in a little time they began to drop off, and we were at last left alone with the guide, who really became alarmed. We had reached the foot of the hill on which the capital is situated, and were ascending to have a near view of the houses, when he threw himself on his knees in evident alarm, bowed his head to the dust, and embracing our knees im- plored us to desist, assuring us that the mandarin would take his head off if we did not. Some of the officers who w^ent in another direction were told by their guide that he would get bambooed if they did not turn back, which is more probable than that the heavy penalty apprehended by our companion should be attached to so light a crime. To quiet the irritation of the poor old man, who trembled violently, we ascended a hill some distance to the left, which commanded an extensive view of the country, and from whence we could survey the M 2 164 VOYAGE TO THE capital with our telescopes. The country was highly cultivated, and the grounds irrigated with Chinese in- genuity and perseverance by small streams of water pass- ing through them, keeping such as were planted with rice thoroughly wet. We noticed in our walk sweet potatoes, millet, wheat, Indian corn, potatoes, cabbages, barley, sugar-cane, pease, tea shrubs, rice, taro, tobacco, capsicums, cucumbers, cocoa nuts, carrots, lettuces, onions, plantains, pomegranates, and oranges ; but amidst this display of agricultural industry there were several eminences topped with pine trees, on which the hand of the farmer might have been advantageously employed, but which were allowed to lie waste, and to be overrun with a rank grass. Such places, how- ever, being usually the repositories of the dead, it may have been thought indecorous by the considerate Loo Chooans to disturb the ground near it with a hoe. These eminences, like the basis of the island, being formed of a very porous calcareous rock, are peculiarly adapted to the excavation of tombs, and the natives have taken advantage of them to dispose of their dead in them. The accompanying view from Mr. Smyth's sketch will convey the best idea of what they are like. The capital, for such I am disposed to call the town on the hill, notwithstanding the denial of several of the natives, was surrounded by a white wall, within which there were a great many houses, and two strong buildings like forts ; with, as already mentioned, seve- ral small masts with gaffs, bearing flags of different colours. This space was thickly interspersed with trees, whence we conjectured the houses were fur- nished with gardens. There seemed to be very few people moving about the island, even between the upper and lower towns, with which it would be sup- 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 1(55 posed there must necessarily be much intercourse. We rested awhile on the eminence that afforded this agreeable view of a country but very little known, May, and were joined by several persons whom fear or in- dolence had prevented keeping pace with us. Our guide now lighted his pipe and forgot his apprehension in the consoling fumes of tobacco, while some of the party amused themselves with viewing the capital through a telescope, each preventing the other having a quiet view by their anxiety to obtain a peep. Our clothes in the meantime were undergoing an exami- nation from the remainder of the party, who, after looking closely into the texture of the material, ex- claimed— choorassa, choorassa! (beautiful). While we sat here a Japanese junk bore down from the northward, and according to the information of those around us, which afterwards proved to be cor- rect, she came from an island called Ooshimar, to the northward of Loo Choo, and was laden with rice, hemp, and other articles. Her sails and rigging re- sembled the drawing of the Japanese junks in La Perouse's voyage. She passed close to the Blossom at anchor, and from the report of the officers her crew had their heads shaved in the fashion of the Japanese. Her arrival excited general interest, brought all the inhabitants to the housetops, and a number of canoes crowded round her before she reached the inner harbour, where she was towed and secured alongside several other junks bearing the same flag. On our return we passed through a village consist- ing of a number of square inclosures of low stone walls, separated by lanes planted on both sides, and so overgrown with bamboo and ratans that we could neither see the houses nor the sky ; several handsome 166 VOYAGE TO THE creepers entwined themselves round the stems of these canes, and a variety of flowers, • some of which were new to us, exhah^d a dehcious fragrance from the gardens which bordered these dehghtful avenues. A more comfortable residence in a hot climate could not well be imagined, but I am sorry to say that the fascination was greatly lessened by the very filthy state of the dwellings and of the people who occupied them. In one of these huts there was a spinning- wheel and a hand loom, with some grass-cloth of the country in a forward state of preparation for use. Several little children accompanied us through these delightfully cool lanes, running before us catching butterflies, or picking flowers, which they presented with a low Chinese salam, and then ran away laugh- ing at the idea of our valuing such things. We afterwards crossed two high roads, on which there were several horses and jack-asses bearing panniers ; but we saw no carriages, nor the marks of any wheels, nor do I believe there are any in Loo Choo. The horses, like the natives, were very diminutive, and showed very little blood. Several peasants, both male and female, were working in the plantations as we passed through them, neither of whom endeavoured to avoid us, and we had an opportunity of beholding, for the first time, several Loo Choo women. They were of the labouring class, and of course not the most attractive specimens of their sex ; but they were equally good-looking with the men, and a few of them were pretty, notwithstanding the assertion of An-yah, tliat " Loo Choo womans ugly womans." There was nothing remarkable about them to need particular description; they were clothed much in the same manner as the men, and generally in the same colours; o fi d 0 Cl W X ■0 o s ^ u o si o •Si d ^ i ^ ^ p-l o o O f> fl en 0) w >, > t) 1 — 1 H 43 3: <: 3 ZJ ^ P- 0 O "3 Fl o PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. I57 their hair, however, was differently dressed, being loosely fastened at the side of the head by a pin resem- bling a salt-spoon with a very long handle. Their feet m^ were of the natural size, and without shoes or sandals. ^^^^* We noticed some who were tattooed on the back of the hand, which we were told was done to distinguish all those who were married ; An-yah said the custom prevailed equally in high life. I subjoin a sketch of a male and female of Loo Choo, drawn by Mr. Smyth, from which the reader may form a tolerably correct judgment of the general appearance of these people, though Komee was by no means the handsomest of his countrymen. Upon the high road we met a man with a bundle of firewood, on his way to town ; and were much pleased at the confirmation of a fact, which we had no doubt existed, though the natives took every precaution to conceal it. None of our visiters to the ship had as yet shown us any money, and An-yah, if I understood him correctly, said there was none in Loo Choo ; our meeting with this peasant, however, disclosed the truth, as he had a string of cash * (small Chinese money) suspended to his girdle, in the manner adopted by the Chinese. I examined the string with much interest, and offered to purchase it with Spanish coin, but my guide would not permit the woodman to part with it, and tucking it into his belt that it might not be seen again, he said something to him in an angry tone, and the poor fellow walked on with his load to the town. We afterwards got some of this money, which * These coins being of small value, they are strung together in hundreds, and have a knot at each end, so that it is not necessary to count them. 168 VOYAGE TO THE was exactly the same as that which is current at Can- ton, and found that it was also in circulation in Loo Choo. Though they afterwards admitted this fact, they denied having any silver or gold coin in the country. Our subsequent excursions were nearly a repetition of what has been described, and were made nearly to the same places, with the exception of two or three, which I shall describe hereafter. In all these the same artifice was practised to induce us to confine ourselves to the beach, and particularly to prevent a near ap- proach to the villages. Tobacco, tsha, and chorassa niasa were the great temptations held out to us ; but neither the tea, nor the masa, which, by the by, was seldom produced, had sufficient charms to dissuade some of our young gentlemen from gratifying their curiosity, though it was at the expense of the conve- nience of the natives, whose dresses were very ill adapted to speed ; and thus, by outrunning them, they saw manv places which thev would not otherwise have been permitted to enter, and got much nearer to the town than I felt it would be rijjht for me to do in consequence of my promise to An-yah. I shall, there- fore, give such extracts from their journals as are in- teresting, but in a few pages in advance, that I may not disturb the order of the narrative. On the 21st, An-yah came off to say, that the man- darin had accepted my invitation to visit the ship, and would come on board that day : w^e conser^uently made preparation to receive him. As it appeared to me that Napa-keang possessed no boat sufficiently good for so great an occasion, I offered to send one of ours to the town for his accommodation, which, in addition to obliging the mandarin, would afford an opportunity PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 169 of seeing tlie place ; but An-yah would not permit it, and fearful that we might really pursue this piece of politeness further, got out of the ship as fast as he could, saying the mandarin was at Potsoong, and not in the town. About two o'clock he pushed off from that place with his party in two clumsy punts, sculled by several men singing a chorus, which differed, both in words and air, from that used by the boatmen in general. The mandarin was seated in the largest of these boats, under a wide Chinese umbrella, with two or three mandarins of inferior rank by him ; the other boat contained An-yah, Shtafacoo, Sandoo, and others, with whom we were well acquainted, and who rowed on before the mandarin, and announced his approach by presenting a crimson scroll of paper, exactly a yard in length, on which was elegantly written in Chinese characters, " Ching-oong-choo, the magistrate of Napa, in the Loo Choo country, bows his head to the ground, and pays a visit." By this time the other boat with the great man was alongside the ship, and four do- mestics with scarlet hatchee-matchees ascended the side, one of them bearing a large square hatchee- matchee box, in which there was an old comb. They pulled up the side ropes, and carefully inspected them, to see whether they were strong enough to hold their master, and let them down again for the manda- rin, who, very little accustomed to such feats, ascended the side with difficulty. He was received with a guard under arms, and a mandarin's salute was fired as he put his foot upon the deck, with which he was much gratified, and he shook every officer by the hand with unaffected plea- sure. The yards had been manned as he was coming off, and when the pipe was given for the seamen ta 1827. 170 VOYAGE TO THE come down, the evolution produced a little surprise, and must have impressed the Loo Chooans with the May, decided advantag-e of our dress over theirs, where ac- tivity is required, Ojee, one of the party, who also styled himself Jeema, and is mentioned by Captain Hall, followed, and then the rest of the mandarins in yellow hatchee-matchecs and gowns. To persons who had visited a fine English frigate, disciplined by one of the ablest officers in the British Navy, the Blossom could have presented nothing extraordinary ; and as the greater part of our visiters were familiar with the Alceste, they were very little interested in what they saw ; but Ching-oong-choo had not been long from Pekin, and never, probably, having put his foot on the deck of a ship before, a Chinese junk excepted, examined every thing very at- tentively, and made many inquiries about the guns, powder, and shot. None of the natives offered to seat themselves in the cabin in the presence of the mandarin until dinner was brought in, but they then dispensed with forma- lities, and those who were familiar with European customs chinchinned each other with wine, and re- versed their glasses each time, to the great amuse- ment of their superior. During dinner the fate of Madera was inquired into, but we got no satisfactory answer, and a mystery seemed to hang over his fate, which made us suspect he had in some way or other been disgraced. Jeema took the opportunity of show- ing he recollected his visits to the Alceste and Lyra, but he did not make any inquiry after his friends in either vessel. As we had lately been at Canton, we were provided with many things which were happily to the taste of Oh o H O o o o o < 0 p^ p H W << Ah W P PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. jyj our guests, who would otherwise have fared badly, as they did not appear to relish our joints of meat; nor did some bottled porter accord better with their taste, for after occasioning many wry faces, it was put aside as being bitter; a flavour which I have observed is seldom relished for the first time. Not so some noyeau, which was well adapted to the sweet palate of the Loo Chooans ; nor some effervescing draughts, which were quite new to them, and created consider- able surprise. They, however, seemed to enjoy them- selves a great deal ; were jovial without being noisy, and with the exception of a disagreeable practice of eructation, and even worse, they were polite people ; though I cannot say I approved of their refinement upon our pocket handkerchief. An-yah often inti- mated to me that he thought it was a disagreeable practice to use a handkerchief and carry it about all day, and thought it would be better for us to adopt their custom of having a number of square pieces of paper in our pockets for this purpose, any one of which could be thrown away when it had been used. I did not at first think he was in earnest, and when I observed my guests pocket these pieces of paper, I sent for some handkerchiefs, but they declined using them, saying paper was much better. While we were at dinner a large junk which we had observed taking in a cargo the day before, was towed out of the harbour by an immense number of boats, making the shores echo with her deep-toned gong. She grounded off the entrance of the harbour, but was soon got off, and placed outside the reefs. A more unwieldy ark scarcely ever put to sea, and when she rolled, her masts bent to that degree that the people on her deck seemed to be in imminent danger of their 172 VOYAGE TO THE lives. She was decorated with flags of all sorts and sizes : at the fore there was hoisted the white flag of the emperor ; at the main, the Loo Choo colours, a triangular flag, red and yellow, with a white ball in it, denoting, I believe, a tributary state ; there were be- sides several others, and a great many mandarins' flags upon staffs along the stern. Ching-oong-choo said she was the junk with tribute which was sent every second year from Loo Choo to Fochien. Her cargo, before it was stow^ed, was placed upon the wharf in square piles, with small flags upon sticks, stuck here and there upon the bales of goods, which were appa- rently done up in straw matting ; for it was only with our telescopes that we were allowed to see this. After dinner was over, the mandarin went on shore, and begged to have the pleasure of our company to dinner at Potsoong the next day ; but the rest of the company obtained permission to stay and enjoy a little more sackee, after which they pocketed the remains of the dessert as usual, and as a token of their friend- ship, they each threw down their pipe and tobacco- pouch, and begged my acceptance of them ; but as I knew these articles were valuable in Loo Choo, and was conscious that with some of them it was only a matter of form, I declined accepting them. The next day it rained heavily, but An-yah came off to keep us to our engagement, saying the mandarin was at Potsoong in readiness to receive us ; we ac- cordingly went, and were met at the landing-place by Jeema and a great crowd of Loo Chooans, with um- brellas, who accompanied us to the house, where we were received by the mandarin in a most cordial and friend- ly manner. For convenience both apartments were thrown into one, by the removal of shifting panels, and PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 173 the servants were regaled upon the floor in the inner room, while we were seated at a table in the outer apartment. Our table, which had been made in Japan, was nicely lacquered, and had Chinese characters gilt upon its edges and down the sides of the legs, record- ing the date and place where it was made, as well as the name of the workman, &c. It was covered with dishes containing a variety of eatables, principally sweetmeats, and two sorts of spirits, sackee and moo- roofacoo. The former resembles the samscheu of China, and the other is a dark coloured cordial pos- sessing a bitter-sweet taste. We were seated on one side of the table, myself in an old-fashioned chair, and the other officers upon camp-stools with japanned backs, and the host, Jeema, and the other mandarins, on the other side : and each person was provided with a small enamelled cup, and a saucer with a pair of chopsticks laid across it; the crowd all the while sur- rounding the house, and watching through its open sides every motion we made. Pipes and mooroofacoo were first offered to us, and then each dish in succes- sion ; of which we partook, according to our different tastes, without being aware of the Chinese custom of giving the sweets first, and reserving the substantial part of the dinner for the last. Among the dishes, besides some sweet cakes made very light, were different kinds of pastry, one of a cir- cular form, called haiinaburee, another tied in a knot, hard and disagreeable, called ?)iatzakai, and a third called koomhig, which enclosed some kind of fish. There was also a mamalade, called tsheeptang, a dish of hard boiled eggs without the shells, painted red, and a pickle which was used instead of salt, called dzeeseehedakoonee ; besides a small dish of sliced cold 174 VOYAGE TO THE liver, called ivatsha'mgo, which in this course was the only meat upon the table. We ate more plentifully of these sweet things than we liked, in consequence of our ignorance of what was to follow, and partly from our not being aware that their politeness prevented them from sending away any dish as long as we could be prevailed upon to partake of it — a feeling which induced them continually to press us to eat, and offer us part of every dish on the end of their chopsticks. The next course induced us to res:ret that we had not made the tasting more a matter of form, for it con- sisted of several good dishes, such as roast pork, hashed fowls, and vermicelli pudding, &c. After these were removed they brought basins of rice, but seeing we would eat no more, they ordered the whole to be taken away. During the whole time we were closely plied with sackee in small opaque wine glasses, which held about a thimblefull, and were compelled to follow the ex- ample of our host and turn our glasses down ; but as this spirit was of a very ardent nature, I begged to be allowed to substitute port and madeira, which was readily granted, and we became more on a footing with our hosts, who seemed to think that hospitality consisted in making every person take more than they liked, and argued that as they had been intoxicated on board, we ought to become so on shore. After dinner was removed, Jeema favoured us with two songs, which were very passable, and much to the taste of the Loo Chooans, who seemed to enjoy them very much. Nothing could exceed the politeness and hospitality of the mandarin throughout, who begged that dinner might be sent off to one of the officers, whose health would not permit him to risk a wetting, PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. J 75 and that all the boats' crews might be allowed to come to the house and partake of the feast. Though there was a little ceremony in receiving and seating us, yet that almost immediately wore off, and Ching-oong- choo to make every person at his ease took off his hatchee-matchee, and with the rest of the mandarins sat without it. By this piece of politeness we dis- covered that his hair was secured on the top of the head by a gold hair pin, called kamesache, the first and the only one we saw made of that precious metal. We afterwards took a short walk in the garden, when I was surprised to find An-yah and Shtafacoo in the dress and hatchee-matchee of mandarins of the second class : whether this was intended as a trick, or, following Madera's example, they preferred making their first acquaintance in disguise, is not very clear; but as they both possessed a great deal of influence, and were much respected by the lower orders of the inhabitants, it was probably their proper dress. As soon as Ching-oon-choo permitted us, we took our leave, and were accompanied to the boat by a great crowd of persons, who opened a passage as we pro- ceeded, and were officiously anxious to be useful in some way or other ; and we then parted with Jeema and the rest amidst the greetings and salutations of hundreds of voices. On the 21st, one of the officers made an excursion to the southward of Aljbey Point, and was attended as usual by a concourse of boys and young men, who were extremely polite and respectful. They used every artifice and persuasion to deter him from pro- ceeding, said they were tired, tempted him with tsha and declared that they were hungry, but he ingeni, ously silenced the latter complaint by offering his 1827 176 VOYAGE TO THE guide a piece of bread which he had in his basket. It was thankfully accepted, but with a smile at the arti- May, fice having failed. At a village called Aseemee he surprised two females standing at a well filling their pitchers; they scrutinized him for some time, and then ran off to their homes. The villaii;e contained about fifty houses ; and was almost hid from view by a screen of trees, among which were recognised the acacia, the porou of the South Seas, and the hibiscus rosa sinensis, but the greater part of the others appeared to be new ; they formed a lively green wood, and gave the village an agreeable aspect. In one of the cottages a boy of about six years of age was seated at a machine made of bamboo resembling a small Scotch nuickle wheel, spinning some very fine cotton into a small thread. Though so young, he appeared to be quite an adept at his business, and was not the least embarrassed at the approach of the strangers. A quantity of thread ready spun lay in the house ; there was a loom close by, and some newly manufactured cloth, which ap- peared to have been recently dyed, was extended to dry outside the house. Near this cottage there were broken parts of a mill, which indicated the use of those machines, and circular marks on the earth, showing that this one had been worked by cattle. About a mile and a half to the southward of Abbey Point, near a steep wooded eminence, which we christened Wood Point, there was another village named Oofoomee, through which Mr. Collie passed, preceded by his guide, who warned the female part of the inhabitants of his approach in order that they might get out of his way. His guide was delighted when he directed his steps toward the ship, as he was PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 177 very tired, and even had a horse brought to him be- fore he got to the beach. This animal was eleven hands and a half in height, and would hardly have kept a moderately tall person's feet off the ground ; but his guide, though there was not much necessity for bracing his feet up very high, obviated the possi- bility of this inconvenience by riding with his knees up to his breast. The stirrups were massy, and made of iron curiously inlaid with brass, and shaped some- thing like a clumsy Chinese shoe. At Abbey Point he visited some sepulchres hewn out of the rock or formed of natural caverns ; one of these happened to be partly open, and he discovered four large red earthen jars, one of wdiich was fortunately broken, and exhi- bited its contents, consisting of bones of the human skeleton. In another excursion made by this gentleman to the north-east of Potsoong, he visited a temple of Budh, situated in a romantic copse of trees. The approach to it was along a path paved with coral slabs, partly over- grown with grass, and under an archway in the forma- tion of which art had materially assisted the hand of nature. After resting a short time in this romantic situation he descended the paved way, passed some tall trees, among which was a species of erethrina of large growth, and arrived at the house of a priest, who invited him to smoke and partake of tea and rice. Three young boys were in the house, who, as well as the priest, had their heads shaved according to the custom of the priesthood in China. By the 25th May, we had completed the survey of the port, replenished our water, received a little fresh stock, and obtained some interesting astronomical and magnetical observations ; the day of departure was VOL. II. N X78 • VOYAGE TO THE consequently near at hand. This event, after which many anxious in([uiries were made by the natives, was, I beheve, generally contemplated with pleasure on both sides ; not that we felt careless about parting with our friends, but we could not enjoy their society without so many restrictions, and we were daily ex- posed to the temptation of a beautiful country without the liberty of exploring it, that our situation very soon became extremely irksome. The day of our de- parture, therefore, was hailed with pleasure, not only by ourselves but by those to whom the troublesome and fatiguing duty had been assigned of attending upon our motions : and they must moreover have looked with suspicion on the operations of the survey that were daily going forward, even had they not sus- pected our motives for putting into their port. I was very anxious before this day arrived to pos- sess a set of the pins that are worn by the natives in their hair. From their conduct it appeared that these ornaments had some other value attached to them than that of their intrinsic worth, or there would not have been so much difficulty in procuring them. Seeing they set so much value upon them that none of the natives could be induced to part with them, I begged An-yah would acquaint the mandarin with my desire, and if possible, that he would procure me a set. An-yah replied he would cer- tainly deliver my message to the mandarin, and the next morning brought a set of the most inferior kind, made of brass. As the mandarin had received some liberal presents from me, I observed to An-yah that this conduct was ungenerous, and that I expected a set made of silver ; his opinion he said very much coin- cided with mine, and added that he would endeavour to PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 179 have them chan2;ed, l)ut the followine: inorniiiir he met me on shore and said — "mandarin very bad man no give you silver kamesaehe:" l)ut An-yah, deter- mined that my request should be complied with, had by some means succeeded in procuring- a set for rae, which he presented in his own name. I rewarded his generous behaviour by making him a present of some cut glass decanters and wine glasses, which are more esteefued in Loo Choo even than a telescope. On the '27th we made preparations for weighing by hoisting our sails, and An-yah, Shtafacoo, and Shayoon, who had been our constant attendants, came off to take leave. These good people had been put to much trouble and anxietv on our account, and had so ingratiated themselves with us, that as the mo- ment approached I really believe the desire for our departure was proportionably lessened ; and when the day arrived they testified their regret in a warm but manly manner, shook us heartily by the hand, and each gave some little token of regard which they begged us to keep in remembrance of them. As we moved from the anchorage, the inhabitants assembled on the house-tops, as before, upon the tombs, in the forts, and upon every place that would afford them a view, of our operations, some waving umbrellas and others fans. Having brought to a conclusion the sketch of our visit to Loo Choo, I intend in the few pages that fol- low to embody what other information was collected from time to time, and to oflf'er a few remarks on the state of the country as we found it, as compared with that which has been given by Captain Hall and the late Mr. jVrCleod, surgeon of the Alceste. In the fore- going narrative I have avoided entering niinutelv into N 2 1827. "[go VOYAGE TO THE a description of the manners and persons of the inha- bitants ; and I have omitted several incidents and May, anecdotes of the people, as being similar to those which have already been given in the delightful publications above mentioned. Loo Choo has always been said to be very popu- lous, particularly the southern districts, and we saw nothing in that part of the island which could induce us to doubt the assertion. On the contrary, the number of villages scattered over the country, and the crowds of persons whom we met whenever we landed, amply testified the justness of the observation. We were, certainly, in the vicinity of the capital, and at the principal seaport town of the island ; but in forming our estimate of the population, it must be borne in mind that we were very likely to underrate its amount, in consequence of the greater number of persons who crowd into Chinese towns than reside in villages of the same size in countries from which we have taken our standard. The people are of very diminutive stature, and ac- cording to our estimation their average height does not exceed five feet five inches. As might be ex- pected, from the Loo Chooans being descendants of the Japanese, and numerous families from China hav- ing settled in the island, there is a union of the dispo- sition and of the manners, as well as of the features of both countries. The better classes seemed by their features to be allied to the Chinese, and the lower orders to the Japanese ; but, in each, the manners of both countries may be traced. Their mode of saluta- tion, their custom of putting to their foreheads any thing that is given to them, their paper pocket hand- kerchiefs, and some parts of their dress, are peculiarly PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. IQl Japanese. In other respects they resemble the Chi- nese. The hatchee-matchee and the hair-pins are, I believe, confined to their own conntry, though smaller metal hair-pins are worn by the ladies of Japan*. On the whole they appear to be a more amiable people than cither the Chinese or Japanese, though they are not without the vices natural to mankind, nor free from those which characterise the inhabitants of the above mentioned countries. They have all the politeness, affability, and ceremony of the Chinese, with more honesty and ingenuousness than is generally possessed by those people ; and they are less warlike, cruel, and obsequious than the Japanese, and perhaps less sus- picious of foreigners than those people appear to be. In their intercourse with foreigners their conduct ap- pears to be governed by the same artful policy as that of both China and Japan, and we found they would likewise sometimes condescend to assert an untruth to serve their purpose ; and so apparent was this deceitfulness, that some among us were led to impute their extreme civility, and their generosity to strangers, to impure motives. They are exceedingly timorous and effeminate, so much so that I can fancy they would be induced to grant almost any thing they posssess rather than go to war ; and, as one of my officers justly observes in his journal, had a party insisted upon en- tering the town, they would probably have submitted in silence, treated them with the greatest politeness, and by some plausible pretext have got rid of them as soon as they could. They appear to be peaceable and happy, and the lower orders to be as free from distress as those of any * See LangsdorfF's Travels, vol. ii. 182 VOYAGE TO THE country that we know of; though we met several men working in the fields who were in rags, and nearly naked. The most striking peculiarity of the people is the excessive politeness of even the lowest classes of inhabitants : on no account would they willingly do any thing disagreeable to a stranger, and when com- pelled, by higher authorities than themselves, to pur- sue a certain line of conduct, they did it in the man- ner that was the least likely to give offence ; and it was quite laughable to notice the fertility of their in- vention in order to obtain this end, which was seldom gained without a sad sacrifice of integrity. Their re- luctance to receive remuneration for their trouble, or for the provisions which they supply to foreigners, is equally remarkable. Captain Broughton and Captain Hall have noticed their conduct in this respect. In the case of a whale ship which put into Napa-keang in 1826, and received nearly two dozen bullocks and other supplies, the only remuneration they would re- ceive was a map of the world. And in our own instance (though we managed by making presents to the mandarins and to the people to prevent their being losers by their generosity), An-yah's reply to my question, whether we should pay for the supplies we received in money or goods ? was, " Mandarin give you plenty, no want pay." But with all this politeness, as is the case with the Chinese, they cannot be said to be a polished people. Our means of judging of their education were very limited : a few only of the lower orders could read the Chinese characters, and still fewer were acquainted with the Chinese pronunciation ; even among the better classes there were some who were ianorant of both. Schools appear to have been established in PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. ]83 Loo Choo as far back as the reis^n of Chun-tien, about chap. the year 1817, when characters were introduced into v , the country, and the inhabitants began to read and May, WTite. These characters were said to be the same as those of the Japanese alphabet yrofa*. In the year 1372, other schools were established, and the Chinese character was substituted for that of the Japanese ; and about the middle of the seventeenth century, when the Mantchur dynasty became fixed upon the throne of China, the Emperor Kang-hi built a college in Loo Choo for the instruction of youth, and for making them familiar with the Chinese character. An-yah intimated that schoolmasters had recently been sent there from China ; and one day while I was making some observations, several boys who were noticed among the crowd with books, and who seemed proud of being able to read the Chinese characters, were pointed out by An-yah as being the scholars of those people. I am of opinion that the inhabitants of Loo Choo have no written character in use which can properly be called their own, but that they express themselves in that which is strictly Chinese. We certainly never saw any except that of China during our resi- dence in the country. The manuscripts which I brought away with me were all of the same character precisely, and some wxre written by persons who did not know that I was more familiar with the Chinese character than with anv other. It is very probable that the Japanese character was in use formerly ; but it is now so long" since schools have been established in Loo Choo for teaching the * Recueil de Pere Gaubil. 1827. 184 VOYAGE TO THE Chinese character, viz. since 1372, and the Chinese, whose written character is easier to learn than the ivily, other, have always heen the favourite nation of the Loo Choo people, that it is very prohable the Japa- nese character may now be obsolete. An-yah would give us no information on this subject, nor would he bring us any of the books which were in use in Loo Choo, One which I saw in the hands of a boy at Abbey Point appeared to be written in Chinese cha- racters, which are so different from those of the Japanese that they may be readily detected. M. Grosier on this subject, quoting the Chinese authors, says that letters, accounts, and the king's pro- clamations are written in Japanese characters ; and books on morality, history, medicine, astronomy, &c. in those of China. One of the authors whom he quotes adds, that the priests throughout the kingdom have schools for teaching the youth to read according to the precepts of the Japanese alphabet Y-ro-fa. As we may presume they teach morality in these schools, it would follow, as books on those subjects are all written in Chinese characters, that the boys must be taught both languages ; but had this been the case, I think we should have seen the Japanese character written by some of them. It is to be observed, that the invocations in the temples and on the kao-roo stones are all in the character of China. While upon this subject, I must observe, that the idea of Mons. P. S. Du Ponceau,* "that the meaning of the Chinese characters cannot be understood alike in the different languages in which they are used," is not strictly correct, as we found many Loo Choo * See a letter from this gentleman to Captain Basil Hall, R. N., published in the Annals of Philosophy for January, 1829. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 185 people who understood the meaning of the character, chap. which was the same with them as with the Chinese, ^^ ' but who could not give us the Chinese pronunciation May, 1 QQ'7 of the word. And this is an answer to another obser- vation which precedes that above mentioned, viz. that < "as the Chinese characters are in direct connexion with the Chinese spoken words, they can only be read and vinderstood by those who are familiar with the spoken language." The Loo Choo words for the same things are very different from those of the Chinese, the one being often a monosyllable, and the other a polysyllable ; as in the instance of charcoal, the Chinese v/ord for it being tan, and the Loo Chooan chd-ehee-jiug, and yet the people use pre- cisely the same character as the Chinese to express this word ; and so far from its being necessary to be familiar with the laniruage to understand the charac- ters, many did not know the Chinese words for them. Their language throughout is very different from that of the Chinese, and much more nearly allied to the Japanese. The observation of M. Klaproth, in Archiv fur Asiatische Litteratur, p. L52, that the Loo Choo language is a dialect of the Japanese with a good deal of Chinese introduced into it, appears to be perfectly correct, from the information of some gentlemen who have compared the two, and are familiar with both languages. The vocabulary of Lieutenant Cliflfbrd, which we found very correct, will at any time afford the means of making this comparison. The inhabitants of Loo Choo are very curious on almost all subjects, and seem very desirous of informa- tion ; but we were wholly unable to judge of their proficiency in any subject, in consequence of the great disadvantages under which we visited their country. 1827 186 VOYAGE TO THE Like the Japanese, they have always shown a deter- mination to resist the attempts of Europeans to trade May, with them, partly^ no doubt, in consequence of orders to that effect from China, and partly from their own timidity ; and whenever a foreign vessel arrives it is their policy to keep her in ignorance of their weak- ness, by confining the crew to their vessel, or, if they cannot do that, within a limited walk of the beach, and through such places only as will not enlighten them on this point ; and also to supply her with what she requires, in order that she may have no pretext for remaining. Mr. Collie in his journal has given a phrenological description of the heads of several Loo Chooans which he examined and measured, in which proportions he thinks the lovers of that science will find much that is in accordance with the character of the people. The article, I am sorry to say, is too long for insertion here, and I only mention the circumstance that the information may not be lost. We had but few opportunities of seeing any of the females of this country, and those only of the working class. An-yah said they were ugly, and told us we might judge of what they were like from the lower orders which we saw. They dressed their hair in the same manner as those people, and were free from the Chinese custom of modelling their feet. The Loo Choo people dress extremely neat, and always appear cleanly in their persons ; they observe the Chinese custom of going bareheaded, and when the sun strikes hot upon their skulls, they avert its rays with their fans, which may be considered part of the dress of a Loo Chooan. In wet weather they wear cloaks and broad hats similar to those of the PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 137 Japanese, and exchange their straw sandals for wooden clogs. They have besides umbrellas to protect them from the rain. Of their occupations we could not judge ; it was evident that there were a great many agriculturists among them, and many artisans, as they have various manufactures, of which I shall speak hereafter. They appear to be very temperate in their meals, and indulge only in tea, sweatmeats, and tobacco, of which they smoke a great quantity ; it is, however, of a very mild fjuality and pleasant flavour. Their pipes are very short, and scarcely hold half a thimbleful ; this is done that they may be the oftener replenished, in order to enjoy the flavour of fresh tobacco, which is considered a luxury. For further information on the manners, the dress, and minor points of interest belonging to these people, I must refer to the publications of Captain Hall and Mr. Macleod, who have so interestingly described all the little traits of character of the simple Loo Chooans, and who have pourtrayed their conduct with so much spirit, good feeling, and minuteness. These descrip- tions, though they have been a little overdrawn from the impulse of grateful recollections, from the igno- rance in which the authors were kept by the cautious inhabitants, and from their desire to avoid giving oftence, by pushing their inquiries as far as was neces- sary to enable them to form a correct judgment upon many things, are, upon the whole, very complete re- presentations of the people. The supposition that the inhabitants of Loo Choo possessed no weapons, ofl'ensive or otherwise, natu- rally excited surprise in England, and the circum- stance became one of our chief objects of inquiry. I 188 VOYAGE TO THE cannot say the result of the investigation was as satis- factory as I could have wished, as we never saw any weapon whatever in use, or otherwise, in the island ; and the supposition of their existence rests entirely upon the authority of the natives, and upon circum- stantial evidence. The mandarin Ching-oong-choo, and several other persons, declared there were both cannon and muskets in the island ; and An-yah dis- tinctly stated there were twenty-six of the former dis- tributed among their junks.* We were disposed to believe this statement, from seeing the fishermen, and all classes at Napa, so familiar with the use and ex- ercise of our cannon, and particularly so from their appreciating the improvement of the flint-lock upon that of the match-lock, which I miderstood from the natives to be in use in Loo Choo ; and unless they possessed these locks it is difficult to imagine from whence they could have derived their knowledge. The figures drawn upon the panels of the joshouse, seated upon broadswords and bows and arrows, may be adduced as further evidence of their possessing weapons ; and this is materially strengthened by the fact of their harbour being defended by three square stone forts, one on each side of the entrance, and the other upon a small island, so situated within the har- bour, that it would present a raking fire to a vessel entering the port ; and these forts having a number of loop-holes in them, and a platform and parapet formed, above with stone steps leading up to it in several places. This platform would not have been wide enough for our cannon, it is true ; but unless it were built for the reception of those weapons, there * There were none on board the junk which sailed for China. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. Jgg is apparently no other use for which it could have been designed. I presented the mandarin with a pair of pistols, which he thankfully accepted, and they were taken charge of by his domestics without exciting any unusual degree of curiosity. Upon questioning An-yah where his government procured its powder, he immediately replied from Fochien. It is further extremely improbable that these people should have no weapons, considering the expeditions which have been successively fitted out by both China and Japan against Loo Choo. and the civil wars which unfortunately prevailed in the island, more or less, during the greater part of the time that the nation was divided into three kingdoms.* Besides, the haughty tone of the king to the commander of an ex- pedition which was sent, in A. D. 605, to demand sub- mission to his master the Emperor of China, viz. " That he would acknowledge no master," is not the language of a people destitute of weapons. Loo Choo has been subdued by almost every expedition against it, yet it is not likely the country could have made even a show of resistance against the invaders had the inhabitants been unarmed ; they nevertheless resisted the famous Tay Cosama, and though conquered, threw off the yoke of Japan soon afterwards, and returned under the dominion of China. It was afterwards re- taken by Kingtchang with 3,000 Japanese, who im- prisoned the king, and killed Tching-hoey, his father, because he refused to acknowledge the sovereignty of Japan. -f- They are, besides, said to have sent swords * From its division under Yut-ching in 1300, until it was united under Chang-pat-chi, about a century afterwards, * Report of Supao-Koang, a learned Chinese physician, sent by the Emperor of China to Loo Choo in 1719, to report upon the country. — Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses, vol. xxviii. 190 VOYAGE TO THE as tribute to Japan. In 1454 the king Chang-tal- keiou had to sustain a civil war against his brother, who was at first successful, and beat Chang-tai-keiou in a battle, in which he fought at the head of his troops. It is not probable that all this warfare and bloodshed should have transpired without the Loo Chooans being- possessed of arms ; besides, it is expressly stated by Supao-Koang, that arms were manufactured in the island. I am, therefore, disposed to believe that the Loo Chooans have weapons, and that they are similar to those in use in China. And with regard to the ob- jection which none of them having ever been seen in Loo Choo would offer, I can only say, that while I was in China, with the exception of the cannon in the forts, I did not see a weapon of any kind, though that people is well known to possess them. It was also thought that the Loo Choo people were ignorant of the use of money. But this point has now been satisfactorily determined by our having seen it in circulation in the island, and having some of it in our own possession. The coin was similar to the cash of China. An-yah declared that there were no gold or silver coins in the country, not even ingots, which are in use in China ; but this will hereafter, perhaps, prove to be untrue, as he even denied the use of the cash until it was found in circulation. There is very little doubt that money has been long known to, if not in use among, the Loo Chooans. About the year A. D. 1454, in the reign of Chang-tai-keiou, we are told that so large a quantity of silver and brass coin was taken from China to Loo Choo, that the provinces of Tche- Kiang and of Fochien complained to the emperor of the scarcity it had occasioned in those places ; * and * Recueil de Pfere Gaqbil, 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. "[Ql Pere Gaubil, quoting Supao-Koang,* after enumerat- ing several articles of trade, says " tout cela se vende et s'achete, ou par echange ou en deniers de cuivres de May, la Chine." Our countrymen were further led to believe, from what they saw of the mild and gentle conduct of the superior orders in Loo Choo towards their inferiors, that the heaviest penalty attached to the commission of a crime was a gentle tap of a fan. Our friend with his bamboo cane, who was put on board to preserve order among his countrymen, afforded the first and most satisfactory evidence we could have had of this being an error, and had we possessed no other means of information, his conduct would have favoured the presumption of more severe chastisement beine; occa- sionally inflicted. It happened, however, fortunately that I had purchased in China a book of the punish- ments of that country, in which the refined cruelty of the Chinese is exhibited in a variety of ways. By showing these to the Loo Choo people, and inquiring if the same were practised in their country, we found that many of their punishments were very similar. Those which they acknowledged were death by stran- gulation upon a cross, and sometimes under the most cruel torture ; and minor punishments, such as loading the body with iron chains ; or locking the neck into a heavy wooden frame ; enclosing a person in a case, with only his head out, shaved, and exposed to a scorch- ing sun ; and binding the hands and feet, and throw- ing quicklime into the eyes. I was further assured that confession was sometimes extorted by the un- heard-of cruelty of dividing the joints of the fingers * Ibid, p. 4'02, Lettres Edifiantes. 192 VOYAGE TO THE alternately, and clipping the muscles of the legs and arms with scissars. Isaacha Sando took pains to ex- plain the manner in which this cruelty was performed, putting his fingers to the muscles in imitation of a pair of sheers, so that I could not be mistaken : besides, other persons at Potsoong told me in answer to my inquiry, for I was rather sceptical myself, that it was quite true, and that they had seen a person expire under this species of torture. However, lest it should be thought I may have erred in attaching such cruelties to a people apparently so mild and humane, I shall in- sert some questions that were put to the Loo Chooans out of Dr. Morrison's Dictionary, and their answers to them respectively. " Do the Loo Choo people torture and interrogate with the lash ? " " Yes." — " Do they examine by tor- ture ? " " Yes." — " Do they give false evidence through fear of torture?" "Yes." — "Are great officers of the third degree of rank and upwards, who are degraded and seized to be tried, subjected to torture ?" " No." — " Is torture inflicted in an illegal and extreme degree ?" " Not illegal." — " Do you torture to death the real offender?" "Yes, sometimes." — "What punishment do you inflict for murder ? " " Kill, by hanging or strangulation"^' — "For robbery?" "The same." — "For adultery?" ^''Banish to Patanjan" (probably Pat-chong-chan, an island to the south-west of Typing- san.) — "For seduction?" "The same." Minor of- fences we were told were punished with a bambooing or a flagellation with a rod. Crimes are said to be few in number, and speaking generally there appears to be very little vice in the people. * The words in italics were implied by signs. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 193 I was assured l)y An- yah that marriages in Loo Choo were contracted as they are in China, by the parents or by a friend of the parties, without the principals see- ing each other. Only one wife, I believe, is allowed in Loo Choo, though to the question, whether a plu- rality of wives was permitted ? both An-yah and Shta- facoo said that the mandarin had five, and that the king had several.* They, however, afterwards declared that in their country it was customary to have only one wife. Perhaps it is the same in Loo Choo as in China, where a man may have only one lawful wife ; but with her permission he may marry as many more as he can provide for. These wives are as much re- spected as the first wife, but they do not inherit their husbands' property. In Loo Choo, as in China, there is no religion of the state, and every man is allowed freely to enjoy his own opinion, though here, also, a distinction is made be- tween the sects, one being considered superior to the other. The sects in Loo Choo are Joo, Taou, and Foo, or Budh ; but the disciples of the latter consist almost entirely of persons of the lowest order, and An- yah appeared to think very lightly of its votaries, say- ing they were " no good." It is upon record that it is 1011 years since this sect passed from China to Loo Choo. For several centuries its doctrines appear to have been advocated by the court as well as by the common people : but with the latter classes they have since been supplanted by those of Confucius. We are told that in the year 1372 several families from Fochien settled near Napa-kiang, and introduced ceremonies in honour of the great Chinese philosopher, whose me- * Supao-Koang says a plurality of wives is permitted, VOL. II. O 18-27. 194 VOYAGE TO TFIE mory was further honoured hy a temple heing erected to him in Loo Choo, in 16()3, by the Manshur Tartar, Emperor Kang-hi. Confucius is now honoured and revered by all classes in Loo Choo. The sect Taou, which is equally corrupt with that of Foo, has but few advocates among- the better classes of society. Like the Chinese, the Loo Chooans are extremely superstitious, and invoke their deities upon every oc- casion, sometimes praying to the good spirit, and at others to the evil. Near the beach to the northward of Potsoong, upon the shore which faces the coast of China, there were several square stones with pieces of paper attached to them. The natives gave us to un- derstand they were the prayers of individuals ; but we could not exactly understand the nature of them. A label similarly placed to those upon the beach was car- ried away by Captain Hall, and found to contain a prayer for the safe voyage of a friend who had gone from Loo Choo to China ; it is very probable, there- fore, that those which we saw were for similar pur- poses. At the Jos House at Potsoong I have men- tioned pieces of paper being suspended between the panels, and have also suggested the probability of their being supplications of a similar nature. Lideed one of these also was taken to Macao by Lieutenant Clif- ford, and found to be an invocation of the devil.* In a natural cave near Abbey Point, I found a rudely carved image, about three feet in height, of the goddess Kwan-yin (pronounced Kwan-yong by the Loo Chooans). In front of the deity there were several square stone vessels for offerings, and upon one of them some short pieces of polished wood were * Hall's Loo Choo, 4to. p. 203. ■Ill /J '; « fl ; '"■■ mmm?. i ,l,v \ /////''/' L'l! /!« 1 liir . ! If, i ■ -^sii TT "W U eecliev GODDESS OF ^CERCY. Loiidon.FubUshed ty Henxy Colbuin APachaxd Benfley 18 3J 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 195 placed, which I conjectured to be for the purpose of chap. deciding questions, in the manner practised by the ^ Foo sect in China, by being tossed in the air, or rat- May, tied in a bamboo case until one falls to the ground with its mark uppermost ; when it is referred to a number in the book of the priest, and an answer is given accordingly. The natives were very unwilling to allow me to approach this figure, and pulled me back when I stepped into a small stone area in front of it, for the purpose of examining these pieces of wood. In China there are fasts in honour of this goddess, and no doubt there are the same in Loo Choo. The following answers to several questions which I put to the natives of Loo Choo will fully explain the religion of the people. " How many religions are there in Loo Choo ?" "Three." — "What are these religions?" " Joo, Shih, Taou. Shih is the same as Foo." — "Are there many persons of the religion of Joo ?" " Plenty." — " Foo ?" " No good."—" Taou ?" " Few."—" Does the sect Joo worship images ?" " Sometimes kneel down to hea- ven, sometimes pray in heart, sometimes go priest house (temple)." — " Do they go to the temple of Kwanyin?" "Yes." — "Do they go to the temple of Pih-chang ?" " Sometimes." — " Do they go to the temple of Ching-hwang?"* "No." — " Do Joo, Shih, and Taou believe that heaven will reward the good aud punish the bad ?" "Yes." To the sentence, "At heart the doctrine of the three religions is the same ; and it is firmly believed that heaven will do justice by rewarding the good and punishing the bad," An-yah did not assent. To the * Ching-hwang is the goddess oi' Canton. o2 196 VOYAGE TO THE following sentence^, " Both in this life and in the life to come there are rewards and punishments ; but there is regard to the offences of men, whether heinous or not : speedy punishments are in this life ; those that are more remote in the world to come," An-yah replied, " Priest say so." " God created and constantly governs all things ?" " Englishman's God, yes." — " When God created the great progenitor of all men, he was perfectly holy and perfectly happy ?" " No." — " The first ancestor of the human race sinned against God, and all his descend- ants are naturally depraved, inclined to evil, and averse from good." " Good." — " If men's hearts be not re- newed, and their sins atoned for, they must after death suffer everlasting misery in hell." " Priest say so : An-yah not think so." — " Do the three sects be- lieve in metempsychosis ?" This was not understood. — " Do they believe that all things are appointed by heaven?" "Yes." — "Are there any atheists in Loo Choo?" "Many." In Loo Choo the priesthood are as much neglected and despised as in China, notwithstanding their being consulted as oracles by all classes. Several of them visited me in the garden at Potsoong, and remained while I made my magnetical observations. As these occupied a long time, I had an opportunity of parti- cularly remarking these unfortunate beings, and cer- tainly I never saw a more unintellectual and care- worn class of men. Many persons crowded round the spot to observe what was going forward, and the poor priests were obliged to give way to every new comer, notwithstanding they were in their own garden. Their heads were shaved, similar to those of the Bodzes in China. I am not aware in what this prac- PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. J 97 tice originated, but as an observer I could not help noticing that the same operation is performed on the heads of criminals, or of persons who are disgraced in China ; and from I'Abbe Grosier it appears to be con- sidered a similar disi^race in Loo Choo.* I endeavoured to distribute amongst the inhabitants some religious books which Dr. Morrison had given me in China, but there was a very great repugnance among the better part of the community to suffer them even to be looked into, much less to being car- ried away ; and several that were secretly taken on shore by the lower orders were brought back the next day. However, I succeeded in disposing of a few copies, and Mr. Lay, I am glad to find, was equally fortunate with some which he also obtained from the same gentleman. It has been shown, in the course of the narrative, that the present manner of disposing of the dead differs from that described by Pere Gaubil, who says they burn the flesh of the deceased, and preserve the bones. It is not improbable that the custom may have changed, and that there is no mistake In the statement, as there is no reason to doubt the veracity of the Chinese author whom he quotes. They pay every possible attention and respect to their departed friends by attending strictly to their mourning, frequently visiting the tombs, and, for a cer- tain time after the bodies are interred, in supplying the cups and other vessels placed there with tea, and the lamps with oil, and also by keeping the tombs ex- ceedingly neat and clean. We have frequently seen persons attending these lamps, and Lieutenant Wain- wright noticed an old man strewing flowers and shells * Description de la Cliine, vol. II. p. 143, 198 VOYAGE TO THE upon a newly made grave, which he said contained his son, and watching several sticks of incense as they burned slowly down to the earth in which they were fixed. The trade of this island is almost entirely confined to Japan, China, and Formosa ; Manilla is known as a commercial country, and it is recorded that a vessel has made the voyage to Malacca. In China their vessels go to Fochien, which they call Wheit-yen, and sometimes to Pekin. Commerce between Japan and Loo Choo is conducted entirely in Japanese ves- sels, which bring hemp, iron, copper, pewter, cotton, culinary utensils, lacquered furniture, excellent hones, and occasionally rice ; though this article when wanted is generally supplied from an island to the northward belonging to Loo Choo, called Ooshima ; but this is only required in dry seasons. The exports of Loo Choo are salt, grain, tobacco, samshew spirit, rice, when sufficiently plentiful, grass hemp, of which their clothes are made, hemp, and cotton. In return for these they bring from China different kinds of porce- lain, glass, furniture, medicines, silver, iron, silks, nails, tiles, tools, and tea, as that grown upon Loo Choo is of an inferior quahty. Several other articles of both export and import are mentioned, by Supao- Koang, such as gold and silver from Formosa, and iron from China ; among the former, mother of pearl, tortoise shell, bezoar stone and excellent hones. The last-mentioned articles, however, if found in Loo Choo, are certainly not very plentiful, as they are carried thither from Japan ; and An-yah denied there being any mother of pearl there. This trade is conducted in two junks belonging to Loo Choo, which go an- nually to China : and they have besides these their tribute vessel. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. J 99 The trade with Japan appears formerly to have heen hmited at 125 thails (tael of Canton), beyond which nothing was allowed to be sold. The goods carried to that country consisted of silks and other stuffs, with Chinese commodities, and the produce of their own country, such as corn, rice, pulse, fruits, spirits, mother of pearl, cowries, and large flat shells, which are so transparent that they are used in Japan for win- dows instead of glass.* Their manufactures do not appear to be nume- rous, and are probably only such as are necessary for their own convenience. I have spoken of the rude hand-looms in use, the spinning-wheel, and the mills worked by cattle ; these were the only machines we saw, though it may be inferred they have others. A short distance to the southward of Napa-kiang I was told there was a paper manufactory, and had a quantity of paper given me said to have been made there. It closely resembled that of China, but appeared to be more woolly. Grass-cloth, of a coarse texture, and coarse cottons are also wove upon the island ; but I believe all the finer ones come from China, as well as the broad cloth of which their cloaks are made. Red pottery moderately good, a bad porce- lain, and tiles, are among their manufactures, and also paper fans, of which the skeleton is bamboo ; pipes, hair pins, and wicker baskets, and two sorts of spirits distilled from grain ; moroofocoo already described ; and another called sackee, resembling the samshew of China ; salt, from the natural deposition of the sea, is collected in pans. Supao-Koang mentions, among the manufactures of this country, silk, arms, brass instruments, gold and * Kaempfer's History of Japan, p. 381. 1827. 200 VOYAGE TO THE silver ornaments, a paper even thicker than that of Co- rea, made of les cocons, and another made of bamboo, May, besides that manufactured from the bark of the paper tree. He states they have woods fit for dyes, and particu- larly esteem one made from a tree, the leaves of which resemble those of the citron tree ; and mentions brass, pewter, saddles, bridles, and sheaths as being manufac- tured with considerable taste and neatness upon the island, and as forming part of the tribute to China, from which it might be inferred that they were better executed than those in Pekin. Previous to our departure I offered An-yah a patent corn-mill and a winnowing machine, and showed him the use of them. He was extremely thankful for them at first, but after a little consideration he declined the present, without assigning any reason. He pro- bably imagined the introduction of foreign machinery might be disapproved by his superiors. It has been observed that drums and tambourines were the only musical instruments among these people ; we saw a flute, and were told that the inhabitants pos- sessed violins and other stringed instruments ; yet they do not appear to be a musical nation. Among our numerous inquiries there was not one to which we got such contradictory answers as that concerning the residence of the king of Loo Choo. It was evident that there was a person of very high authority upon the island, whom they styled ivaiig, which in Dr. Morrison's Dictionary is translated king, and that his residence was not far from Ncipa-kiang t, but An-yah provoked me much by always evading this question. Sometimes he said it was four days to the north-cast, at others that it was only one, and at last that it was at a place called Sheui, or Shoodi. Some PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 20l of the natives whom I interrogated on this subject de- clared it was at Ee-goo-see-coo, about nine leagues to the northward ; others, however, told me the name of his residence was Shoodi, or Sheui, as before. Mr. Collie was also informed it was at Shoodi ; therefore, Sheui, or Shoodi, is in all probability the correct name of the place. As the natives pointed out to me the town upon the hill at the back of Napa-kiang as Shoodi, and as another party named it to Mr. Collie Shumi, we may presume that this town is the capital of Loo Choo ; and this is the conclusion, as already remarked, that Captain Hall came to, after many in- quiries on the same subject. Indeed I should think there could not be much doubt about it, as it answers very well both in name and position to the capital de- scribed by Supao-Koang, who remarks that the king holds his court in the south-west part of the island. The ground it stands upon is called Cheuli,* and that near this place the palace of the king is situated upon a hill. In another part he says that the space between Napa-kiang and the palace is almost one continued town.-)- Mr. Klaproth, however, has published ex- tracts from some Chinese documents, which place the capital twenty lis (ten miles ?) east of Napa-kiang. In the journals of my officers, I find that some of them were informed by the inhabitants that tribute was sent to China only once in seven years, and others, that it was paid every year. Kaempfer also says that tribute is sent evety year to the Tartarian monarch, in token of submission. By the Chinese accounts it is demanded every second year, as I have already stated. * Cheuli by the Loo Chooans would be pronounced Cheudi, in the same way as they call Loo-Choo Doo-CIioo. t Lettres Edifiautes, p. 3-10. 1827. 202 VOYAGE TO THE M. J. Klaproth, quoting one of these authors, says, in 1654 Loo Choo sent Chang-Chy, the king's son, with mly, an ambassador to Pekin, when it was arranged that every second year an ambassador should be sent to that court with tribute, which should consist of 3,000 lbs. of copper, 12,600 lbs. of sulphur, and 3,000 lbs. of a strong silk ; and that the number of his suite should not exceed a hundred and fifty persons. Lord Macartney, wdien on his embassy to the court of China, met the mandarins from Loo Choo, who were going with this tribute to Pekin, and who in- formed him their chief sent delegates every two years to offer tribute.* And when we were at Loo Choo, both Ching-oong-choo and An-yah informed me to the same effect, viz. that it was sent every second year. We may therefore conclude, that this is the period agreed upon between the two countries. M. Klaproth, p. 164, informs us, that notwithstand- ing tribute is paid to the court of China, Loo Choo is also compelled to acknowledge the sovereignty of Ja- pan, to send ambassadors there from time to time, and to pay tribute in swords, horses, a species of perfume, ambergris, vases for perfumes, and a sort of stuff, a texture manufactured from the bark of trees, lacquered tables inlaid with shells or mother of pearl, and mad- der, &c. I shall merely observe upon this passage, that some of the articles which are said to be carried as tribute to Japan are actually taken from thence, and from China to Loo Choo, such as the vases and lacquered tables ; and that mother of pearl is said by the natives not to be found upon the shores of their island. * Embassy to China, by Sir George Staunton, vol. ii. p, 459. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 203 The highest point of Loo Choo which we saw was a hill situated at the back of Barrow's Bay, in about the latitude of 26 27 N., answering in position nearly to a mountain which appears on the chart of Mr. Kla- proth, under the name of Onnodake. The height of this mountain is 10(S9 feet. The next highest point to this, which was visible from the anchorage, was the summit of the hill of Sumar, on which the capital is built ; the highest point of this is 540§ feet. Ab- bey Point is 98^, and a bluff to the northward of Pot- soong 99|: feet. The Sugar-Loaf (Ee-goo-see-coo) was too far distant for us to determine its height ; but I think Mr. Klaproth is wrong in saying it may be seen twenty-five sea leagues, as our distance from it was only ten leagues, and it was scarcely above the hori- zon.* It is certainly not so high as Onnodake, which, to a person at the surface of the sea, would be just vi- sible at the distance of thirty- four miles. He is also mistaken in supposing it the only peak on the island. These heights appear to be gained by ascents of mo- derate elevation only. In no part did we perceive any hills so abrupt that they could not be turned to ac- count by the agriculturist. The centre of the island, or perhaps a line drawn a little to the westward of it, is the most elevated part of the country. Still the island is not divided by a ridge, but by a number of rounded eminences, for the most part of the same ele- vation, with valleys between them ; so that when view- ed at a distance the island appears to have a very level surface. In a Chinese plan of Loo Choo all these eminences are occupied by palaces and by courts of the king. The higher parts of the island are, in gene- ral, surmounted by trees, generally of the pinus mas- * Klaproth's Memoires relatifs k I'Asie, torn. ii. p. 173. 1827. 204 VOYAGE TO THE soniana, and the cycas ; though they are sometimes bare^ or at most clothed with a diminutive and useless May, vegetation. It not unfrequently happens that small precipices occur near the summits of the hills, and that large blocks of a coral-like substance are seen lying as if they had been left there by the sea. This substance, of which all the rocky parts of the island that we examined were composed, is a cellular or gra- nular limestone, bearing a great resemblance to coral, for which it might easily be mistaken. It has a very rugged surface, not unlike silex macliere. Lieutenant Belcher found sandstone of a loose texture, enclosing balls of blue marl, and in one instance interstratified with it in alternate seams with the coral formation. This formation constituted part of a reef, dry at low water. In the marl he foimd cylindrical and elongated cones, similar to the belemnite, of a light colour, and occasionally crystallizations of calcareous spar. The precipices inland, as well as those which form cliffs upon the coast, are hollowed out beneath, as if they had been subjected to the action of the waves. Upon the sea-coast this has no doubt been the case, and the Capstan Rock, spoken of before, presents a curious instance of its effect ; but it is not quite so evident that the sea has reached the cliffs near Abbey Point, as they are separated from it by a plain covered with vegetation, and the violence of the waves is broken by reefs which lie far outside them. The soil in the vicinity of Napa-kiang is generally arenaceous and marly, but to the south-east of Abbey Point there is a stratum of clay, which, in consequence of its retaining moisture better than other parts of the isoil, is appropriated to the cultivation of rice. The greater part of the island is surrounded by reefs PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 205 of coral. These are of two sorts ; one in which the animals have ceased to exist, and the other which is still occupied by them. Both are darker-coloured than the reefs in the middle of the Pacific, owing;, probably, to the various depositions which the rains have washed from the land. The shells found upon them are very much incrusted. About eight miles to the northward of Napa-kiang there is a deep bay, the shores of which are very flat, and have been converted into salt-pans by the natives. A river which appears to have its rise near the capital, after passing at the back of some hills, about five miles inland, empties it- self into this bay. There is also another stream at Potsoong. The natives would not permit us to ascer- tain how far inland the water flowed up the harbour ; nor would they inform us whether it was a division of the island, as its appearance induced us to suppose. In the Chinese plan already alluded to, the island is divided by such a channel ; but it is doubtful whether this division may not be intended for the channel which separates Loo Choo from the Madjico-sima group, as the island to the southward has Ta-ping- chan written upon it, and there is a small island close to the eastward of it called Little Lew-Kew* The relative positions of these are correctly given in the plan, but, if intended for those places, there is an egregious violation of all distance and proportion. It has been already mentioned that the vegetable productions of the torrid and temperate zones are here found combined. The palmae, boerhaavia, scaevola, tournefortia, and other trees and shrubs recall the * Formosa, notwithstanding its is considerably larger than Loo Choo, was called Little Lieou-Kieou, from there being so few in- habitants upon it. — Reciieil de P. Gaubil. 206 VOYAGE TO THE Coral islands of the tropical regions to our view, while the rosacege, onagrariae, etc. remind us of the tempe- rate shores of our own continent. The remarkable genus of clerodendrum is here peculiarly abundant. Among the trees and shrubs which adorn the. heights, the bamboo, hibiscus tiliaceus, thespesia popularia, hi- biscus rosa sinensis, pandanus, piscidium, and several other trees and shrubs, some of which were new to us, were found uniting their graceful foliage ; while in the gardens we noticed plantain, banana, fig, and orange trees, though the latter were apparently very scarce. We were told that they had pomegranates, but that they had neither pine-apples, plums, nor le- ches, though they were perfectly acquainted with them all. The le-che is a fruit which is said to be peculiar to China : indeed Pere J. B. Duhalde, in his Descrip- tion de la Chine, vol. i. p. 104, says it grows only in two provinces of that great empire, Quang-tong, and Fokien. Pere Gaubil, however, affirms that it is at Loo Choo, and that there are also there citrons, lemons, rai- sins, plums, apples, and pears, none of which we saw. We were informed that the tea plant was tolerably abundant, and that the mild and excellent tobacco which was brought on board was the growth of the island. Gaubil affirms they have ginger, and a wood which they burn as incense, as well as camphor trees, cedars, laurels, and pines. Among the vegetable pro- ductions the sweet potatoe appears to be the most plentiful; the climate seemed so favourable to its growth, that we observed the tops rising from a soil composed almost entirely of sand. Both the root and the leaf are eaten by the natives. The soil appears to be cultivated entirely with the hoe, and there are very few places on which this kind PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 207 of labour has not been bestowed. Streams of water are not very abundant, and it is highly interesting to notice the manner in which the inhabitants have turn- ed those which they possess to the greatest advantage, by conducting them in troughs from place to place, and at last allowing them to overflow flat places near the beach, for the purpose of raising rice and taro, which require a soil constantly wet. The principal animals which we saw at Loo Choo were bullocks, horses, asses, goats, pigs, and cats ; all of very diminutive size : a bullock which was brought to us weighed only 100 lbs. without the ofl^al, and the horses were so low that a tall person had difficulty in keeping his feet off' the ground; yet these animals must be esteemed m Japan, as they are said to have formed part of the tribute to that place. The poultry are also small : we heard dogs, but never saw any. Klaproth, p. 187, asserts there are bears, wolves, and jackals, A venomous snake is also said to exist in the interior. But the only other animals we saw were mice, lizards, and frogs ; the latter somewhat diff'erent to those of our own country. The insects are grasshoppers, dragon-flies, butter- flies, honey-bees, wasps, moskitos of a large size, spi- ders, and a mantis, probably peculiar to the island. There appeared to be very few birds, and of these we could procure no specimens, in consequence of the great objection on the part of the natives to our firing at them, arising probably from their belief in transub- stantiation. Those which we observed at a distance re- sembled larks, martins, wood-pigeons, beach plovers, tringas, herons, and tern. An-yah said there were no partridges in the island. Fish are more abundant though not large, except- 208 VOYAGE TO THE ing sharks and dolphins, which are taken at sea, and guard-fish, which are often seen in the harbour. Those frequenting the reefs belong principally to the genera chsetodon and labrus. A cliromis, a beautiful small fish, was noticed in the waters which inundated the rice fields. Upon the reefs are several asterice. These animals are furnished with long spiny tentaculae, and are in the habit of concealing their bodies in the hollow parts of the coral, and leaving their tentaculae to be washed about and partake of the waving motion of the sea ; and to a person unacquainted with the zoophytes which form the coral, they might be supposed to be the ani- mals connected with its structure. Lieutenant Bel- cher remarks of these reefs that a great change must have taken place in them since they were visited by the Alceste and Lyra, as he never observed any coral reefs apparently so destitute of animation as those which surround Loo Choo. The sea anemone and other zoophytes were very scarce. We saw no shells of any value. A few cardium, trochus, and strombus were brought me by An-yah, and the haliotis was seen on the beach ; but the his- tory of this island states that the mother of pearl, large flat shells nearly transparent, and cowries, formed part of the tribute to Japan. An-yah, however, as- sured me there were no pearl shells upon the coast. The Climate of Loo Choo must be very mild, from the nature of the dwelling-houses and the dress of the people ; the mean temperature of the air, for the fort- night which we passed in the harbour, was 70^. Un- like the Typa, we here experienced no great transi- tions, but an almost uniform temperature, which dissi- pated all the sickness the Typa had occasioned. We 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 209 had, however, a ffood deal of rain in this time, which chap. was about the change of the monsoon. By An-yah's \ account this island is occasionally visited by violent May, ta-foongs (mighty-winds), which unroof the houses and destroy the crops, and do other damage. They had experienced one, only the month previous to our arri- val, which we were told had destroyed a great deal of rice, and was the cause of so many Japanese vessels being in the port. In 1708 it appears that one of these hurricanes did incalculable mischief, and occasioned much misery. The inhabitants seem to entertain a great dread of famine, and it is not impro- bable that these ta foongs may occasion the evil. April, May, June, July, August, and September are the months in which these winds are liable to occur. The harbour of Napa-kiang, though open to winds from the north, by the west to south-west is very se- cure, provided ships anchor in the Barnpool ; a bay formed by the coral, to the northward of the Capstan Rock. In the outer anchorage, at high water, there is sometimes a considerable swell ; and were it to blow hard from the westward at the time of the spring tides I have no doubt it would be sensibly felt. The reefs which aftbrd protection to the harbour are scarcely above the sea at low water neap tides, and some re- main wholly covered. In general they are much bro- ken, and have many knolls in their vicinity, which ought to make ships cautious how they stand towards them. There are two entrances to the outer harbour, one from the northward, and the other from the west- ward. The former is narrow, and has several dan- gerous rocks in the channel, which, as they are not in general visible, are very hkely to prove injurious to vessels ; and as it can seldom happen that there is a VOL. II. p 210 VOYAGE TO THE necessity for entering the harbour in that direction, the passage ought to be avoided. The western entrance is divided into two channels by a coral bank, with only seven feet water upon it, which, as it was disco- vered by the Blossom, I named after that ship. The passage on either side this rock may be made use of as convenient ; but that to the southward is preferable with southerly winds and flood tides, and the other with the reverse. A small hillock to the left of a cluster of trees on the distant land, in the direction of Mount Onnodake, open about 4° to the eastward of a remarkable headland to the northward of Potsoong, will lead through the south channel ; and the Capstan Rock, with the highest part of the hill over Napa- kiang, which has the appearance of a small cluster of trees, will lead close over the north end of Blossom Rock. This notice of the dangers of entering the har- bour will be sufficient in this place, and if vessels are not provided with a chart, or require further direc- tions, it will be prudent to anchor a boat upon the rock. Though the inhabitants of Loo Choo show so much anxiety for charts, they do not appear to have pro- fited much by those which have been given to them, nor by those published in China and Japan. Their knowledge of geography is indeed extremely limited, and, with the exception of the islands and places with which they trade, they may be said to be almost igno- rant of the geography of every other part of the globe. I did not omit to inquire about Ginsima, Kinsima, and Boninsima, islands which were supposed to exist at no great distance to the eastward of Loo Choo. The two first have never been seen since their discovery, but the other group has long been known to Japan ; 1827. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 211 and if we can credit the charts of the Japanese, it has chap. been inhabited some time, as several villages and tern- <. '^ pies are marked therein. The Loo Chooans, how- May, ever, could give me no information of it, or of any other islands lying to the eastward of their own, and were quite surprised at hearing a Japanese vessel* had been cast away upon an island in that direction. The groups of islands seen in the distance to the westward of Loo Choo are called by the natives Kir- rama and Agoo-gnee. Kirrama consists of four islands, Zammamee, Accar, Ghirooma, and Toocast- chee, of which all but the last are very small. Agoo- gnee consists of two small islands, Aghee and Homar. Both groups are peopled from and are subject to Loo Choo. Kirrama has four mandarins, one of the higher order, and three inferior ; and Agoo-gnee two of the latter. The islands are very scantily peopled : in Toocastchee, which is the largest, there are but five hundred houses. The small coral islands off Napa- kiang are called Tzee. To the northward of Loo Choo there are two islands, from which supplies are occasionally received ; Ooshima,-|~ of which I have spoken before as being subject to Loo Choo, and Yacoo-chima, a colony of Japan. Ooshima produces an abundance of rice, and as in dry seasons in Loo Choo this valuable grain some- times fails, Yacoo-chima junks, which appear to be the great carriers to Loo Choo, go there and load. Ya- coo-chima is said to be an island of great extent, but the chart which An-yah drew to show its situation * See Ksempfer's History of Japan. t Probably O-foushima of Supao-Koang, situated in latitude 300 N. P 2 212 VOYAGE TO THE was too rude for me even to conjecture which of the islands belonging to Japan it might be. In my narrative of Loo Choo I have made allusion to the works of several Chinese and Japanese authors,* who have written upon that island. As their ac- counts generally wear the appearance of truth, and as they are the only records we have of the early history of a country so little visited by Europeans, I shall give a sketch of them, that my reader may become acquainted with what is known of the history of that remote country, without having to search different books, only one of which has as yet been published in England. The inhabitants of Loo Choo are extremely jealous of their antiquity as a nation. They trace their de- scent from a male and a female, who were named Omo-mey-keiou, who had three sons and two daug- ters. The eldest of these boys was named Tien- sun (or the grandson of heaven). He was afterwards the first king of Loo Choo, and from the first year of his reign to the first of that of Chun-tien, who ascended the throne A. D. 1187, they reckon a period of no less than 17,802 years. The kings were supposed to be descended from the eldest son, the nobility from the second, and the commoners from the youngest. The eldest daughter was named Kun-kun, and had the title of Spirit of Heaven ; the other, named Tcho- tcho, was called the Spirit of the Ocean. * The works of these authors will be found in Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses, torn, xxiii. 1811; Grosier sur la Chine, torn. ii. ; M. J. Klaproth, Memoires sur la Chine; Kaempfer's History of Japan, vol. i. ; P. J. B. Duhalde. For other information on Loo Choo, the reader is referred to the Voyages of Benyowsky, Broughton, and of H. M. ships Alceste and Lyra. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 213 We are told that five-and-twenty dynasties succes- sively occupied the throne of Loo Choo, from the death of Tien-sun to the reign of Chun-tien ; but nothing further was known of the history of the coun- try until the year A. D. 605, when the Emperor of China, of the dynasty of " Soui," being informed there were some islands to the eastward of his dominions named Loo Choo, became desirous of reconnoitring their situation, and of becoming acquainted with the resources of the islands. He accordingly fitted out an expedition, but it did not effect what the emperor desired. It, however, brought back a few natives ; and an ambassador from Japan happening to be at the court of China at that time, informed the emperor that these people belonged to Loo Choo, and described their island as being poor and miserable, and the in- habitants as barbarians. Being informed that in five days a vessel could go from his dominions to the re- sidence of the king of these islands, the emperor, Yang-tee, sent some learned men with interpreters to Loo Choo to obtain information, and to signify to the king that he must acknowledge the sovereignty of the Emperor of China, and do him homage. This em- bassy succeeded in reaching its destination, but, as might have been expected from the ruler of an inde- pendent people, it was badly received, and was obliged to return with the haughty answer to their sovereign, that the prince of Loo Choo would acknowledge no chief superior to himself. Indignant at being thus treated by a people who had been described as barba- rians, he put ten thousand experienced troops on board his junks, and made a successful descent upon the Great Loo Choo. The king, who appears to have been a man of great courage, placed himself at the 214 VOYAGE TO THE head of his troops, and disputed the ground with the Chinese ; but unfortunately he was killed ; his troops gave way ; and the victorious invaders, after pillaging and setting fire to the royal abode, and making five thousand slaves, returned to China. It is said that at this time the inhabitants of Loo Choo had neither letters nor characters, and that all classes of society, even the king himself, lived in the most simple manner. It does not, however, appear that the people were entitled to the appellation of bar- barians, which was given to them by the ambassador of Japan in China, nor that they merited the title of poor devils, which the word lieu-kieu implies in Ja- panese ; as they had fixed laws for marriages and in- terments, and paid great respect to their ancestors and other departed friends ; and they had other well regulated institutions which fully relieved them from the charge of barbarism. Their country was not so poor nor so destitute of valuable productions, or even of manufactures, but that Chinese merchants were glad to open a trade with it, and to continue it through five dynasties which successively ruled in China after ihe conquest of Loo Choo, notwithstanding the in- difl\;rence of the emperors who, during that period, ceased to exact the tribute that had been made to their predecessors. It is not improbable, therefore, that this stigma, which ought properly to belong to Formosa — which, though a much larger island, was then called Little Loo Choo — may have been attached to the island we visited from the similarity of names. Chun-tien was said to be descended from the kings of Japan, but it is not known at what period his family settled in Loo Choo. Before he came to the throne, he was governor of the town of Potien. On PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 215 his accession his title was disputed hy a nobleman named Li-yong ; but he being defeated and killed, Chun-tien was acknowledged King of Loo Choo by the people. Having reigned fifty-one years, and be- stowed many benefits upon his subjects, whose hap- piness was his principal care, he died at the age of seventy-two. In this reign reading and writing are said to have been first introduced from Japan, the character being that of Y-rofa. Very little mention is made of the son and successor of Chun-tien ; but the reign of his grandson Y-pen is marked by the occurrence of a famine and a plague, which nearly desolated the island ; and by his abdica- tion in favour of any person whom the people might appoint to succeed him. The choice fell upon Ynt- sou, the governor of a small town ; but the king, desirous of ascertaining whether he was a competent person to succeed him, first made him prime minister ; and being at length satisfied that the choice of the peo- ple was judicious, he abdicated in his favour, reserving a very moderate provision for himself and family. Ynt-sou ascended the throne A. D. 1260, and reigned forty years. He is said to have been the first to levy taxes, and to have introduced useful regulations for the cultivation of the soil. In his reign Ta-tao, Ki- ki-ai, and other islands to the north-east and north- west came under the dominion of Loo Choo. This reign was also marked by an attempt of the Emperor of China to renew his demand of tribute, which had not been made for so many generations that the Loo Chooans began to consider themselves absolved from the obligation. The Emperor of China, however, determining not to rehnquish the advantages which had been gained by his predecessor Yang-ti, equipped a 216 VOYAGE TO THE fleet for the purpose of compelling payment ; but about this time China having suffered a serious defeat from the Japanese, and from the kingdoms of Tonquin and Cochin China, and lost 100,000 men in her expe- ditions against those places, disaffection spread throughout the troops, and the expedition returned without even having reached its destination. Ynt-sou was succeeded by his son Ta-tchin, who was followed by his son Ynt-see, two princes much es- teemed for their wisdom and benevolence. Not so Yut-ching, a prince of avaricious and voluptuous dis- position, who ascended the throne of his father in 1314; during whose reign the state fell into consi- derable disorder. The governor of Keng-koaey-gin revolted and declared himself King of Chanpe, the northern province of the island. The governor of Tali also revolted, and became king of the southern province Chan-nan, leaving Yut-ching to govern only the centre of the island, which was called Tchong- chan. Thus was this island, not sixty miles in length, divided into three independent kingdoms. The great- est animosity prevailed between these three princi- palities ; and long and bloody wars ensued. About sixty years after the country had been thus divided, Tsay-tou, a prince beloved by his people and esteemed for his valour, came to the throne of the middle pro- vince. It was in his reign that Hong-vou, the Empe- ror of China, renewed overtures of protection ; and the embassy which he sent to the court of Tsay-tou acquitted itself so creditably, that the ofl'er was ac- cepted. The kings of the other districts of Loo Choo were no sooner apprised of the conduct of Tsay-tou, than they also put themselves under the protection of China ; and thus Loo Choo once more became tri- butary to the Celestial Empire. PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 217 The Emperor Hong-vou was so much pleased with this conduct of the kings of Loo Choo, that he sent them large presents of iron, porcelain, and other articles which he knew to be scarce in their dominions ; and also settled in the middle province thirty-six famihes from Fochien, who established themselves at a place called Kumi, a little to the northward of Napa- kiang. These people introduced into Loo Choo the Chinese written character, and ceremonies in honour of Confucius. On the other hand, the kings of Loo Choo sent several youths to Pekin, among whom were the sons and brothers of Tsay-tou, who were educated and brought up at the expense of the emperor. The best understanding now existed between the kings of Loo Choo and the court of China ; and while the emperor was receiving ambassadors from Loo Choo, that country had the satisfaction of seeing several islands to the northward and southward of its own position added to its dominions. On the death of Tsay-tou, which happened in 1396, his son Au-ning was installed king by the emperor in the place of his father. He reigned ten years, and was succeeded by his son Is-tchao. The reigns of these two princes were not distinguished by any remarkable events ; but that of her successor, Chang-patch^, will ever be re- membered by the Loo Chooans from the advantageous union of the free provinces, which for nearly a century had been agitated by a continued state of warfare ; and from the estimation in which the king of the island was held by Suent-song, then Emperor of China, who made him large presents of silver, and bestowed upon him the title of Chang, which has ever since been the patronymic of the royal family of Loo Choo. The three following reigns present no occurrences 218 VOYAGE TO THE worthy of notice. In 1454, the Chang-tai-kieou as- cended the throne amidst difficulties and disaffection. His ambitious brother disputed the elevated rank he had obtained, and enlisted in his cause so powerful a body of the islanders, that the king was defeated, his palace burned, and his magazines reduced to ashes. In this state of affairs he solicited the protection of the Emperor of China, who readily assisted him ; and not only restored tranquillity to the island by his interfer- ence, but caused the king to be remunerated for all his losses. The commerce of Loo Choo with China afterwards daily increased ; and under the reign of this prince so great a trade was carried on between the two coun- tries, that the provinces of Tche-kiang and Fochien were distressed by the quantity of silver and copper coin that was carried away to Loo Choo. The people even complained to the Emperor of the scarcity, who ordered that in future the trade between these two places should be confined within certain limits. After a short reign of seven years, Chang-tai-kieou was succeeded by his son Chang-te, a prince whose name was rendered odious by the acts of cruelty he committed, and who was so much detested, that after his death the people refused to acknowledge as king the person whom he had appointed to succeed him ; and elected in his stead Chan-y-ven, a nobleman of the island of Yo-pi-chan. Though the reign of this prince is distinguished in history only by the regulation of the number of persons who should accompany the ambassadors to Pekin, yet he is said to have been a great prince. His son, Chang-tching, was a minor at the death of his father, and his paternal uncle was chosen to be his protector. In this reign Loo PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 219 Clioo became a comparatively great commercial na- tion. Many vessels were sent to Formosa, to the coasts of Bungo, Fionga, Satzuma, Corea, and other places. Her vessels became the carriers of Japanese produce to China, and vice versa ; and one of them even made the voyage to Malacca. By this extensive trade, and by being the entrepot between the two empires of China and Japan, Loo Choo increased in wealth and rose into notice ; espe- cially as it was found convenient by both these two great nations to have a mediator on any differences arising between them. The advantage thus derived by Loo Choo was particularly manifested on the occasion of a remonstrance on the part of China against rob- beries and piracies committed upon the shores of that country by a prodigious number of vessels manned by resolute and determined seamen, principally Japanese, who landed upon all parts of the coast, and spread consternation along the whole of the western shore of the Yellow Sea, even down to Canton. The Emperor of China on this occasion sent ambassadors to Loo Choo ; and a representation was made to the Court of Japan of the numerous piracies committed in the dominions of the Emperor of China by the subjects of that country ; and succeeded so far that the sovereign of Japan gave up to the King of Loo Choo a number of vessels and slaves which had been captured ; but as none of these marauding vessels had been fitted out by his command, and as they were the property of in- dividuals over whom he had no control, it was out of his power to put a stop to the depredations. The Em- peror of China rewarded the King of Loo Choo for this important service by sending him large presents of silk, porcelain, and silver, and brass money ; and 1827. 220 VOYAGE TO THE granted to his subjects very great privileges in their commercial transactions with China. May, The Japanese pirates, among which there were a great many vessels manned by Chinese, continued their depredations in spite of the efforts and remon- strances of the Emperor of China ; and latterly occa- sioned such alarm in that country, that the famous Tay-Cosama, who was then secular ruler of Japan, determined to avail himself of the panic, and preme- ditated an attack upon the coast of that mighty em- pire. It was necessary to the success of this bold enterprise that the assault should be conducted with the utmost secrecy ; and Tay-Cosama, fearing that the frequent intercourse between China and Loo Choo, w^hich country could not remain in ignorance of the preparations, might be the means of divulging his in- tentions to China, sent ambassadors to Chang-ning, who was then King of Loo Choo, haughtily forbidding him to pay tribute to China, and desiring him to ac- knowledge no other sovereign than that of Japan. It is said that he also sent similar notices to the gover- nor of the Philippines, to the King of Siam, and to the Europeans in India. Chang-ning, however, was not easily intimidated, and remained deaf to the menaces of the Emperor of Japan. He saw through the designs of Tay-Cosama; and by means of a rich Chinese merchant, who hap- pened to be at Napa-kiang at that time, he apprised Ouan-h, then Emperor of China, of his designs. Ouan-li immediately increased his army, fortified his coasts, and made every preparation for a vigorous de- fence against the invading army of Japan, whenever it might arrive. He also apprised Corea of the danger with which that state was threatened ; but the king, PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 2-21 misled probably by the designing Emperor of Japan, and imagining the immense preparations making by that prince were intended for the invasion of China, neglected to strengthen his defences, and was at length surprised by the Japanese, who invaded his dominions. Chang-ning, notwithstanding the invasion with which he was also threatened, continued his tribute to China ; and Ouan-li received his ambassadors with the greatest possible respect, and rewarded their sove- reign for his fidelity. Some years after, in 1610, the Japanese renewed their menaces against Chang-ning, who, as on the former occasion, acquainted the Em- peror of China with his situation, and implored as- sistance ; but China at that time was fully occupied with her own troubles, and unable to render him any service. In this state of things, a nobleman of Loo Choo, named King-tchang, taking advantage of the situation of Chang-ning, revolted, and retired to Sat- zuma, where he fitted out an expedition consisting of 3000 Japanese, and took Chang-ning prisoner, killed his father, Tching-hoey, because he would not ac- knowledge his dependency to Japan, pillaged the royal palace, and carried away the king prisoner to Satzuma. The conduct of the King of Loo Choo throughout all these disturbances is said to have been so mairnani- mous and spirited, that it even appeased King-tchang, and prepossessed the Japanese so much in his favour, that after two years' captivity they restored him to his throne with honour. He was scarcely reinstated, when, always faithful to China, notwithstanding the danger he had escaped, and the helpless condition of the emperor, he sent ambassadors to that country to 1827. 222 VOYAGE TO THE CHAP, declare his submission as heretofore ; and to apprise ■ , the emperor of an attack which was intended to be May, made on Formosa by the Japanese, who had conceived the project of reinstating themselves in that country, and fortifying their settlements there. Chang-ning left no son to succeed him ; and Chang- yong, a descendant of the brother of his predecessor, was installed by the Emperor of China in his stead. This prince, notwithstanding the unsettled state of aiFairs, and the danger he had to apprehend from Ja- pan, paid the usual tribute to China, and introduced into his country from thence the manufacture of delft- ware, and an inferior kind of porcelain. About eighty years afterwards, A.D. 1643, the fa- mous revolution occurred in China, which fixed the Tartar dynasty on the throne of that empire ; and Chang-tch6, who at that time was King of Loo Choo, sent ambassadors to pay homage to the new sovereign ; when King Chang-tch6 received a sign manual from the Tartar monarch, directing that Loo Choo should not pay tribute oftener than once in two years, and that the number of the embassy should not exceed a hundred and fifty persons. In 1663 the great Emperor Kang-hi succeeded to the throne of China, and received the tribute of Chang-tch6 on the occasion. This magnanimous prince sent large presents of his own to the King of Loo Choo, in addition to some of an equally superb quality which were intended for that country by his father. His ambassadors passed over to Loo Choo, and according to custom confirmed the king in his sovereignty, the ceremony on this occasion being dis- tinguished by additional grandeur and solemnity. Kang-hi, probably foreseeing the advantages to be PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 223 derived from an alliance with Loo Choo, which had so long continued faithful to the empire of China, turned his attention to the improvement of the coun- try w^ith great earnestness and perseverance. He built a palace there in honour of Confucius, and a college for the instruction of youth in the use of the Chinese character, and established examinations for different branches of Hterature. Several natives of Loo Choo were sent to Pekin, and educated at the expense of the emperor, among whom was the king's son. The tribute was better adapted to the means of the people ; and those articles only, which were either the produce of the soil, or the manufactures of the country, were in future to be sent to Pekin for this purpose. In short, Kang-hi lost no opportunity of gaining the friendship and esteem of his subjects. On the occa- sion of great distress in Loo Choo, which occurred in 1708, when the palace of the king was burned, and hurricanes did incalculable mischief, and when the people were dying daily with contagious diseases, Kang-hi used every endeavour to mitigate their dis- tress, and, by his humanity and generosity, secured to himself the lasting gratitude of the inhabitants of Loo Choo. In 1719 he sent Supao-koang, a learned physician, to make himself acquainted with the nature and pro- ductions of the island, and to inform himself of every particular concerning the government and the people. Since that period nothing is mentioned of Loo Choo in Chinese history, beyond the periodical payment of the tribute, and the arrival of ambassadors from that country at the court of Pekin. In 1771 the well-known Count Benyowsky touched 224 VOYAGE TO THE at an island belonging to Loo Choo, named Usmay-Li- gon, where he found that almost all the inhabitants had been converted to Christianity by a Jesuit missionary. If we can credit his statement, he was treated by the natives with the greatest hospitality and unreserve. Contrary to the custom of the eastern Asiatic nations, these people brought their daughters to the count and his associates, and pressed them to select wives from among them. In short, the conduct of the inhabit- ants is described as being so engaging, that some of Benyowsky's crew determined to remain with them, and were actually left behind when the count put to sea. And the natives, on the other hand, are asserted to have been so attached to their visitors, that they made them promise to return and form a settlement among them, and signed a treaty of friendship with the count. This veracious traveller found muskets with matchlocks in use with these people ; and to add to their means of defence, on his departure he pre- sented them with 80 muskets of his own, 600 swords, and 600 pikes, besides 20 barrels of powder and 10 barrels of musket-balls. Loo Choo in 1796 was visited by Captain Brough- ton, and in 1803 by the ship Frederick of Calcutta, which made an unsuccessful effort to dispose of her cargo. The inhabitants on both these occasions were, as usual, extremely civil and polite, but resisted every attempt at opening a commerce. The next mention of this interesting island is in the well-known publi- cations of Captain Basil Hall, and of Mr. M'Cleod, the surgeon of the Alceste. Thus Loo Choo, like almost every other nation, has been disturbed by civil wars, and the state has 182 PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 225 been endangered by foreign invasion : her towns have C!Iap been plundered, her palaces consumed, and her cili- v__^ zens carried into captivity. Situated between the em- May, pires of China and Japan, she has been mixed up with their quarrels, and made subservient to the interests of both ; at one time suffering; all the miseries of inva- sion, and at another acting as a mediator. Allied by preference to China, and by fear and necessity, from her proximity, to Japan, she is obliged, to avoid jea- lousy, to pay tribute to both, though that to the latter country is said to be furnished by the merchants who are most interested in the trade to that empire. Their conduct to strangers who have touched at their ports has ever been uniformly polite and hospitable ; but they would rather be exempt from such friendly visits : and though extremely desirous of obtaining European manufactures, particul-rly cloth, hosiery, and cutlery, they would oppose nuy open atteujpt to introduce them. The most likely means of establishing a com- munication v.'ith them would be through Chinese n)er- chants at Canton, who might be persuaded to send goods there in their own names, and under the charge of their own countrymen. Whale ships have occasionally touched at Loo Choo when distressed for provisions. It is satisfac- tory to find that these interviews have been conducted without giving offence to the natives. It is to be hoped that any vessel which may hereafter be under the necessity of putting in there will preserve the same conduct, and give the inhabitants no cause to rearet having extended their hospitality to foreig^ners. I have perhaps entered more minutely upon several (|uestions connected with Loo Choo than may be con- VOL. II. «. 2*26 VOYAGE TO THF. sidered necessary, after what has ah-eady been given to the pubhc ; but it appeared desirable to remove doubts upon several points of interest, which could not per- haps be effectually accomplished without combining my remarks with a short notice of the history of the country. I PAf^iriC AND r.EERTXCi'S STRAIT. 0^7 CHAPTER VI. Passage from Loo Clioo eastward — Arrive at Port Lloytl in the Yslas del Azobispo — Description of those Islands — Passage to Kamtchatka — Arrival at Petropaulski — Notice of that Place — Dej)arture — Pass Btering's Strait — Enter Kotzebue Sound — Prosecute the Voyage to the Northward — Stopped by the Ice — Return to the Southward — Discover Port Clarence and Grantley Harbour — Description of these Harbours — Return to Kotzebue Sound — Ship strikes upon a Shoal. On the 'iotli of May we took our departure from Loo Choo, and steered to the eastward in search of some islands whieh were doul)tfully placed in the charts. On the third day we arrived within a few miles of the situation of Amsterdam Island without seeing any land, and passed it to the northward, as near as the wind would permit. The weather was very un- June. favourable for discovery, being thick and rainy, or misty, with very variable winds. On the 3d of June we regretted exceedingly not having clear weather, as the appearance of plover, sandlings, flocks of shear- waters, and several petrel and albatrosses, created a be- lief that we were near some island. Three days afterwards we were upon the spot where the Island of Disappointment is placed in the latest charts. The w^eather was tolerably clear, but no land could be seen ; and as we were so near the situation of a group of islands which, if in existence, would oc- a 2 228 VOYAGE TO THE cupy several days in examining, I did not wait to search for Disappointment Island, which is said to be very small. I have since been informed that this island, which in all probability is the same as the ishmd of Rosario, was seen by a whaler, who, not being able to find it a second time, bestowed upon it the name of Invisible Island. It is said to he ninety miles N.W. from port Lloyd, a place which I shall presently notice. The next evening we reached the situation of the Bonin Islands in Arrowsmith's chart, and the follow- ing morning made sail as usual, without seeing any land. We were almost on the point of declaring them invisible also, when, after having stood to the eastward a few hours, we had the satisfciction to descry several islands, extending in a north and south direction as far as the eye could discern. They all appeared to be small, yet they were high and very remarkable ; par- ticularly one near the centre, which I named after Captain Kater, V. P. R. S., &c. As the islands to the southward appeared to be the largest, I proposed to examine them first ; and find- ing they were fertile, and likely to afford good anchor- age, Lieutenant Belcher was sent in shore with a boat to search for a harbour. In the evening he returned with a favourable report, and with a supply of four- teen large green turtle. We stood off and on for the night with very thick weather ; and at daylight, when by our reckoning the ship should have been seven miles from the land, we unexpectedly saw the rocks beneath the fog, about a fifth of a mile distant, and had but just room to clear them by going about. The depth of water at the time was sixty fathoms ; so that had it been blowing strong PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 229 and necessary to anchor, there would have been but an hidifferent prospect of holding on any length of time. The great depth of water, and the strong cur- rents which set between the islands must make the navigation near them hazardous during thick weather. On the evening preceding this unexpected event, we found so strong a current setting to the south-west, to windward, that though the ship was lying to, it was necessary frecjuenlly to bear away, to prevent being drifted upon the land. When the fog cleared away on the 9th, we dis- covered a distant cluster of islands bearing S. 5^ E. true : I therefore deferred anchoring in the bay which Lieutenant Belcher had examined the preceding even- ing, in the hope of being able to examine the newly discovered islands; but finding both current and wind against us, and that the ship could scarcely gain ground in that direction — as there was no time to be lost, I returned to those first discovered. In running- aloner- shore we observed an opening, which, appearing to afford better security than the before- mentioned bay, the master was sent to explore ; and returned with the welcome intelligence of having found a secure har- bour, in which the ship might remain with all winds. We were a little surprised, when he came back, to find two strangers in the boat, for he had no idea that these islands had been recently visited, much less that there were any residents upon them ; and we con- cluded that some unfortunate vessel had been cast away upon the island. They proved to be part of the crew of a whale-ship belonging to London, named the William. This ship, which had once belonged to his majesty's service, had been anchored in the harbour in deep water, and in rather an exposed situation (the 230 VOYAGE TO THE port then not being well known, and had part of her cargo upon deck, when a violent gust of wind from the land drove her from her anchors, and she struck upon a rock in a small bay close to the entrance, where in a short time she went to pieces. All the crew escaped, and established themselves on shore as well as they could, and immediately commenced build- ing a vessel from the wreck of the ship, in which they intended to proceed to Manilla ; but before she was completed, another whaler, the Timor, arrived, and carried them all way except our two visiters, who remained behind at their own request. They had been several months upon the island, during which time they had not shaved or paid any attention to their dress, and were very odd-looking beings. The master, Thomas Younger, had unfortunately been killed by the fall of a tree fifteen days previous to the loss of the ship, and was buried in a sandy bay on the eastern side of the harbour. We entered the port and came to an anchor in the up- per part of it in eighteen fathoms, almost land-locked. This harbour is situated in the larsrest island of the cluster, and has its entrance conspicuously marked bv a bold high promontory on the southern side, and a tall quoin shaped rock on the other. It is nearly sur- rounded by hills, and the plan of it upon paper sug- gests the idea of its being an extinguished crater. Almost every valley has a stream of water, and the mountains are clothed with trees, among which the areca oleracea and fan-palms are conspicuous. There are several sandy bays, in which green turtle are sometimes so numerous that they quite hide the co- lour of the shore. The sea yields an abundance of fijh ; the rocks and caverns are the resort of crayfish PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 231 and other shellfish ; and the shores are the refuge of snipes, plovers, and wild pigeons. At the upper part of the port there is a small hasin. formed hy coral reefs, conveniently adapted for heaving a ship down ; and on the whole it is a most desirahlc place of resort for a whale-ship. By a board nailed against a tree, it appeared that the port had been entered in Septem- ber, 1825, by an English ship named the Supply, which I believe to be the first authenticated visit made to the place. Taking possession of uninhabited islands is now a mere matter of form ; still I could not allow so fair an opportunity to escape, and declared them to be the property of the British government by nailing a sheet of copper to a tree, with the necessary particulars en- graved upon it. As the harbour had no name, I called it Port Lloyd, out of regard to the late Bishop of Oxford. The island in which it is situated I named after Sir Robert Peel, His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department. As we rowed on shore towards the basin, which, in consequence of there being ten fathoms water all over it, was named Ten Fathom Hole, we were surrounded by sharks so daring and voracious that they bit at the oars and the boat's rudder, and though wounded with the boat-hook returned several times to the attack. At the upper end of Ten Fathom Hole there were a great many green turtle ; and the boat's crew were sent to turn some of them for our sea-stock. The sharks, to the number of forty at least, as soon as they observed these animals in confusion, rushed in amongst them, and, to the great danger of our people, endeavoured to seize them by the fins, several of which we noticed to have been bitten off. The turtle 232 VOYAGE TO THE weighed from tliree to four hundred-weight each, and were so inactive that, had there heen a sufficient num- her of men, the whoh^ school mi ditto ib. Belly • • Nai-yak ib. of a woman • • Nad-djigga ib. of a man • • Dirduck B. Bill, of a bird • • Ee-ed-djook C. Bird + f Tin-me-a-rit *- Ting-me-lo6-rak ib. • • swimming • • Ti-mai-rik ib. Bite, to . . • • r Nig-ge-rung-a I- Kai-ook-toon ? C. Black colour • • r Kang-no-ak *- To-ring-matik } ib. Blood • • r A-ook I Ka-oop-e C. B. Blue, it is • • Ren neck ib. Blue and azure colour • • f Ka-oo-gli-ak L A-gli-oo-ik C. ib. Blubber • ■ Tsed-lu-ou-rok B. Body Bone • • A -sect Oa-ee-yak ib. C. Boots, native r Kum-muk L Kummugga . } ib. Book • • A-gluc i-wick o. Bure, to • • Nee-ouk-toon c. Bottle, (a glass) • • Ee-moon ib. Bottle • • Im-wo-en B. Bow, a , . • • Petik, sik, Pitik-shi-a ib. Bow-string • . Oo-kwak-ta ib. Bow (a broken one) ■ • Na wik-tuk Petiksik C. Bow to shoot with (as carved) Pe-teik-ta-rik Jb. Bow, for shooting . . Pee-tik-seek, or Setka B. Bowl, a Kalloon-goo-reak ib. Bowl, of wood Nanna-uck ib. (a large wooden; Poo-goo- tuck B. Box Choo-loo-dit ib. Box, a small ivory . , Aul-toon c. 370 APPENDIX. English Names. Esquimaux Names. Boy • • Ein-yook . C. Brass, a large hook of • • Tsha-wa-kacht . ib. Branch of a shrub • • Ok-pwit . ib. Bring it • • Koki-ghe-e-wha . B. Bring it here • • Kok-ee-gee-ga . C. Breast, a person's • • A-tig-git, Tsha-guga (p) ib. Breasts, a woman's « • Ei-ing-gek-ku . ib. Broken, a stick • • Na-wik-tuk . ib. Broken • • A-yfik-se-mart . B. Breeches • • r Koo-now-ita 1 Koke-lek . ib. . O. Bull, a • • Moong-mack . B. Button • • Nuck-too-ou . ib. Butterfly • • r Dtar-dle-e-utsik 1 Tak-kull-loo-kwi-tak . ib. . C. Button • • Nak-to-ik . ib. Buttocks, the • • Ek-kook (pd) . ib • Canoe . . . . • « Ki-yack . B. Canoe of skins • « Kai-yak . C. Cap, or hood • • Naza-oun . B. Cap, an European • * Nad-dsaun . C. Cap, native, of birch bark • • Poo-tak . ib. Catch, to (when throwing) • • A-kok-sho . ib. Chain • • Knoo-oo-lok . 0. Chamisso Island • • + r Ee-a-roo-ik I Eovv-ick . ib. . ib. Cheek, the • « Oo-loo-ruk-ka,0-u-lu-at ( w)C. Child, a , . Ee gee-lu-gu-ga-ga ib. Chin • • rTa-bloo-a, Ta-boo-loo 1 Tub-du-ah (pd) }ib. Clouds ■ • Noo-oo-ee-a . ib. Codlings (small fish) • • M5ng-a ? ib. Cold, (shivering) » • Kai-rung-a . ib. ^Igli-zucket B. Comb, a hair • • J Igli-oo-tik 0. Ll-gli-a-oo-tik C. Crtrh rt r Tshee-mee-at I Chim-eya ib. »w/orK, a • • B. VOCABULARY. Esquimaux Names. Koak-tshee-nar Nai-rnik-to6k-too r Poo-oo-i-ak t Edloo-az-rey-uk Pa-mok-tok Azee-ret, A-zee-ak Pa-oo-mau-tit Ky-rook Ki-oon-na Shee-ak-too-ok Kal-lau-rok-tok English Names. Cough Cow or calf Crab, a Creep, to, on hands and feet Crow- berries Crow-berry bush Cry Cup, ivory Curlew, a Dance, native Dance, or iumpinff up and down •< , ° ^ / •' ^ ^ ^ t- In-noo-ret (w) Dart, a small . . . . Ninee-uk-puk Dart for birds . . . . Ni-nask-puk Dart with three prongs in the middle Noo-yak-kwa Deck, the ship's . . . . Muk-ti-hik Deer-skin frock . . . . E-ee-rah, or Atti guy Deer-skin . . . . Itch-sek Dodo (a bird) . . . . Ne-ak-tshuk Dog, skin of . . . . Kim-muck f Kenma °' " * * I Koo-ne-ack Drill (a native) . . . . E-diir-leem Drill-bow ., .. Too-koo-ra used also for procuring a light Too-wachk Drill, to . . . . Pee-tak-toon {Keng-me-ak Omee-yak Drink, to . . . . Ee-moon Drink .. .. E-mug Drum, or tambourine . . Chowg-suk {E-wuck Ee-wak^« (i) Ee-wark (k) Drill-socket Ear, the ■Tchee-u-tik See-teek Tsee-tuk, Tsee-lig-ga L.Tshed-dik (w) } 371 . o. . c. . ib. . B. . C. . ib. . C. . o. . c. . ib. . ibi ib. B. ib. C. ib. B. ib. C. B. C. B. C. ib. ib. ib. B. ib. C. B. ib. ib. C. ib. O. B. C. 372 APPENDIX. English Names. Esquimaux Barnes. Earthen-jar Ig-hu-nee . B. Eat (or chew) to f A-shad-loo-ik »- Ishad-loo-weet . C. . B. Ess Man-nik . O. Eight Penayua . B. Elbow, the Ce-koot-sik, or Eedeeootsik C. Eye, the . . r Erick ^ Eer ruk-ka, Ee-ri B. k, Erruk C. Eyebrow, the " Ka-bloo-ce-a, Ka- IKa-bloo-ai ■blo-otka ib. . B. Face, the r Kee-na, or Kinna 1 Kenuck • . C. . B. Falcon Kje-goo-at . ib. Far off Mfinna ib. Fawn (as carved) Eum-nak . C. Feather, a Tshoo-lak . ib. Finger, the first Teg-heya . B. middle Ko-duk-luk . ib. third Mak-la-e-rah . ib. little Ekick-koke . ib. Fingers, the Ta-maridreh . C. ^Koo-kwit-ka, Koo-kwik-ka ib. nail, the J Koo-kwik-kur tamar-drah ib. LKoo-gwek (pd) • . ib. Finger, the first Tee-ge-ra, Tee-ke -ra . ib. second r Kei-tik-kluk-a • * I Kei-tik-kluk, Kei- • tik-kl •jib. o-a J third f Muk-gle-rad »- Meu-gigg-Ie-ra •".ib. • - little E-rit-ka-mak . ib. Fire, a . . r Ig-nik I Ignuck . ib. . B. Fire, to strike Ig-ne-dit . C. Fish Khallo-ight, Khalloo . B. Fish, small Too-mo-e . c. long Tyoong-me . ib. Flounder, (or flat-fish) Ik-hanni-luk . B. Fly, a Ko-kwel-lock . ib. Foot of a man, or animal Iddi-guy . B. VOCABULARY. 373 English Names. Esquimaux Names. Foot or feet • • 11-te-ga-ra . c. Foi k, ivory, used also as a comb Ni-yik-kik . ib. Fox • « Ki ok toot . B. Fox (as carved) • • Ka-ee-yok . C. Fox- skin, brown • • Ka-ee-yok-tok'^ . ib. Friend, or term of friendship . . Il-lipo-lee ib. Frock, (skin) Oo-kwak, Oo-kwa . ib. made of gut r Nyel-look, also Ka-pee-tuk, L Ka-be-took . . ib. of hare-skin Oo-quad-lik . ib. Funnel, a (copper stove) Kan-mu-yuk . ib. Fur Mit-koot . ib. Garnets Nalloo-na-vitka ? . Ib. Gaiters Kammuck . B. Geese, rising Tattee-ree-gak . C. (as carved) 1 attee-regu, Tut-tee '- ruk, and nalloo-yi -lee-a k-ka . ib. Give it me Pee-gle-gi-woong-a ■ VVung-ee-gla-gu .}- Glove (of natives) f A-dre-get, Atka-li-ga, A- ") .. ^ dre-ret . . / ' Gloves Adj-guy-redt . B. Go away Illip-se . ib. Go, to Il-ti-wal-luk . C. Going away Pee-art . B. Goat r Koo-ne-ak ^ Ip-na-uck . C. . B. Good, very Nee-ok-nmk . C. Good, I am Na-koo-roo-oh . ib. Good, it is Na-koo-rit . C. it, or he is . . Ma-may-poke . B. Good, not Na-koo-rit-nau . C. Grass, engravings of 0-kwait (^0 . ib. Grass . . . * Ee-boo-wit C^) . ib. Green colour 0 kok . ib. Grouse Ar-hay-ghi-uk . B. Gull, a white Alla-wa, Naw-yet ? . C. Gull (parasitic) Ike-muk . ib. small (L. Sabini) f E-ga-goo-i-ak (i) *- Kai-ki-ge-gai-ak (k ) :}'"■ 374 APPENDIX. English Names, Esquimaux Names. Gun, a • • • • Kee-suk • . B Gun, a great • • • • Tshoo-poon, On -youna . C Guard-fish • • • • Tz near-ook . • . B /-Noot-tset, Noot-zatka, ^ Hair, of the head • • • • < Noot-tset-ka '-Dtoo-tset (pd) • • h Hair, human ■ • , ^ Nuchet • . B. Hanuner, an iron • • • • Ka-wook, Kfe-kek-toon . C. Hammer, to • • • « Karroo-o-tuck • . B. Hammer, to, or strike with • • r Kar-roo-tok I Ktai-roo-ik • . ib. Hand, the • • • • Arge-gei, Ardge- gei . C. Hare, a • • r 0-good-logh . iQuel-kik (k) • . ib. • . (J. Harpoon (as thrown) « • Oo-nak . . ib. Harpoon, as carrie d when walking Oo-nee-yak • . ib. Harpoon, to • • Naul-lik-kwa . . ib. Harpoon-line (coil of) AUara r Allik 1, Nenak-pluk . • . ib. . ib. Harpoon • • • . B. Head, the • • f Nea-koa »-Ne-ak-kwa • . ib. . C. crown of • • Ka'b-br'a , . ib. of my • ■ Ka^b-dja^k-ka' • . ib. front of • • Ka-wa, or Ka^b-wa^ . ib. Heel • • Kite-meek . 0. Hook, fish • • Nik-sik . C. and hne • • Nicht-siak . ib. Hoop, for tent • • Sow-soro-uk . . B. Husband • • Minna minna . ib. A long way oflF • • J Many in number Ko-lug-na, Ta-maum . ib. Marline-spike, small ■ • \ Ke-poot-tak . ib. of ivory, forlacir g bows • • Martin (as carved) Ama-rok . ib. Match, a, of a cottony or wool 1 J \ Ee-goo-rit . C. nature • • Mast, ship's * • • . Nake-puk-tuk . ib. Mast, boat's • • • f Doo-bak-ti . B. Mirror, a • • • * Kaing-nee-gaun . C. Moon, the • • 1 • Tak-kuk . ib. his name • * • • Tad-kuck . B. More • • • • Tshau-loc . C. Mountain • • • a r Mug-wee «- Magoo-Magoo . ib. . C. Mouse and skin • • • • Au-ing-nyak . C. Mouth, the • • • ■ jrKuck-a-luk, ka-klook J Kai-nee-ak (w) I Kan-nuck . o. Mouse , , , , Koobla-ook . B. Musk-ox . . • • Moong-mak . . ib. ditto Oo-ming-mi . r Paoona ? . C. . B. Musk-rat . . • • • • i Kee-boo-gal-lok }c. ^Kee-boo-wal-luk Musket, a • • • • Tshoo-poou . ib. ditto • • • • 'I'sou-kodt . B. Nail, an iron • • Ke^-ke'-ak . C, Narwhal . . • • • • Tse-ddo-ack . B. Neck • • t • f Kaiig-oot-tsitka, koom- 1 tsia oot- . C. Near • • • • I-muckt . B. f Mik-koon ''^ and *7 I- niek-koon (w) Needle sewing, of wire • • . C VOCABULARY. 377 Englisli Names. Needle-case ivory . . for making nets Net, a . . a different sort large, for seals No None, I have None, he has No more, none Nose Esquimaux Names. Mik-kun-niik Le\v-\vi-hi\v-lik Nee-gal-Iik Korak, aka-loo-na Koo-brak {Naga, Nau-me Tuum, Na-u Naga, Na-o, Aunga Peed-lark Peed-lo . Pied lak ^« and ^v (j) {Nognuck or Kingar King-na-ga, king-a-na King-nuk (pfl) C. ib. c. ib. ib. } . B. . ib. . ib, . C. . B. }c. Ochre, red Oil Otter (as carved) Otter-skin Owl { Eeta O'k-tsho'k Ameo =*^ Te-ghe-ak-b66k Ameok-tok '"' and 27 (i) Ami-nak-tok ''" (k) Jgna-zee-wyuck . ib. . C. . ib. . B. }c. . B. Paddle Paddle, to Pelican (print of a) Pig Piatt Plover, the golden . . ditto Plumbago, black lead Porcupine, a Porpoise, a Posts over yourts supporting sledges Pot, earthen, of natives r P;ir-hud-duc 1 Par-hua-uk ^Aan nuch'*^, Aug-noon^^ J Hang-noon (vv) tAng-oo-tik Pe-bli ark-took At-kah Peez-liar-uk . Tood-glict r Too-lik "^ and ^7 1 Tood-lik^7 . Mign-noon I-gla-koo-suk Aghi-bee-zee-ak 1 Ai-ye Egxgun ib. C. ib. ib. ib. B. O. B. ib. C. ib. B. ib. C. ib. 2 c 2 378 APPENDIX. English Names, Esquimaux Names, Pour, to . . Eu-koo-i-ruk . . C, Prince of Wales, Cape King-a-gee . ib. Prongs for small darts A-goot-say . B Ptarmigan, a Kau-wik . C. Puffin, a , . f At-pak"^ Ke'-lu"ng-n"a 1 Kooall-nockt . ib. . B. Puffin (red feet of) . . Itti-guy-it . ib. Pull out (to turn inside out) O-li-dju-nauk . C Pyrites, iron Ick-nay-ack . . B Quiver and bow case Pe-tik-sik-tak . C Rabbits . . Noo-poo-i-tak-tuk . ib Racoon (skin of) . . Tslch-ree-buck . B Rat, gray-spotted . . Tshuch-a-rik, Tshee-ge- rik C Raven Too-loo-ak . ib Rein-deer Took-too, Took-too . ib Rein-deer (as engraved) Too-too-ak . ib Rein-deer Tootoot . B Right, you are Ta-mar-dra . C Ring (for finger) Nal-loo-i-a . ib River, or stream Koo-uck . B River, a large Koo-rook . C. River in the Bay of Good Hope Ma-de-ok . ib. Root I-koo-tshook . ib. Rope, a . . Lieh-loo-nat . . ib. Run, to . , Ak-pa-ruk-tuk . ib Rurick Rock, or Island A-hgho-le-a . . ib Sail, a ship's f Kaign-ni'.-bratup ? . t- Ten-yet-raw-te-taka ? }i. Salmon, fresh Tee-lang-uk . . ib ditto 1-shalloo-ok . f A-kol-loo ruk ^ ' and ^7 . B Salmon, dried < A-ral-la-roo-ak ' A-dal-gunuk-roo-ak ? ditto I-shalloo-roo-ok . B Salmon-skins, dried f Ka-look-peoit, Ka-loo- t kwit"^ . C Salmon -skin bag Ick-pai-ruck . . B VOCABULARY. 379 English Names. Esquimaux Names. Sand Koo-wee-a • . ib. Scar Kee-lee-ak • . 0. Scrape, to Kee-lee-ak-tok-tok . ib. Scraper of stone for hides VVaing-nee-a . C. Scraper of bone Tsal-loo-ee-ga . ib. Scratch, to Ko-uiee-ak-tok . o. Sea, or water generally f Ee-muk-ka, Ee- 1 1 vva^k mik }c. Sea, the . . Tarri-ooke . B. Sea-hoi'se I-week . O. Seal, large Kasi-guak . B. Seal Kasi-gdo-ak . . ib. ditto Nik-tsuk, Nik-2 ak^'? . C. Seal (a different sort) Too-wut-ka-roo -a . ib. Seal (long and short) Oo-grook . ib. Sew, to . . Keydli-ark-too- uk . . B. Shake (with cold) . . Tchoo-look-tak ■tok . O. Ship or boat Oo-mee-ak . B. Ship, a . » Oo-mi-ak . C. Sheep, a . . La-loo-iga . ib. Show it . . TuFh-e-tush . . B. Sheep Olksuk . ib. Shell (raurex) Na-goo-uk . ib. Shell (of fish) Yeu-wul-luk . . C. Ship, go on board . . Oo-mi-ak-puk . ib. Shoe Pin-e-yuk . 0. Shoulder, the Too-ee-dee-a, Too-eek . c. Shrew, a Au-ru-nak . ib. Shovel or spade Noo-oun . B. Sing, to . . Poo-doo-a-gar . o. Skin A-tuk-tok . C. Skin for tambourine E-red-lark . B. Skin of rein-deer used for tents I-tshik . C. Skin (covering of tents) • • Kan-nig-it . B. Skin of brown squirrels • • It-re-ak-pook . C. Skin of birds • • 0-kor-ree . C. Skin, shirt of • • Iman-nickt . B. Skinning an animal (as carved) Tail-lo, Ach-lak-talli . C. Skull of porpoise • • See-shuak ; • . ib. Sky, the • • Keil-yak, Fung- ■na^« . ib. 380 English Names Slate, sharping Slap, to . . Sleep Sleep, to . . Sleep, first Sledge, a . . APPENDIX. Sling, a . . Smoke Snake, a (as carved) Snare for birds Snipe Son, or my son Shrimp Skins of deer made Spear for whales Spear, or lance Spectacles, native ditto .. Spoon or ladle Spoon Star, a Stamp with the foot Stick, a forked one Squirrel, a Squirrel, skin-frock Steel for striking fire Stone in general bluish rounded on beach for killin-^: of seals r Obo-wik, Imoom, oi I Imoon, ali-oo-tack Ou-levo-book CO. 0-blo-a-ret j-bloo-ret Kee-meak-tok Kai-week-!oo-ek Tsev-ke-reck Oo-goo-ar Iknew-igning Kallook-row-rok Ang-mak llli-a-rik Och-roo-rak . Oo-run-nee Straightener (a native instrument) Nal!a-ro-ik A-'louik Strike, to, with a mallet . . Ka-rok-tok\see to han. Sun, the . . . . . . / ^^'^-tsaach, Maisak, Nei va } Esquimaux Names. Seed-Iin . . . ib. Tee-ghi-a-gar . . O. Chenek-tunga . . B. f Tshin-ik-tuk-ka'^ ^ Tshung-ek-lunga Tsinnya— karbeeta f Oo-nyak t- Ai-yiik Igli-ok-took . Ee-shak Malli-goo-i-ak Tshe^-run-nun Nuck-too-o-lit r Oo-wing-ee-]aka . -> t Oo-wing-e^-Ioo-eek . i Nowd-len-nok into a blanket Oo-ghe-od-luk Ka-poo-ak Tank-pook-^ Eee-gee-yak ? Ish-gack B. C. B, O. C. ib. ib. B. C. B. ib. C. ib. ib. B. C. ib. B. C. B. O. C. B. ib. ib. ib. C. ib, ib. ib. ib. mer) t ib. VOCABULARY. 381 English Names. Sua Swan Swim, to . . Swim, rein-deer swimming Table Tail of an animal worn by some of the men Take it . . Talons of a bird Tambourine Tattooing on chin of women Tent (as of skins) . . Tent Tooth, a . . Teeth, the This, and here take it Tliong of thick hide Thumb Thumb, the Thumb, nail of Tobacco . . Tobacco . . culling for . . Tobacco-pipe Wife, old (a tish) . . Toe, great little Tool for sharpening stones, arrow- ") j^^.g.|j^ heads, &c. . . - - -^ To-morrow Tongue, the Tongue, the Tree, or rather shrub (carved) Trousers of different sorts Esquimaux Names. Bidsuk, or Bizuck . B. Tadi-drokt . ib. Kalee-ak-shook . O. Nallook-look . C. O-goo-iuck . o. 1 Pop-tit . c. Mik-ki-krin . ib. Ee-gee-geit . ib. Kol-laun, Killaun . . ib. jTook-nauk iTabloo6-tay . . ib. . O. r Tie-po6-eet, Topak *- T65-pek . C. Too-pote . B. Kootay . ib. r Kau-tit-ka, Kee-wee-dit- 1- ka, Kewk-teet (pJ) . C. Oona, oona-oona-oona . ib. Auzoo-nak . ib. Kooble-doda . B. r Tamar-doot-ka (pt^) I- Koo-boo-lo, koo-bloo-a }c. Koo-gay . B. Tau-wak . ib. Tau-wap . C. Tau-wak-i-rim-mik . ib. Nuk-kak^^ Och-whait^'^ . ib. Neet-ar-muck . B. Woo-doo-ah (w) . . c. In-njee-ga^ . ib. }Kd-gla . ib. Ar-hago . B. Oo-war . ib. Oo-kwak-ka, Oo-kwaa , c. A-ning-onung-a . ib. Nellikak-nellikak-kin . ib« Moo-gwa . ib. 382 APPENDIX. English Names. Esquimaux Names. Trowsers, of a particular sort Kak-a-leek . C. Tusk of walrus Tuak . ib. Venison . . Too-toot . o. Volcano (from a drawing of one) Ar-wou-uk . B. Vulture . . Keegle-oght . . ib. Walk, to . . Pee-shook-tuk . C. Walrus, the f Ai-wik, Ai-wa I- I-bwuck . c. . B. Wash, to (the hands) E-wick-tok . O. Water or sea Ee-muk-ka, Ee-mik . C. fresh Ee-mik-kook . ib. ditto E-mik . B. ditto f Imung-yak-toke »- Tschu-dooat . ib. . ib. Water, salt Tarre-oke . ib. Wave, a Ky-od-s6-root . ib. Whale, the C Ah-how-loo ^ A-ru-ak, A-whee-beek . ib. . C. Whale-bone Tsock-koyt . B. Whale-line Unga- shark . ib. What is it, or its name Sooua-goona . C. White cloth Kow-look . ib. Whistle, to Oo-vving-nak-tok . ib. Wing, a bird's Ee-sa-gweh . ib. Wolf, the (engraved) A-ma-ok . ib. Woman, a young . . Kang-neen . ib. (generally) Oo-lee-a . ib. Woman, or female (genei •ally) Oong-na . B. Wrist Taor-novv-tik . ib. Wind Anoog-way . B. Wood Oo-mak-se-lak . ib. (drift on "beach) Oo-nak-sih . C. Wood, log of Kai-doo-ik . ib. (general term) Ta-gnit, Kei-yu . ib. Wound, a small r Killi-ak-toch I Killi-ak-toch-pep-pin . ib. . ib. Whiskers . . Oonig-yay . B. VOCABULARY. 383 English Names. Esquimaux Names. Yes • • A^ . • . c Yourt (as carved) . . • « Shi-rak . • . ib Yellow colour , , Tshong-ak • • . ib Yellow (bird?) • • Pook-taun • • . ib NUMERALS. One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten {A-dow-weet-sesung- neek Te'-ga^-ra^ a-dai-tsuk ^Ma-loy-sesungnek . J Mil-lei-tsung-net lEe-pak ? Adri-gak ? Ping-het-see sungnek j Pin-get-tsook ? S Pin-ge-yook ^Pin-get-tsa-tsung-net ^Setumni-sungnak . J Tse-tum-mat Ise-tum e-^t {Ta-leema Tad-gle-mat, Adreyeet I'Ark-bunna < Agh-win-nak ''Ak-ka-oo in-el-get . /-Alt-pa < Ach-win-nigh-i-pagh-a '^Mulla-roo-nik, Bo^l-ruk {Pena-yiia Pen-ni-yoo-ik Pe-ge'^s-se^t {See-tiimna Tee-i-dim-mik {Tad-leema Kd-lit^ (r) B. . C. . B, }c. . B. } . B. }c. . B. . C. . B. }c. . B. }c. . B. }c. . B. . C. . B. . C. 384 APPENDIX. NAUTICAL REMARKS. PASSAGE FROM TENERIFFE TO RIO JANEIRO. June 5 to July 11. In June, 1825, His Majesty's ships Wellesley and Bramble sailed from Santa Cruz for Rio Janeiro, and three days after- wards the Blossom departed for the same place. About the same time the packet, the Hellespont, and another merchant vessel made the passage from England. The Bramble crossed the equator in 18o W., the Wellesley in 25^ W., the packet in 29io W., the Blossom in 30o W., the Hellespont in 32o W., and the merchant brig, of which I shall speak presently, in 390 W. The Hellespont, which sailed indifferently, was forty-six days, the packet forty-six days, the Blossom thirty- six, the Wellesley forty-five, and the Bramble forty-eight days. Thus, making a reasonable allowance for the difference between England and TeneriflPe, the Hellespont made the best passage, the packet and Blossom next, the Wellesley next, and the Bramble the worst; by which it appears that in pro- portion as the vessels were to the westward the passages were shortened. The merchant brig, however, was too far to the westward, as she could not weather Cape St. Roque, and, like the King George, Indiaman, she was obliged to stand back to the variable winds to regain her easting, so that her passage occupied a hundred and ten days ! This passage is so frequently made, that remarks upon it might be thought almost superfluous ; but I am not disposed to undervalue this sort of information, which is in general too much neglected. There is no doubt that the route from Eng- land to Rio Janeiro ought to be varied according to the time of the year; for even in the Atlantic the trade-winds are affected by monsoons, and it is only by a long series of obser- vations that we can ascertain at what time of the j'ear it is ad- visable to cross the equator in any particular longitude. The NAUTICAL REMARKS. 385 journals of the packets for one year would afford valuable in- formation on the subject. In the passage of the Blossom we carried the N.E. trade from TenerifFe to 80 N., and met the S.E. wind in 50 30' N. and 25o 50' W., which carried us to Cape Frio. The trades were steady, and in the northern he- misphere fresh. From the time of leaving Teneriflfe until we lost the N.E. trade, the current set S. 54° W. 115 miles in ten days, or at the rate of 11^ miles per day. With the change of wind oc- curred an immediate alteration in the direction of the current, and the next twenty- four hours we were set N. 860 E. twenty- three miles. The meeting of the currents was marked by a rippling of the water, which could be seen at a considerable distance. The four succeeding days the current ran between S. 450 E. and S. 89o E. at the average rate of thirteen miles per day. During this time we changed our position from 7° 21' N. lati- tude, and longitude 26o 58' W. to 3o 56' N., and 26o 44' W., and had had the S.E. trade one day. We now got into a strong N.W. current, which ran between N. 58^ W. and N. 72o W. at an average rate of twenty-two and a half miles per day, until we made Fernando Noronha. From Fernando Noronha the current changed its direction, and ran between S. 78o W. and S. 21" W. at an average of twenty-seven miles per day, until a hundred miles due E. of Cape Ledo. W^e stood on the southward ; and as we neared the land about Cape Augustine the velocity of the current abated, and our daily error was reduced to seven miles 8. 52° W. ; but as we drew off the land, still continuing to the south- ward, the current again increased, and became variable. The first hundred miles from Cape Augustine it ran S. 87° W. twenty six miles ; the next due S. twenty-seven miles ; the fol- lowing S. 76o W. twenty-one miles, and then S. 8O0 W. eleven miles, until our arrival off Cape Frio, when the whole amount of current from Teneriffe was two hundred and se- venty-four miles S. 57" W^. From this it appears that the N.E. trades propelled the waters in a S. VV. by W. direction, at the rate of eleven and a half miles per diem* ; and the S.E. trades to the W.N.W., * All the rates are averages. 386 APPENDIX. with double the velocity, or twenty-two and a half miles per day* ; and that in the intermediate space, where light variable winds prevailed, there obtained a strong current, which ran in a contrary direction to both these, at the rate of thirteen miles per day. It appears from numerous observations that in both hemis- pheres the rate of the current is accelerated on approaching the Gulf of Mexico ; and as my route was rather more to the westward than that usually pursued, the above-mentioned ave- rage rates are greater, probably, than will be experienced un- der ordinary circumstances. REMARKS ON THE PASSAGE FROM RIO DE JANEIRO ROUND CAPE HORN TO CONCEPTION. August Ybto October 8. This passage was unusually long, owing to the prevalence of contrary winds, particularly in the vicinity of the River Plate. We sailed from Rio de Janeiro on the night of the 15th August, with a westerly wind, the Corcovado and Sugar Lroaf capped with clouds. On the 16th, the wind shifted to the eastward ; and towards night a gale suddenly arose, ac- companied with thunder and lightning. The flashes of light- ning passed frequently between the masts ; and latterly the electrical fluid settled upon the mast-heads and topsail-yard- arms, and remained there for fifteen minutes. We had been warned of the approach of this storm by the appearance of the sky and a few flashes of lightning, and reduced our sail in time, otherwise it might have done much mischief from the suddenness and violence with which it commenced. This breeze went round to N. and N.W. to W. by S., then to S.E., S.S.W., N.W., southerly again, and S.E., E., and S. by W., until the 25th, the weather being gloomy, and the winds light or of moderate strength. On the 25th, in latitude 36o and longitude 48o W., we en- countered the first pampero, which came on with a heavy squall from S. S.W. attended with rain. For nine days we had these winds ; during which time we could seldom carry * All the rates are averages. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 3g7 more than the main topsail, in consequence of the violence of the squalls. At the commencement of this bad weather, the squalls wei'e harder and more frequent than towards its ter- mination, and were accompanied with rain, hail, and sleet. Towards the close of it the general strength of the wind was increased, but the violence of the squalls was comparatively moderate, and the intervals longer. Still these gusts of wind gave no warning, and indeed during the whole period, except- ing in the squalls, there was a clear blue sky, and apparently fine weather. From the commencement of these pamperos to their termination we had a reduction of nineteen deirrees in the temperature of the air, and of fifteen in the surface of the sea. The remarks of Captain Heywood in Captain Hors- burg's " Directory," a valuable book, and well known in the navy, will be found very useful in anticipating these squalls. To these pamperos succeeded a calm, then light and mode- rate breezes from N.W., E.N.E., N., E.N.E., S.W., S.E. with cloudy weather, until in latitude 48o S. and longitude 54,0 "W.^ when we fell in with a W. N.W. wind, which the next day carried us into soundings off the Falkland Islands. As we neared the land, the wind died away. The barometer was low, standing at 28-6, and the weather was misty, with drizzling rain at times. About one o'clock p.m. on the 9th September, the mist began to disperse, and a bright yellow sky was seen under anarch to the S.W.; the wind at the same time inclined that way, and in less than an hour we were un- der close-reefed topsails and storm staysails. This gale lasted about eighteen hours, and then veered to W. by N. and W., with which we advanced to the parallel of Cape St. John. Here we encountered strong S. W. winds with long heavy seas, and stretched to the southward to 58° 02' S., refrrettino: that we had not passed inside the Falkland Islands, as in that case we should have been nearly a day's run further to the westward before we encountered these adverse winds. After two days die wind veered to S.S.W. and blew hard, but the sea was not high. We now stood to the N.W., and on the 17th in latitude 56o 2l' S. and longitude 61" 51' W., we had a few hours' calm. This was succeeded by a breeze from 388 APPENDIX. the south waixl, which continued moderate with fine weather and a smooth sea ; and the next day, having carried us one hundred and twenty- three miles, we made Cape Horn, four- teen miles distant on the lee-beam, bearing N. 2^ W., true ; the wind still from the southward. Between Cape Horn and Diego Ramirez we had soundings with forty-five fathoms rock, and sixty fathoms sand ; and afterwards from eighty-four to sixty fathoms gravel, coarse and fine sand, and some coral. That night we passed to the north- ward of Diego Ramirez at nine miles distant, not having less than sixty-six fathoms on a bottom of coarse sand. The follow- ino- morning the island of Ildefonso bore N. 5^ W., true, nine miles, and we had seventy-three fathoms fine sand ; and at noon Yorkminster, at the entrance of Christmas Sound, bore N. 370 E., true, nineteen miles, eighty-two fatlioms coral and stones. Not likina^ to range the shore of Terra del Fuego so close during the night with a southerly wind, we tacked ; and with the wind still at S. S.W. stood for thirty-six hours to the S. E. into the meridian of Diego Ramirez ; and when thirty- six miles S. of it, we again kept W. by S., with the wind at S. by W. We stood on, and had light v/inds, fine weather, and a smooth sea until the 24th, when there was a calm for twelve hours, with a little swell from N. E. On the 25th early, we got a north-easterly wind, w^hich commenced witii fine weather and smooth water ; and at noon, on the 26th, carried us to the TQth meridian and 53d parallel of lati- tude, when we considered ourselves round the Horn. In this situation we were one hundred and forty-three miles due west of Cape Pillar ; having numbered exactly fourteen days from the time at which we were a hundred miles due east of Staten Land. We passed Cape Horn on one Sunday, and on the follovv'ing crossed the meridian of Cape Pillar. Our greatest south latitude in the whole passage was 5So 02' S. The gales of wind which we experienced were attended with a long swellj t^^^t by no means strained the ship, and we did not see a particle of floating ice. Having reached the meridian of 82° W., there appears to be no difficulty in making the remainder of the passage to NAUTICAL REMARKS. 339 Conception or Valparaiso. Tn high latitudes the prevailino- winds are from W.N.W. to S.W., which are, at worst, lead- ing winds. In latitude 44-° 16' S. and longitude 78o 36' W. we got S.E. winds, which, with a few hours' intermission of wind from N.E. by E., brought us to Conception on the tenth day from that on which we considered ourselves fairly round the Horn. Some officers are of opinion that near the coast of Chiloe moderate weather and southerly winds are more prevalent than in the offing, which I think highly probable ; and if, after reaching the 81st meridian, the winds came from N.W., I should certainly prefer the in-shore track to stretch- ing ao-ain to the S.W. With regard to the best time of the year for rounding Cape Horn, there is a great difference of opinion, as in the same months both good and bad passages have been made ; but I should certainly not select the winter time if I had my choice. Independent of the cold, which, during gales of wind, is se- verely felt by a ship's company necessarily wet and exposed, and the probability of meeting with floating islands of ice, surely the long nights, as Captain Hall has justly observed, must augment in a serious degree the difficulties of the navi- gation. From the passage of the Blossom, a preference might be given to the month of September; but in the very same month Captain Falcon in tlie Tyne had a very long and boisterous passage. I concur in opinion with Cook, Perouse, Krusenstern, and others, in thinking there is no necessity whatever for going far to the Southward, and I should al- ways recommend standing on that tack which gained most longitude, without paying any regard to latitude, further than taking care to keep south (sa}^ a degree) of Cape Horn. With a N.W. wind I would stand S.W., and with a S.W. wind N. W., and so on. If there was a doubt, I should cive the preference to the southern tack, unless far advanced in that direction. We did not find the strongest winds near the land, but on the contrary ; and I am of opinion that here, as is the case in many other places, they do not blow home, and that within thirty miles of the land the sea is partly broken 390 APPENDIX. by the inequality of the bottom. There is, however, great objection to nearing the land eastward of Cape Horn, in con- sequence of the velocity with which the current sets through Strait Le Maire, particularly with a southerly wind. This does not obtain to the westward of Diego Ramirez, in which direction I see no objection to approaching the coast within forty or sixty miles. Cook ranged this shore very close in December, and on more than one occasion fovmd the current setting offshore, and at other times slowly along it to the S.E. In the first part of this passage the currents ran to N.W., but after passing the latitude of 40o S. they set to the east- ward ; and when we arrived off Cape Horn the ship was S. 400 E. 116 miles of her reckoning. While we were in the neighbourhood of Diego Ramirez there was little or no current, but to the westward it ran to the W.N.W. It however, soon after changed, and on our arrival off Conception the whole amount of current was N. 490 E. 147 miles. In rounding Terra del Fuego with a southerly wind full four points must be allowed for variation and current. For in this high latitude there will, in most ships, be found ten or twelve degrees more variation with the head west than east ; and though the true variation be but 24o E., at least 29o or 30o must be allowed going westward. We found the barometer in this passage an invaluable instrument : upon no occasion did it deceive us. In passing these latitudes my attention was drawn to the changes in tlie temperature of the water, which I usually found to precede a shift of wind from south to north, and vice versa, even before that of the temperature of the air. I subjoin a short state- ment of these changes, for the satisfaction of such as may feel interested in them. On the 29th of August, at eight a.m. the temperature of the surface was 58'>, the weather moderate and cloudy, and the wind W. N.W.; from this time to midnight it gradually fell imtil it stood at 48°. The wind now increased, and the next morning shifted to S.W. and S.S.W., and blew fresh gales: the breeze continuing, on the 31st the temperature of the sur- face underwent a further fall of 3^" ; and we had hard squalls. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 39 1 with hail and sleet. It afterwards fluctuated four days be- tween 46o and 49|o, during which time the winds were va- riable from S.S.W. to N.W. by N., and E.N.E.— the wea- ther for the most part moderate and cloudy ; but on the 5th (Sept.) the temperature (always alluding to that of the sur- face of the sea) rose to 53o, and the wind came from N.E, by N. and N., but light. The next day it shifted to S.E. by S., and the temperature rather decreased, but the breezes were light. On the afternoon of the 7th, after a calm, during which it remained at 50", there was a decrease of 80; and thirty-six hours after a gale from S. by E. suddenly arose. During the five following days it was nearly stationary, at the tempei'ature of 39io, and the wind was variable from W.N.W., S.W., and W. blowino; hard. From noon on the 12th to four a.m. 'O on the 13th it fell to 36°, and that night we had a gale at W. by S. ; which continued all the next day. At night there was a further decrease of 4°, when the wind veered to S. by W., and blew strong gales. The temperature kept down at 35o until midnight of the 15th, when it rose 5^ : and the 16th, at four A.M., the wind changed to W.N.W. and N.W. by W. Tlie temperature, however, soon decreased again 4o, and at nine A.M., the following day, the wind came from S.W, by S. and S.S.E. where it continued, and the temperature remained nearly stationary until we made Cape Horn, when it rose to 42o. It would, perhaps, be too hazardous to assert upon such short experience that these changes are the forerunners of shifts of wind, though I found similar variations attend the southerly gales off Spitzbergen, where we had always indication of their approach by the increase of the temperature of the sea.* I am, however, persuaded that, like the barometer, it speaks a language which, though at times not the most intelligible, may nevertheless often prove useful. * See also vol. I. p. 324 of this work. VOL. II. 2 D 392 APPENDIX. HOME PASSAGE FROM COQUIMBO TO RIO JANEIRO. June Sd to July 2lst, 1828. This passage was considerably lengthened by not getting to the westward in low latitudes. From the time of leaving Coquimbo there was a difficulty in making progress in that direction, and we could scarcely weather Massa Fuera. From here the weather became boisterous, the breeze gene- rally beginning at W.N.W., and ending in a moderate gale at S. W. ; then backing again, and in the course of the twenty-four hours finishing at S. W., blowing hard, as usual ; so that what distance was gained to the westward in the early part of the day was lost toward the close of it. In this man- ner we were driven down upon the coast, and obliged to stand to the westward, when, had we been a hundred miles further off shore, we should have had a fair wind. On the 22d June we had an easterly wind, which veered to S.E., and drove us away to the latitude 56o 18' S. and longitude 75° W., when we encountered S. by E. winds, which carried us past Cape Horn on the 30th. Our winds were now fair; but off the Falkland Islands they were variable, until they settled in the E.S.E. quarter. With this we advanced to 35o N., when we encountered N.E. and N.W. gales, with heavy cross seas, and then several pamperos, which were attended by vivid lightning. We afterwards made progress to the northward, and arrived at Rio Janeiro on the 21st July. In this passage, which was made in the depth of winter, the greatest cold was 21 "J. From Cape Horn to the Falkland Islands we had thick showers of snow, and had we been bound the opposite way, I have no doubt we should have felt the weather severely. The barometer, as on the former occasion, proved an invaluable monitor. From the time we quitted Massa Fuera mitil we were off Staten Land, the winds were advantageous for making the passage to the Pa- cific, and so far they favour the opinion of the winter time being the most desirable for this purpose. The current in NAUTICAL REMARKS. 393 this passage ran to the south-east to the latitude 46o S., then north two days, and from 48o to 57" S., between N.W. and S. W., at the rate of tliirteen miles a day. From 57<^ S. and long. 68" W., they ran to the N.E., until we had passed the Cape, and then westerly and north-westerly to the Falkland Islands. Off the River Plate they ran to the S.W. and S. On our arrival at Rio Janeiro the whole effect of the current from Coquimbo was S. 62° W. eighty-two miles. From the experience of these two passages round the Horn, 1 am of opinion that a ship lx)und to the Pacific should pass inside the Falkland Islands, and round Staten Land, as closely as possible ; as she will most likely encounter S.W, winds directly the Pacific is open. A north-west wind off the Falklands will, I think, generally veer to W. and S.W. on approaching Staten Land. With S.W. winds off Staten Land, nothing is left of course but to stand to the southward. I should not, however, recommend keeping this board longer than to get an offing, except westing was to be made by it ; and if not, I would go about dii'ectly a mile of longitude was to be gained on the in-shore tack ; avoiding, however, a near approach to Terra del Fuego, eastward of Cape Horn, on account of the north-east set through Strait Le Maire, with southerly winds. I see no good reason for going to a high southern latitude, if it can be avoided without loss of lonffi- tude. With regard to the fact, that gales of wind are stronger near the land, I own I cannot concur in such an opinion. On a comparison of the Blossom's passage out with that of a brig commanded by a Lieutenant Parker, which rounded the Horn at the same time, it appeared that whilst she was expe- riencing strong winds and heavy seas, which washed away some of her boats, the Blossom, close in with the land, had fine moderate weather, and no other indication of the gales the Hellespont was encountering than by a long southerly swell setting upon the shore ; and that the Blossom had the advantage of a westerly current, while the brig was put back twenty miles daily by one in the opposite direction. 2 D 2 394 APPENDIX. When clear of Terra del Fuego, I should recommend stretching to the westward as far as the meridian of 82° or 83o, about the parallel of Cape Pillar, before shaping a course along the coast of Chili. From Chili to the Atlantic ships should pass outside Massa Fuera, and if opportunity offered, get as far west as 85° or 90°, in order that the south-westerly winds, which they will afterwards be certain to meet, and generally blowing strong, may be turned to advantage. I would even recommend keeping to the westward of 83o until past the parallel of 53o S- This precaution appears to be the only one necessary, as the remainder of the passage from that situation is in general very *?asily performed. With regard to passing inside or outside the Falkland Islands, I think the latter preferable, especially in winter, as the winds sometimes hang in the eastern quarter at that period, and are apt to run a ship in with the River Plate. From the Falkland Islands to Rio Janeiro the winds are very uncertain. Ships may, however, generally reckon upon encountering at least one pampero between 33o and 37o N.,* and on meeting with northerly or north-north-easterly winds when within two hundred or three hundred miles of Cape Frio. It is better, in the latter instance, to stand out to the eastward in preference to the other tack, as it will almost always happen that they will there meet an easterly wind to carry them up to the Cape. It has been found very difficult to get up near the shore from Ha Grande and St. Catherine's. * These winds appear to be of frequent occurrence off the River Plate ; they are generally preceded by strong N.W. winds, and a low altitude of the barometer. Care is necessary to avoid being taken aback by the wind shifting suddenly to the S.W., which it sometimes does after a heavy squall. In deep laden ships it would be prudent to lie to with the head to the N.E., as they would then bow the sea, which often runs very high on the shift of wind ; whereas on the other tack they would have their stern exposed to it. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 395 PASSAGE FROM VALPARAISO TO OTAHEITE. November Uh to March 18th. This was made in the summer, when the trade-wind ex- tends furtlier south than at other times of the year; otherwise it would be advisable to get into a lower latitude than that in which our course was directed. The winds with us were very variable, but always fair. I know nothing worthy of remark here except the current, which, on our arrival at Elizabeth Island, was found to have set the ship three hundred and forty-nine miles to the westward in thirty-nine days, or at the rate of 8*95 miles per day. Our route from Elizabeth Island was directed to each of the islands lying between it and Otaheite, and we afterwards met with too many interruptions to estimate the rate of the cur- rents ; but at this time of the year in particular, there does not appear to be much in any direction. At other times, however, I am told that there is great difficulty in getting to windward. In this sea the westerly monsoon, which some- times extends as far as these islands, checks the regidarity of the trade-wind, and it is not uncommon at such times to meet a westerly wind with heavy rain. This is liable to occur from December to February or March. The trade-wind in this route in general hangs more to the eastward than the S.E. trade in the Atlantic REMARKS ON THE PASSAGE FROM THE SOCIETY GROUP TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. Jpril 26fh to May I8th. In making the passage from the Society Group to the Sand- wich Islands, the time of the year should be considered. Be- tween the months of April and October the trade-wind is said to hang more to the eastward than at other times, and is consequently favourable to the passage; but it is advisable even at that season to cross the line well to windward, if pos- sible between 145o and 148o, as all that is gained in that di- 396 APPENDIX. rection will ultimately be of use. Between December and April a more northerly trade may be expected, and conse- quently easting is of more consequence. The S.E. trade is not as regular as that to the northward of the Equator. It generally blows at E. or E.N.E., and when the sun is to the southward of the equator it is sometimes interrupted by N. and N. W. winds. These should be taken advantage of in order to get to the eastward, even at the expense of a few miles of latitude, until well advanced to the northward, and until the N.E. trade is fallen in with. The Blossom left Otaheite on the 26th of April, 1826, and crossed the equator on the 9th of May in long. 150° 01' W. From the time of sailing the winds were light from the E. and E. N. E., but sometimes veered to N. E. and N. ; with these we tacked and endeavoured to gain easting, but did not suc- ceed as we wished. We kept the easterly wind to the lat. of 4o N. and long. 149o 47' W., when the N.E. trade met us ; it commenced with hard squalls and rain at N.E. by E., at which point it continued with scarcely any variation ; and we had as much wind as would allow us to cany, conveniently, courses and double-reefed topsails, and latterly topgallant sails, until we made Owyhee on the 18th, about forty miles due west of us. We now felt the advantage of being well to windward, and keeping the same distance in order to ensure the sea breeze throughout the night, made Mowee the following morning, and the same night arrived close off Diamond Point (Woahoo). The current from Otaheite to the equator set to the W.N. W. from ten to thirty miles per day, at an average rate of sixteen and a half miles per day. From the equator to the fourth de- cree N., when we met the N.E. trade, it ran N.N.E. fifteen to twenty-three miles a day, averaging eighteen miles a day, after which it ceased entirely. On om* arrival off Owyhee the current from leaving Otaheite had set N. 54° W. 164 miles, or 7.1 miles per day. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 397 REMARKS ON THE PASSAGE FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS TO AWATSKA BAY, KAMSCHATKA. June \st to 28th. This passage was very favourable, both in regard to wind and weather, and occupied only twenty-seven days. On quit- ting Oneehow, instead of keeping within the tropics for the advantage of a fresh trade-wind, I endeavoured to pursue the 30th or 31st parallel down to 191o or 192o W. ; and then to avail myself of the westerly winds, said to prevail there, in order to get to the northward. Quitting Oneehow, I passed to the north-eastward of Bird Island, and the chain of reefs situated near the French Fri- gate's Bank, and then bore away west. We kept the trade- wind with but one interruption, until in latitude 29o 46' N. and longitude 185o W., which was on the 10th day of our de- parture; here the wind veered to the S. and S.S.W., and continued fair three days. On the thirteenth day (June 15th), in lat. 330 N., long. 192o W., it shifted suddenly to N.W. by W. I was now near the situation I had been desirous of reaching, and ready for this wind, but it did not continue ; and for five days we were retarded by light winds from all points of the compass, except that quarter. On the 20th June we had a N.E. wind again, which veered to E., S.E., S., and on the 5th day to W. S. W., when it left us in 46o N. and 1990 W. An easterly wind succeeded, but, before the twenty- four hours were expired, veered round by S. to W., which, with the exception of a few hours N.N.E. wind, carried us close off the light-house of Awatska Bay on the 28th June. The weather during this time had been moderate ; it had scarcely been necessary to take in top-gallant sails the whole period. It will be seen that, with the exception of three days, we had a leading wind the whole of the way, and that our greatest delay was occasioned by light winds about the paral- lels of 340 and 350 N. The trade-wind may be said to have attended us as far as 30° N. and 185o W. About the 30th 398 APPENDIX. parallel, a S.S.W. wind brought thick rainy weather with squalls, which was cleared away by a northerly breeze in lati- tude 340 N. We had now light winds and clear weather, but from the 39th parallel to the day of making the land of Kam- schatka, with the exception of one day in latitude 50o N., we were attended by a thick fog and drizzling rain. On comparing the route of the Blossom with those of Cap- tains Gierke and Krusenstern, who quitted the Sandwich Islands for St. Peter and St. Paul's, and both of whom, as well as myself, endeavoured to run down the longitude until sufficiently far to the westward to reach the place of destina- tion without inconvenience from westerly winds, it appears that a preference is due to the course pursued by the Blossom. As the three tracks from the parallel of 33o or 34° N. and long. I660 or I680 E. nearly coincided, I shall divide the pas- sage into two parts ; the first from the Sandwich Islands to that situation, and the second from thence to the day of mak- insr the land of A.watska.* Captain Clerke ran down his longitude near the northern tropic, lost the trade-wind in lat. 28o N., and long. 172° E., on the twenty-first day of his departure, and reached the above situation on the twenty-sixth day. Krusenstern kept to the southward of 20" N., lost the trade in 270 N. and about 176o E. on the seventeenth day, and reached the above place on the twenty-second day. The Blossom kept to the northward of 30°, lost the trade in 30o N. and 175^ E. on the tenth day of her departure, and was in the above-mentioned situation on the thirteenth day. From this situation to the second point or the day of ar- rival off Awatska, it is remarkable that the three passages are nearly of the same duration, that of Captain Clerke occupying thirteen days; of Krusenstern thirteen; and of the Blossom thirteen and a half. By which it is evident that the advan- tage was gained by the Blossom in the first part of the pas- sage, and this was not confined to time alone, but extended * I limit the passages to the time of making the land, as Captain Clerke was five days oiT the port. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 399 to personal comfort, as the Blossom escaped the heat of a tro- pical climate, of which Captain King complains so much, and on the whole had better weather. The currents on the first part of this passage were very irregular, varying their direction from N.N.E. to W.N.W. ; the preponderance being in the latter direction, and in one day amounting to thirty-eight miles. After losing the trade- wind we had no current of consequence, excepting on three days in lat. about 35° N. and long. 194° W. during very light winds. On one of these days it ran S. 45" E. forty miles, on another S. six miles, and on the third S. 31° E. nineteen miles. The whole effect of the current between Oneehow and Petrapaulski was N. 25o 30' W. fifty-two miles. FROM AWATSKA BAY TO KOTZEBUE SOUND. July 5t?i to 22d, 1826, and Jidy 20th to 5th August, 1827. After clearing the outer bay, between Cape Gavarea and Chepoonski Noss, in both years we experienced much fog; but it cleared away in the vicinity of the islands of Beering and of St. Lawrence. The weather in both seasons was fine, and we met no impediments from winds until after passino- the island of St. Lawrence, and then only for a day. The situation of Beering's Island is now well fixed, and so far it may be approached with safety ; but the soundings decrease very fast near the land. Fifty-three miles S.W. by W. from the island we had no bottom with four hundred and twenty fathoms ; twenty-seven miles in the same direction no bottom at two hundred fathoms ; but at four miles we sounded in sixty fathoms fine dark sand. It is not advisable to stand within two miles of the western shore of this island, as there are breakers and low rocky points projecting from that part of the coast ; two miles and a half from these breakers we had only nineteen fathoms dark sand ; nor should the southern shore be approached within six miles, on account of Seal Rock, unless the weather be fine. From here I would re- commend steering for St. Lawrence Island, in preference to 400 APPENDIX. the main land. Ships will come into soundings of fifty-four fathoms' mud in about the latitude 61o 25' N. and 175° IT W. long., which depth will gradually decrease to thirty-one fa- thoms, when the bottom will almost immediately change from mud to fine dark sand. Two miles and a half S. 73^ W. from the S.W. cape, there are fifteen fathoms; but off' the N.W. end of the island there is a shoal upon which there are only nine fathoms, stony bottom, four miles' distance from the land. It is narrow, and the Avater soon deepens again, and the bot- tom changes to fine sand as before. From St. Lawrence Island there appears to be a current running to the northward at the rate of about three quarters of a mile an hour, which increases as the sea narrows towards the Strait of Beering. Ships may pass either side of the Dio- mede Islands, but they should not run between them, as the passage is not yet explored. Cook passed between the Fair Way Rock and Krusenstern Island, and had deep water ; but no person has, as yet, I believe, been between Ratmanoff and the next island. Near these islands the water deepens to twenty-seven and thirty fathoms, and the bottom in some places changes to stones. The channel to the eastward of the Diomede Islands is the widest ; and the only precaution ne- cessary is to avoid a dangerous shoal to the northward of Cape Prince of Wales, upon which the water shoals almost immedi- ately from twenty fathoms to four and a half. Its outer edge lies about north (true) from Cape Prince of Wales. From here, ships may run along shore in safety in ten fathoms near the land. It is unnecessary to give any directions for the sea to the northward of Kotzebue Sound, as the lead is the best guide, remembering that off" Cape Krusenstern, Point Hope, and Icy Cape, the water shoals fast, as those places appear to be washed by strong currents. In this passage there was not much current between Awatska and St. Lawrence Island: it amounted to only thirty-one miles S. 54o W. Off* the island it ran S.S.E. seven-eighths per hour on one trial, and on another seven hours afterwards. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 401 N. E. five-eighths per hour ; but between this island and Beering's Strait it ran to the north-westward at about three quarters of a mile an hour. To the northward of the Strait it takes a more northerly direction, and near the land runs first to the N.E. and then N.W. KOTZEBUE SOUND TO CALIFORNIA. October \Uh to ^th November, 1826, and October Qth to 29th, 1827. These passages were made late in the year, when north- westerly winds prevail, and consequently at a favourable time for getting to the southward. In both years they occupied exactly twenty-three days ; and it is furdier remarkable, that in each, the Aleutian Islands were passed on the ninth day after our departure. The route pursued by the Blossom was to the westward of King's Island, and between St. Lawrence Island and the main-land of America, and thence within sight of St. Paul's and St. George's Islands to the Strait of Oonemak. To the eastward of King's Island the soundings are very irregular, varying from nine to six fathoms ; and as at the season above mentioned the weather appears to be generally bad, it is advisable to go to the westward of the island, where the water is deep. Between St. Lawrence Island and the continent of America there is a bank with eleven fathoms water upon it. If, on approaching it in foggy weather, it be doubtful, from the shoaling of the water, whether it be not the island that is the occasion of the decrease of soundings, haul over to the American shore, and the water will deepen. To the southward of St. Lawrence it is necessary only to mention the islands of St. Paul and St. George, which appa- rently may be safely approached within four or five miles ; but I could not get near them in either year to ascertain what dangers lie close off the shore. In the geographical table I have given the positions of these islands, which were before considered so uncertain that they were not placed on our charts. 402 APPENDIX. I should recommend the passage being always made to the eastward of these islands, as between them and Oonemak there is a strong current from Bristol Bay, which in 1827 drifted the Blossom thirty-five miles to the S. W. in the course of the day. The Strait of Oonemak, lying between the islands of Oonemak and Coogalga, appears at present to be tlie safest opening to the Pacific from the Kamschatka Sea. The Aleu- tian Islands in the autumn appear to be enveloped in fog about half-way down, and to have a region of mist lying to windward of the Archipelago, which makes it necessary for a ship to be certain of her position before she attempts any of the channels, as she might be led down so close upon the land in the fog, that s'he would not have room to rectify a mistake, should she unhappily incur any, which is very likely to hap- pen, from the irregularity and velocity of the currents about the islands. Under these circumstances I should recommend making the north-west end of Oonemak, and afterwards keep- ing along the coast of that island to the southward. As this island lies forty miles to the northward of the other islands of the chain, Amnak excepted, which is three degrees to the westward, it cannot be mistaken, unless the reckoning of the ship is very incorrect indeed. And by so doing, in the event of not liking to attempt the passage, a vessel will still be far enough to windward, supposing the breeze to be from the northward, to weather the other islands of the chain ; and if from the westward, she may reach into Bristol Bay. We had no opportunity of seeing the summits of either Oonemak or Alaska, which, when clear, are good guides for the strait;* but when the low land of the former can be seen, the south-west point of Oonemak may be known by a pointed rock situated near the base of a remarkable wedge-shaped cliff, conspicuous from the northward and north-westward. The narrowest part of the strait is between this rock and Coogalga Island, and the distance exactly nine miles and a half, in a S. lo 30' E. (true) direction. In a line between * See Cook's Third Voyage, vol. II. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 4Q3 these, at the distance of four miles from the rock, tliere are soundings in thirty fathoms, and I understand that if neces- sary there is anchorage close under Oonemak. Coogalga Island is about four miles in length, and may be known by a remarkable peak near its N. E. extremity, in latitude 54° 16' 52" N., and longitude 164o 47' 06" W. The variation off it is 20o 50' E. From the Aleutian Islands to San Francisco we steered nearly a direct course, with winds generally from the N. W. and W., and made Punta de los Reyes on the 3d November. In this passage the currents were variable. From Beerino-'s Strait to the Aleutian Islands they prevailed to the westward and near the islands ran strong, but afterwards thev continued between S. E. and S. W. On our arrival off California, the whole amount, in 1826, was S. 89o W. sixty-four miles • and in 1827, S. 26° W. forty miles. REMARKS ON THE PASSAGE FROM MONTEREY (nEW CALI- FORNIA) TO WOAHOO, SANDWICH ISLANDS. January 5th to 2oth, 1827. This passage was begun at a period when the north-west and westerly winds are proverbially prevalent upon the coast of New Albion, and extend a considerable distance to the westward. We sailed from the Bay of Monterey on the 5th January, and immediately took a northerly wind, which carried us into the trades ; and we arrived off Mowee on the twentieth dav. Our passage might have been considerably shorter, had we not taken a circuitous route in search of some islands reported to lie to the southward, and had sail been carried throuo-houi- _ CD t the twenty-four hours, instead of hauling to the wind as soon as it was dusk, to maintain our position during the nio-ht, that nothing might be passed unseen within the limit of our horizon. As we left the extra tropical latitudes, the atmosphere gradually became more hazy and humid, the clouds increased, and in 18o N. we had some showers of rain. On the 18th, in 404 APPENDIX. latitude 16o 18' N. and longitude 136o W., we had a very strong trade at N. E., with squally weather, and a long cross sea from the westward, which was afterwards found to be the effect of a gale of wind in the parallel of 21o N. ; but which did not reach us. There was very little current in this passage; this little generally ran to the southward and westward, and ave- raged 3.6 miles a day. The barometer, though so far entered in the tropical latitudes, was perceptibly affected by the changes of weather, but maintained its horary oscillations. On my arrival I found that from the 15th to the 21st there had been very strong gales from the westward at Woahoo, and from the S. W. at Owyhee. This was, no doubt, the cause of the high cross sea we experiencd from the 18th to the 23d. I found also that the harbinger, an American brig which quitted Monterey nine days after the Blossom, was obliged to lie to for three days, from the 20th to 23d January, in a strong gale from the S. W. She had steered a direct course for the Sandwich Islands, in which she experienced very variable winds, and, on the whole, had bad weather, and was only one day less performing the passage than ourselves : whence I think it fair to conclude that nothing is lost by run- ning well into the trade. During the winter season, I should recommend ships gaining the 17th parallel before they shaped a direct course for the islands. This seems to me to be the best mode to ensure a good passage and fine weather. REMARKS ON THE PASSAGE FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS TO MACAO (china). March \st to April 10th. This passage was made at a late period of the season ; the north-east monsoon had become very faint, and about the Bashee Islands appeared altogether to have finished. From Woahoo to the Ladrones the passage occupied twenty-six days ; thence to the Bashee Islands twelve days; and from the Bashee to Macao three days ; in all forty-one days. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 405 The first part of the run was within the limit of the trade- wind ; it hung generally in the eastern quarter, and with the exception of a few days' rain, squalls, and very vivid light- ning, in latitude 19o N., and longitude ITQo W., the weather was very fine. Off the Lad rones we had a short calm ; then a breeze at north ; and made the passage to the Bashees with light and variable winds, first from the northward, and latterly from the S. and S. W. The weather during this period was remark- ably fine. Off Formosa we took a strong northerly wind, which carried us to Macao. The currents from Woahoo to the Ladrones ran generally to the eastward, and averaged 6.9 miles per day. I should recommend to ships making this passage to run down the parallel of 18o 30' N. or 19o N., taking care of Wake's Island, which is said to lie in latitude 19° 18' N. They should make the Island of Assumption, in latitude 190 42' N., and longitude 214o 34' W., and pass to the soudi- ward of it. Twelve miles to the southward of Assumption, Captain Freycinet has discovered a reef of rocks, which may be avoided by keeping close to the above-mentioned island. As- sumption is a small conical island, 2096 feet high, and appa- rently without any danger. Perouse anchored in thirty fathoms, within three quarters of a mile of its western shore. The Mangs bear from its eastern point N. 27o 07' W. (true). In the N.E. monsoon I would steer from here for the North Bashee Island, and thence pass northward of the Pi'ata Shoal ; but with the S.W. monsoon a different route is neces- sary, for which see Captain Ilorsburgh's India Directory. The Bashees, Vele Rete, and Botel Tobago Xiraa, are all very well laid down in Horsbui-gh's chart; but the Cumbrian Shoal has since been found to lie in the situation first assigned it, fifteen miles due S. of Little Tobago Xima, and in latitude 21^ 42' 15" N. In its vicinity we found very strong ripplings, which, when the winds were light, sounded like breakers ; but they did not affect our reckoning much, for on the 10th of April, in the forenoon, we made Pedro 406 APPENDIX. Branco, as we expected. This rock is an excellent land- mark; by our observation it lies !« 33' 13" E. of the west end of the Typa. Shortly after noon we got sight of the Great Lemma, and that night anchored between Lantao and Chichow. FROM THE ARZOBISPO ISLANDS TO KAMSCHATKA. June 16 th to July Sd. At the commencement of this passage it was my endea- vour to get nearly into the meridian of Petropaulski before I shaped a course for that place, in order to escape the incon- venience likely to arise from the prevalence of easterly winds, which we unexpectedly encountered the preceding year. Between the parallels of 30o N. and 35° N. we had light and variable winds, as in our first passage ; and in 39° N. took a southerly wind, which continued with a very thick wetting fog, as before, until within a day's sail of Petropaulski, when it veered to the S.W., and soon after came fresh off the land, precisely as it had done the preceding year. In the summer I recommend making the land a little to the southward of Cape Gavarea, as the wind generally blows off shore, and to the eastward of the promontory veers to the northward ; and if a vessel is not well in with the Cape, she will find much dif- ficulty in beating up. Until we were in latitude 34° N. lon- gitude 1530 E., the currents I'an between N.W. and S.W. twelve miles per day ; they then changed to S. five miles per day as far as 40^ N., and off the Kurile Islands ran strong to the S.E. The weather throughout this passage, with the ex- ception of the fog, was very fine. FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO SAN BLAS (mEXICO). December 6th to 21 st. We found no difficulty in getting to the southward, the pre- vailing wind at this season being from the N.W. It is ad- visable, however, to stand about forty or fifty leagues off the coast, to avoid interruptions from variable winds which occur NAUTICAL REMARKS. 407 near the land. Tliese winds are in general taken advantage of by vessels bound in the opposite direction to that of our present course. The weather throughout this passage was remarkably fine. The wind was from W.N.VV. to N.N.E. until we made Cape San Lucas, when it veered to E.N.E., and obliged us to pass between the Tres Marias Islands. This route occa- sioned the loss of a day, and I should advise any vessel making the passage to close the land to the northward of Cape San Lucas, provided the wind were in the north-east quarter; as in addition to the inconvenience which a shift of wind to the E. would occasion, there is another arising from a strong cur- rent, which generally sets out of the Gulf of California. From the Cape steer for Isabella Island, and thence for Piedra de Mer. Between 33o N. and Cape San Lucas v>e found a current to the westward, and from the Cape to the Tres Marias to the southward. The whole effect of current from ,San Francisco to these islands was S. 5So W. eighty miles. SAN BLAS TO ACAPULCO AND VALPARAISO, March 8th to May \st, 1 828. At diis season north-westerly winds prevail upon the coast between San Bias and Acapulco, inclining toward tlie land In the day, and to the sea in the night. We passed four miles to westward of CorveteHa (a small rock, situated N.W. by N. nineteen miles from Cape Corrientes) without having sound- ings in eighty fathoms. On the 10th we were within sight of the volcano of Colima, 12,003 feet above the sea, and on the 13th anchored at Acapulco. At San Bias we heard various opinions upon the best route from Acapulco to Valparaiso, some being in favour of a pas- sage to the eastward of the Gailapagos, by keeping along the land, and carrying the N.W. wind, and others to the west- ward, by steering at once out to sea. We adopted the latter mode of proceeding ; and after light and variable winds, prin- cipally from the eastward, crossed the equator in 99o 40' W., VOL II. 2 E 408 APPENDIX. on the eleventh day of our passage, about two degrees more to the westward than was intended. After two days' unsettled weather and hard showers of rain, we got the S.E. trade in S° S. latitude. It at first held to the southward, but, as we proceeded, veered gradually to the eastward, and obliged us to make a long sweep, in which we went as far to the westward as IO80, and having brought us into 23" S. and IO60 W. it left us. We had afterwards variable winds and squally weather, and found some difficulty in approaching our destination. At this season very unsettled weather prevails on the coast of Chili, and storms and heavy rains from the northward are by no means unfrequent. It appears to me to be advisable at this period to steer direct for the port, if possible, and to disregard the chances of winds and of currents near tlie land. The currents in the first part of this passage ran about seven miles a day to the eastward, but from 80 N. and 98o W. to 19o S. and IO80 W. they flowed in a S. 880 W. direction, at the average rate of about twenty- eight miles per day, and on our arrival at Valparaiso they had drifted the ship S. 8I0 W., four hundred and one miles, or at the average rate of eleven and a half miles a day. On account of these strong currents it is desirable to cross the equator well to the eastward, in about 96o or 97o W., and to pass the latitudes in which they prevail as quickly as possible, by keeping clean full. RIO JANEIRO TO ENGLAND. August 5th to September 25th. This passage was remarkable for strong S.W. winds be- tween the trades. Upon leaving Rio, N.E. winds obliged us to stand to the S.E. to the lat. 27° S. and long. 36o W., where we met the S.E. trade-wind, which carried us across the equa- tor in 24o 20' W., and left us in 5« N. latitude. It was there succeeded by strong south-west winds, attended by a long swell from the same quarter. This continued to 15o N., and was succeeded by the N.E. trade, which prevailed as far as 27o N. and 350 W. We had here six days calm, and then variable NAUTICAL REMARKS. 409 winds, with mucJi bad weather and long seas from the north- ward, and did not arrive in England until fifty-one days after our departure from Rio. Had we been farther westward when the N.E. trade failed, the passage would have been shortened, and as at this season N.W. winds prevail on the coast of Ame- rica, I should endeavour on another occasion to arrive at a more westerly longitude before I outran the trade-wind. The current in this passage was very different to that which we experienced on the outward voyage, and was no doubt influenced by the strong S.W. winds. From the tropic of Capricorn to the equator it ran N. 880 W. a hundred and fifty-one miles, or ten miles per day, and from that latitude to the termination of the S.E. trade S. 660 W. twenty-five miles a day. Here we encountered the winds from the west- ward, which, while they lasted, occasioned a current to the eastward at the rate of twenty-six miles a day. With the N.E. trade there was very little in any direction. OBSERVATIONS ON THE COAST OF CHILI. CONCEPTION. During the summer months southerly winds prevail along this coast, and occasion a strong current to the northward. It is advisable, therefore, to make the land well to the southward of the port, unless certain of reaching it before night. Punta Rumena appears to me to be a preferable land-fall to that of Saint Mary's Island, which has been recommended, as it may be seen considerably further, and has no danger lying off" it. But should the latter be preferred, it may be known by its contrast to the mainland, in having a flat surface and perpen- dicular cliffs, as well as by a remarkable peaked rock off its N.W. extremity*. If the port cannot be reached before dark, it would be advisable to bring to the wind, between Saint Mary's and the Paps of Bio Bio, as there will almost always be found a southerly wind in the morning to proceed with. In doing this, take care of the Dormido Bank, lying off the * This rock bears S. 53" 08' W. true, from the Look-out Hill, Talca- huana, and is 24' 48'' W. of it. Its latitude is 32° .58' 10" S., as found by Mr. Forster. 2e 2 410 APPENDIX. N.W. end of Saint Mary's. Having daylight to proceed by, close the land near the Paps of Bio Bio, and, keeping one and a half mile from the shore, stand along the coast of Tal- cahuana Peninsula. Should the Paps of the Bio Bio be clouded, the land about them may still be known by the opening into Saint Vincent's Bay, and by the land receding in the direction of the Bio Bio river, as well as by high rocks lying off the points. The capes of Saint Vincent's Bay on both sides are high and terminate abruptly, and the south one has a large rock lying some dis- tance off it. The northern cape is tabled, and has a small tuft of trees near its edije. Table land extends from here to Quebra Ollas. The Paps viewed from the westward appear like an island ; the wide opening of the Bio Bio being seen to the southward, and Saint Vincent's Bay to the northward. The high rocks off the capes, at the foot of the Paps, are an additional distinguishing mark; and when near enough the rock of Quebra Ollas will be seen lying off the N.W. end of the peninsula. About one third of the way between Quebra Ollas and Saint Vincent's Bay, there is a large rock called the Sugar Loaf. All this coast is bold, and may be sailed along at a mile and half distance. Quebra Ollas rock lies the far- thest off shore, and is distant exactly one mile and a quarter from the cliff; it may be rounded at a quarter of a mile dis- tance, if necessary, but nothing can go within it. Having passed Quebra Ollas, steer to the eastward, in or- der to round Pajaros Ninos as closely as possible, and imme- diately haul to the wind (supposing it from the southward), for a long beat up to the anchorage. There are two passages into Conception, but the eastern is the only one in use. On the eastern shore of this channel there is no hidden danger, until near Punta Para and Lirquen, when care must be taken of the Para Reef, the Penco Shoal, and the flat of Roguan. When near the two latter the southern head of Saint Vin- cent's Bay comes open with Talcahuana Head, it will be time to go round ; and it is not advisable at any time to open the northern cape of Saint Vincent's Bay, distinguished by a tuft of trees upon it, with Talcahuana Head. These two land- NAUTICAL REMARKS. 411 marks a little open, and the pointed rock at the south ex- tremity of Quiriquina a little open with Point Garzos, the N.E. extremity of the peninsula, will put you on a two and a half fathom shoal. There is a safe channel all round this shoal : but ships can have no necessity for going to the south- ward or eastward of it. On the Quiriquina side of the channel avoid the Aloe shoal (situated one-sixth of a mile off the first bluff to the north- ward of the low sandy point), by keeping the north-west bluff of Espinosa ridge open a sail's-breadth [5^) with Talcahuana Head *, and do not stand into the bay between the Aloe shoal and the sandy point. The low sandy point, Punta Arena, may be approached within three himdred yards, after which it is advisable not to shut in Espinosa Bluff with Talcahuana Head, both mentioned before : for although there is a wide channel between the Belen Bank and Fronton Reef (off the south end of Quiriquina), yet, as there are no good cross marks for the shoal, a stranger had better not run the risk, par- ticularly as there will be found ample space to work between this line and the Para Reef. When the hut on Look-out Hill is over the N.W. extremity of Talcahuana village, and the Fort S. Joa bears W. by S. ^ S. the Belen is past f? find the anchorage may be safely approached by a proper attention to the lead. Be careful to avoid drifting down upon the Belen, either in bringing up in squally weather, or in casting ; and remember that on approaching it the soundings are no guide, as it has eight fathoms close to it. There is no passage inside the shoal for ships, except in case of urgent necessity. There is no good land-mark for the channel. Men of war anchor in six or eight fathoms; Fort St. Au- gustine S. 450 W., true; Fort Galvez, N. 5To W., true; Tal- cahuana Head, S. 7° 30' W., true. Merchant vessels usually * These are two remarkable bluffs situated to the left of Talcahuana, Espinosa being the furthest inland. t This mark, it must be remembered, carries you well clear of the Belen, and in bringing them on, take care not to shoot too far over toward Talcahuana Head, or to shoal the water on that side to less than five fathoms. 412 APPENDIX. go quite close in shore, between the Shag Rock, a flat rock near the anchorage, and Fort Galvez, and anchor in three or four fathoms ; in doing this, until the Shag Rock is passed, keep a 7'ed mark, which will be seen upon a hill south of Es- pinosa Ridge, open with Talcahuana Head. A good berth will be found in three fathoms' mud, close off the town ; the eastern slope of Espinosa Hill in one with Talcahuana Head. At Talcahuana moor open hawse to the north-eastward ; but many think this unnecessary, as the holding ground is so ex- cellent, that it is sufficient to steady the ship with a stream. Should it happen by any accident that ships, after having passed Quebra Ollas, should not be able to weather Pajaros Ninos (supposing the wind to be from the northward), or should be set upon the northern shore of Talcahuana Penin- sula, off which lie scattered rocks, they may run through the channel between Quiriquina and the peninsula. In doing this it is safest to keep close over on the island side, but not in less than seven fathoms water. On the opposite shore a reef ex- tends, eastward from the Buey Rock, to the distance of seven or eight hundred yards from the foot of the cliffs ; the mai'k for clearing it is Fort St. Augustine, open with all the capes of Talcahuana Peninsula: but this danger will generally show itself, except the water be particularly smooth, as there is a small rock near its outer edge which dries at half tide *. Having passed the Buey Rock, haul a little to the westward to avoid a reef off the S.W. extremity of Quiriquina, and be careful not to stand into either of the sandy bays of Qui- riquina, between this point and the range of cliffs to the north- ward of it, or towards the peninsula, so as to bring the Buey Rock to bear to the eastward of N., true, until you have ad- vanced full half a mile to southward, when the lead will serve as a guide. If it be found necessary to anchor, haul Into Tom- bez Bay in the peninsula, and bring up in seven or eight fathoms* mud. This is in the northernmost bay, and may be known by several huts and a large storehouse. When through, * The narrowest distance between tliis rock and the reef on Quiriquina sides, is exactly half a mile. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 413 give S. and S.W. points of Quiriquina a berth of half a mile, and having passed them, steer over towards Lirquen, until the two heads (Espinosa and Talcahuana) are open; then pursue the directions before given. If vessels put into Conception for supplies, the anchorage of Talcahuanha is unquestionably the best, on account of being near the town ; but if wood and water only be required, or if it be for the purpose of avoiding bad weather from the northward, &c., the anchorage under the sandy point of Qui- riquina will be found very convenient : it is in many respects better sheltered than Talcahuana, particularly from the northerly, north-westerly, and north-easterly winds. The depth is twelve fathoms, the bottom a blue clay, and the marks for the anchorage south point of Fronton S. 76o 20' W., true; Punta Arena N. 45^ E., true; one- sixth of a mile off' shore ; the sandy point being shut in with Point Darca, and the south end of Quiriquina in one with a hut which will be seen in a sandy bay in the peninsula. On rounding the sandy point (Punta de Arena), which may be done quite close, clew all up, and the ship will shoot into a good berth. Wood may be procured at the island at a cheaper rate than at Talca- huana, and several streams of water empty themselves into the bay to the northward of the point. The common supplies of Talcahuana are wood, water, fresh beef, live stock, flour, and a bad sort of coal. We found stock of all kinds dear, and paid the following prices : for a bullock, twenty-nine dollars ; sheep, three dollars ; fowls, three reals each, or four and a half dollars a dozen ; nine dollars per ton for coal, although we dug it ourselves. It is high water, full and change, at Talcahuana at 3h. 20m.; and the tide rises six feet seven inches; but this is influenced by the winds. GAMBIER ISLANDS. This group consists of eight high islands, surrounded by coral islands and reefs, enclosing a lagoon, in which there are several secure anchoring places ; but the lagoon has many 414 APPENDIX. knolls, which render necessary a good look-out from aloft, and even the precaution of keeping a boat ahead. As the islands afford only a supply of water, the anchorage under Mount Duff is the most desirable. The best channel to enter by lies on the eastern side of the group, to the southward of all the coral islands ; and with Mount Duff bearing N. 39^ W., true, m one with the south tangent of the easternmost high island. With these marks steer boldly over the reef, upon which there is in this part six fathoms water, and pass close to the southern extreme of the island, before in one with Mount Duff. Then keeping a boat ahead, proceed under easy sail for the anchorage, about a quarter of a mile south of Mount Duff, the peaks bearing about north, true : but do not attempt to go to the northward, as all that part of the lagoon is full of reefs and knolls. In this situation a ship will be abreast of two streams of good water; but there will be some difficulty in procuring it, on account of the ledges of coral which surround this and all the other islands. As the ground is rocky, it is advisable to use a chain cable. There are several other anchorages, and water may also be had at the north-eastern island, but this appears to me to be, on the whole, the most convenient. There are also other passages over the reef; and the islands lying to the south-east may be passed on either side, but those which I have recommended are the best and most convenient for navigation with ihe trade wind. The western channel must not be attempted, and all the south-western part of the group should be avoided as dangerous. The best passage to sail out at bears about S., true, from Mount Duff, the eastern bluffs of Peard Island, upon which Mount Duff is situated, m one. Tliis mark will lead over the bar in six and a quarter fathoms. Though this channel lies to leeward of the group, there is generally a very heavy sv.'ell upon the reef; and it would not be advisable to attempt it in light winds, as there is no anchoring ground outside ; and the swell and the cur- rents, which sometimes run strong, might drift a vessel upon a shallow part of the bar, either to the eastward or westward NAUTICAL REMARKS. 415 of the channe], upon which the sea breaks heavily in four fa- thoms, and outside which there is no bottom at eighty fathoms, within forty yards of the breakers. The plan which I have given of these islands must not be considered complete, as such a survey required more exami- nation than I could bestow ; and there are, no doubt, many knolls of coral in the lagoon which we did not discover. A careful look-out from aloft is therefore absolutely necessary. It is high water here at Ih. 50m. full and change ; but a current generally sets to the westward in the day-time, and runs strong in the western channel, OTAHEITE. In clear weather the mountains of Otaheite may be seen ninety miles from the deck. The ports most frequented are situated on the north side of the island, and may be approached without difficulty when the trade wind is blowing. It, however, sometimes happens in the winter months that the trade is in- terrupted by breezes from the N.W. and W., and at others that calms and unsettled weather prevail. At such times avoid getting into the bay between Otaheite and Tyraboo, especially on the south-west side of the island, as the swell rolls in heavily upon the shore, and there is no anchorage outside the reefs. Arrived within a few miles of the north-eastern part of Otaheite, several points covered with cocoa-nut trees will be seen stretching from the foot of the hills. One of these is Point Venus, and may be known by One-tree Hill, which, with the exception of the western extremity of the island, is the last bluff head-land upon this part of the coast. Matavai Bay, on the south-western side of Point Venus, may be considered a safe anchorage from April to December; but during the remainder of the year the trade is liable to interruptions from westerly winds, which blow directly into Matavai, and occasion a high sea. The protection to the anchorage is afforded by Point Venus and the Dolphin shoal, a coral bank, with only two jind a quarter fathoms upon its 416 APPExNDIX. shallowest part. Between it and Point Venus there is a channel about fifty yards wide, with 17, 15, and 10 fathoms close to the reef; and by anchoring a boat on the edge of the shoal, a vessel may enter with perfect safety, provided the breeze be fair. It is, however, better to pass to the south- ward of the bank, which may be ascertained by two remark- able cocoa-nut trees in the E.N.E. being seen, to the south- ward of an European built house on the beach, bearing E. by N., and haul round it towards the anchorage, taking care not to get to leeward, so as to bring the N.E. bluff of One- tree Hill to bear to the southward of S.E., as there are several coral banks in that direction. Anchor in eight and a half or nine fathoms, mud, off old Pomarre's house, taking care of the reef that lies off that part of the sliore. To the westward of Matavai there are three good harboiu's, Papawa, Toanoa, and Papiete, of which the latter is the largest and the most frequented. The others, however, are the most healthy. The entrances to all are extremely narrow, and a stranger ought to take on board a pilot ; but he should bear in mind that some of the persons who act in that capacity, though well acquainted with the channels, vuiderstand very little about navio-ating a vessel. Toanoa is four miles west of Matavai, and may be known by a remai'kable ragged mountain, which will be seen through a deep valley when abreast of it. When near, this ragged mountain is very conspicuous, and at night it is a good guide to the entrance. The channel into Toanoa is only three hundred and thirty yards Mide ; off the eastern side of the passage there is a rock upon which the sea sometimes breaks, lying N. W. sixty fathoms from the breakers, and another on the inner side of the opposite reef. Neither of these rocks, however, narrow the channel much, and are only dangerous in the event of the wind breaking the ship off, or in rounding the reefs closely. With a fair wind sail boldly in, keeping mid-channel, and, clueing all up, allow the ship to shoot into a berth about two cables' length from the shore in thirteen or fourteen fathoms. Here she must NAUTICAL REMARKS. 417 wait until the wind falls, and then tow into the harbour; or if the wind be off the land, set fore and aft sails, and keep the boats ready with the lines in them. There are three channels to the inner harbour : of which the two south ones only are frequented, on account of the currents running strong through that to the northward. Perhaps the centre channel, though scarcely broader than a frigate, had better be used going in, and the south coming out. In the centre channel there are eight or twelve fathoms water; but in the southern one a shoal extends from the shore which renders it necessai-y to keep close to the rock. Anchor in eight and a half fathoms about midway between the outer reef and the shore, opposite some cottages; and moor head and stern by fastening cables to the trees on shore, and carrying out the small bower close to the outer reef. To proceed to sea it is necessary to warp into the outer an- chorage after the sea breeze has done in the evening, or very early in the morning, before it sets in, and push through the channel before the current makes strong. In all these en- trances the current sets out in the daytime, sometimes at the rate of two or three knots, and rather sweeps over the reef to the leeward. There is another entrance to Toanoa from Papete, but that just described is the most convenient. The harbour of Papawa is not frequented, and as it cannot be entered without a pilot, I shall give no directions for it. PAPIETE. Two miles to the westward of Toanoa there is a liarbour, called by the natives Papiete, capable of containing at least thirty vessels. The entrance is even narrower than that at Toanoa, being only three hundred and seventy feet in the clear, and has a bar with only four and a quarter fathoms upon it. The current here runs out faster than through the channel to the northward, and in blowing weather the sea breaks quite across. This is also a more intricate and dangerous channel than the other ; and the only way for a stranger to ensure safety is to moor a boat in the middle of the channel. 418 APPENDIX. There are no good marks for this spot; but as a general re- mark keep about forty yards from the western extremity of two rocks, which lie eighty yards off the dry part of the eastern reef. These two rocks have only one ami a half fa- thoms upon them, and generally break. There is another rock about sixty yards north of the eastern reef, but this lies out of the channel. On the western side of the channel there is a shoal with only one and a half fathom water upon it, which extends midway between the dry reefs. From this descrip- tion it is evident that a pilot is necessary for this port, and that the boats should be in readiness to tow or run out kedges as required, whether the pilot advises it or not. After the entrance is passed, steer S. by E., true, until the first rock on the inside, bearing S. E. by S. one- eighth of a mile from the eastern dry reef, is passed ; then haul towards the missionary church and beat up to the anchorage between that shore, which may be approached within a half cable's leno-th, and the reefs which extend from the Moto, or low island, towards the S.W. These reefs will be seen, and may be approached as close as convenient. Another rock lies S. by W., true, 2000 feet from the entrance ; but with the trade wind this will be weathered. If it be necessary, the Moto may he passed to the eastward ; but the channel is very narrow, and can only be safely navi- gated by a person acquainted with it. Papiete is a very convenient harbour in many respects, but it is subject to calms and much hot weather, in consequence of its being rather to leeward, and the trade wind being ob- structed by woods of cocoa-nut trees. The tides in all these harbours are very irregular. It is generally high water at half an hour after noon every day, and low water at six in the morning. AWATSKA BAY. KAMSCHATKA. It is desirable to make the coast well to the southward of NAUTICAL REMARKS. 4|9 Cape Gavarea, and to round it as closely as possible, as the wind will in all probability veer to the northward on passino- it. If the weather be clear, two mountains will be seen to the west and north-west of the cape, and three far off to the northward and eastward. The eastern one of the two former, called Villeuchinski, is 7.375 feet high, and peaked like a sugar-loaf, and is in latitude 52o39'43" N., and long. 49' 46" W. of Petropaulski. The highest and most northern of the three latter is the mountain of Awatska, in latitude 53^ 20' 01" N. and long. 3' 47" E. of the before-mentioned town. Its height is 11.500 feet, and in clear weather it may be seen a very considerable distance. The centre hill of the three is the vol- cano, but it emits very little smoke. These peaks are the best guide to Awatska Bay, until near enough to distinguish the entrance, which will then appear to lie between high per- pendicular cliffs. Upon the eastern one of these, the light- house hhiff^ there is a hut and a signal-staff, and when any vessel is expected a light is sometimes shown. If the harbour be open, a large rock, called the Baboushka, will be seen on the western side of the channel, and three others, named the Brothers, on the eastern side, off the lighthouse. The chan- nel lies in a N. by W. direction, true, and when the wind is fair it may be sailed through by keeping mid-channel ; but it frequently happens that vessels have to beat in, and as the narrowness of the channel renders it necessary to stand as close to the dangers as possible, in order to lessen the number of tacks, it is requisite to attend strictly to the leading marks: The outer dangers are a reef of rocks lying S.E., about two miles from the lighthouse, and a reef lying off a bank which connects the two capes opposite, i. e. Stanitski Point with the cape to die southward. To avoid the light-house reef, do not shut in the land to the northward of the lighthouse bluff, un- less certain of being at least two miles and a half off shore, and when within three quarters of a miles only, tack when the lighthouse bluff bears N. or N. ^ E. The Brothers Rocks in one with the lighthouse is close upon the edge of the reef. The first western danger has a rock above water upon it, and 420 APPENDIX. may be avoided by not opening the Babouslika with the cape beyond, with a flag-staff upon it, or by keeping Stanitski Point well open with the said signal bluff. In standing to- wards this rock, take care the ebb tide in particular does not set you upon it. A good working mark for all this western shore is the Babouslika, open with Direction Muff, the last cape or hill on the left iipoti the loiv land at the head of Awatska Bay. The bay south of Stanitski Point is filled with rocks and foul ground. The lighthouse reef is connected with the Brothers, and the cape must not be approached in any part within half a mile, nor the Brothers within a full cable's length. There are no o-ood marks for the exact limit of this reef off the Bro- thers, and consequently ships must estimate that short distance. They must also here, and once for all, in beating through this channel, allow for shooting in stays, and for the tides, which, ebb and flood, sweep over toward these rocks, running S.E. and N.E. They should also keep good way on the ves- sel, as the eddy currents may otherwise prevent her coming about. To the northward of the Brothers, two-diirds of the way between them and a ragged cape (Pinnacle Point) at the south extreme of a large sandy bay (Ismenai Bay), there are some rocks nearly awash ; and off Pinnacle Point, (N.N.W. one mile and three quarters from th.e lighthouse) there is a small reef, one of the outer rocks of which dries at half tide. These dangers can almost always be seen : their outer edoes lie nearly in a line, and they may be approached within a cable's length. If they are not seen, do not shut in the Rakovya signal bluff. Off Pinnacle Point the lead finds deeper water than mid-channel, and very irregular soundings. To the northward of Stanitski Point the Baboushka may be opened to the eastward a little, with the signal-siaff bluff', but be careful of a shoal which extends about three cables' leno-th south of the Baboushka. Baboushka has no danger to the eastward at a greater distance than a cable's length, and when it is passed there is nothing to apprehend on the western shore, until N.N.W. of the signal-staff, off which there is a NAUTICAL REMARKS. 421 long shoal, with only two and two and a half fathoms. The water shoals gradually towards it, and the helm may safely be put down in four fathoms and three quarters ; but a certain guide is not to open the western tangent of Baboushka with Stanitski Point south of it. There is no other danger on this side of the entrance. When a cable's length north of Pinnacle Reef, you may stretch into Ismenai Bay, guided by the soundings, which are regular, taking care of a three-fathom knoll which lies half- way between Pinnacle Point and the cape north of it. This bay affords good anchorage, and it may be convenient to anchor there for a tide. There is no other danger than the above-mentioned knoll. The large square rock at the north- ern part of this bay (Ismenai Rock) may be passed at a cable- lenuth distance. This rock is connected with the land to the northward by a reef, and in standing back toward it the Pin- nacle Point must be kept open with the lighthouse. When in one, there are but three fathoms and a half. Rakovya signal- staff to the northward in one with the bluff south of it (which has a large green bush over-hanging its brow), will place you in five fathoms close to the rocks. Off the north bluff of Ismenai Bay there extends a small reef to a full cable-length from the sliore ; until this is past do not shut in Pinnacle Point with the lighthouse. But to the northward of it you may tack within a cable-length of the bluffs, extending that distance a little off the signal-staff bluff, in consequence of some rocks which lie off there. Northward of Rakovya signal-staff the only danger is the Rakovya shoal, upon the W. part of which there is a buoy in- the summer, and to clear this keep the Brothers in sight. There is no good mark for determining when you are to the northward of this shoal, and as the tides in their course up Rakovya Harbour are apt to set you towards it, it is better to keep the Brothers open until you are certain, by your dis- tance, of having passed it; (its northern edge is seven-eighths of a mile from Rakovya bluff) particularly as you may now stretch to the westward as far as you please, and as there is 422 APPENDIX. nothing to obstruct your beat-up to the anchorage. The ground is every where good, and a person may select his own berth. Rakovya Harbour, on the eastern side of Awatska Bay, will afford good security to a vessel running in from sea with a southerly gale, at which time she might find difficulty in bringing up at the usual anchorage. In this case the Ra- kovka shoal must be rounded and left to the northward ; five and five and a half fathoms will close upon the edge of it, but the water should not be shoaled under nine fathoms. The little harbour of Petropaulski is a convenient place for a refit of any kind. In entering it is only necessary to guard against a near approach to the signal-staff on the peninsula on the west. The sandy point may be passed within a few yards' distance. WeiirhinG: from the anchoracfe off the Peninsula flag-staff with light winds and with the beginning of the ebb, it is ne- cessary to guard against being swept down upon the Rakovya shoal, and when past it upon the signal bluff on the same side. There are strong eddies all over this bay; and when the winds are light, ships often become unmanageable. It is better to weigh with the last drain of the flood. Tareinski Harbour, at the S.W. angle of Awatska Bay, is an excellent port, but it is not frequented. It has no danger, and may safely be entered by a stranger. It is high water at Petropaulski at 3h. 30m. full and change. Tide rises . . . 6ft. 7 inch, spring tides. 2.2 neap tides. SAN FRANCISCO. CALIFORNIA. The harbour of San Francisco, for the perfect security it affords to vessels of any burthen, and the supplies of fresh beef and vegetables, wood, and fresh water, may vie with any port on the N. W. coast of America. It is not, however, with- out its disadvantages, of which the difficulty of landing at low NAUTICAL REMARKS. 423 water, and the remoteness of the watering-place from the only anchorage which I could recommend, are the greatest. Siiips bound to San Francisco from the northward and westward should endeavour to make Punta de los Reyes, a bold and conspicuous headland, without any danger lying off it sufficiently far to endanger a ship. In clear weather, when running for the land before the latitude is known, or the PfHita can be distinguished, its situation may be known by a table-hill terminating the range that passes at the back of Bodega. This hill in one with the Punta de los Reyes bears E. (mag.). If ships are not too far off, they will see, at the same time, San Bruno, two hills to the southward of San Francisco, having the appearance of islands; and from the mast-head, if the weather be very clear, the South Farallon will in all probability be seen. Punta de los Reyes, when viewed from the W. or S.W., has also the appearance of an island, being connected by low land to the two hills eastward. It is of moderate height, and as it stands at the angle formed by the coast line, cannot be mistaken. Soundings may be had off this coast, in depths varying with the latitude. In the parallel of the Farallones they extend a greater distance from the main land, in consequence of these islands lying beyond the general outline of the coast. The Farallones are two clusters of rocks, which, in conse- quence of the shoals about them, are extremely dangerous to vessels approaching San Francisco in foggy weather. The southern cluster, of which in clear weather one of the islands may be seen from the mast-head eight or nine leagues, is the largest and highest, and lies exactly S. 3° E. true, eighteen miles from Punta de las Reyes. The small cluster of rocks lies to the N.W., and still further in that direction there are breakers, but I do not know how far they extend from the rocks above water. In a thick foggy night, we struck sound- ings in twenty-five fathoms, stiff clay, near them ; and on standing off, carried regular soundings to thirty-two fathoms, after which they deepened rapidly. VOL. II. 2 F 424 APPENDIX. Coming from the southward, or when inside the Farallones, the position of the entrance to San Francisco may be known by the land receding considerably between the table-hill al- ready mentioned, and San Brvmo Hill, which, at a distance, appears to terminate the ridge extending from Santa Cruz to the northward. The land to the northward or southward of these two hills has nothing remarkable about it to a stranger; it is, o-enerally speaking, sufficiently high to be seen thirteen to fifteen leagues, and inland is covered with wood. About eight miles and a quarter from the fort, at the en- trance of San Francisco, there is a bar of sand, extending in a S. by E. direction across the mouth of the harbour. The soundino-s, on approaching it, gradually decrease to four and a quarter and six fathoms low water, spring tide, depending upon the situation of the ship, and as regularly inci'ease on the opposite side to no bottom with the hand-leads. In cross- in"- the bar, it is well to give the northern shore a good berth, and bring the small white island, Alcatrasses, in one with the fort or south bluff, if it can be conveniently done, as they may then ensure six fathoms ; but if ships get to the north- ward, so as to bring the south bluff in one with the Island of Yerba Buena, they will find but four and a quarter ; which is little enough with the heavy sea that sometimes rolls over the bar ; besides, the sea will sometimes break heavily in that depth, and endanger small vessels : to the northward of this bearing the water is more shallov/. Approaching the entrance, the Island of Alcatrassses may be opened with the fort ; and the best directions are to keep mid-channel, or on the weather side. On the south shore the dangers are above water, and it is only necessary to avoid being set into the bay between the fort and Point Lobos. If necessary, ships may pass in- side, or to the southward of the One Mile Rock ; but it is advisable to avoid doing so, if possible. On approaching it, guard against the tide, which sets strong from the outer point toward it, and in a line for the fort. Off Punta Boneta there is a dangerous reef, on which the sea breaks very heavy : it lies S.W. from the point, and no ship should approach it NAUTICAL REMARKS. 425 nearer than to bring the fort in one with Yerba Buena Island. In the entrance it is particularly necessary to attend to the sails, in consequence of the eddy tides and the flaws of wind that come off the land. The boats should also be ready for lowering down on the instant, as the entrance is very nar- row, and the tides running strong and in eddies, are apt to sweep a ship over upon one side or the other, and the water is in general too deep for anchorage ; besides, the wind may fail when most required. The strongest tides and the deepest water lie over on the north shore. Should a ship be swept into the sandy bay west of the fort, she will find good anchor- age on a sandy bottom in ten and fifteen fathoms out of the tide ; or in the event of meeting the ebb at the entrance, she might haul in, and diere await the change. There is no danger off the fort at a greater distance than a hundred yards. As soon as a ship passes the fort, she enters a large sheet of water, in which are several islands, two rocks above water, and one under, exceedingly dangerous to shipping, of which I shall speak hereafter. One branch of the harbour extends in a S.E. by S. direction exactly thirty miles, between two ridges of hills, one of which extends along the coast towards the Bay of Monterey, and the other from San Pablo, close at the back of San Jose to San Juan Baptista, where it unites with the former. This arm terminates in several little wind- ing creeks, leading up to the Missions of Santa Clara and San Jose. The other great branch takes a northerly direction, passes the Puntas San Pablo and San Pedro, opens out into a spacious basin ten miles in width, and then converging to a second strait, again expands, and is connected with three rivers, one of which is said to take its rise in the rocky moun- tains near the source of the Columbia. As a general rule in San Francisco, the deepest water will be found where the tide is die strongest ; and out of the cur- rent there is always a difficulty in landing at low water. All the bays, except such as are swept by the tide, have a muddy 2 F 2 426 APPENDIX. flat, extending nearly from point to point, great part of which is dry at low water, and occasions the before-mentioned diffi- culty of landing ; and the north-eastern shore, from Punta San Pablo to the Rio Calavaros beyond San Jose is so flat that lifrht boats only can approach it at high water. In low tides it dries some hundred yards off" shore, and has only one fathom water at an average distance of one mile and a half. The northern side of the great basin beyond San Pablo is of the same nature. After passing the fort a ship may work up for the anchor- age without apprehension, attending to the lead and the tides. The only hidden danger is a rock with one fathom on it at low water, spring tides, which lies between Alcatrasses and Yerba Buena islands. It has seven fathoms alongside it : the lead therefore gives no warning. The marks when on it are, the north end of Yerba Buena Island in one with two trees (nearly the last of the straggling ones) south of Palos Colo- rados, a wood of pines situated on the top of the hill, over San Antonio, too conspicuous to be overlooked ; the left hand or S.E. corner of the Presidio just open with the first cape to the westward of it ; Sausalito Point open i point with the north end of Alcatrasses ; and the island of Molate in one with Punta de San Pedro. When lo the eastward of Alca- trasses, and working to the S.E., or indeed to the westward, it is better not to stand toward this rock nearer than to bring the Table-peak in one with the north end of Alcatrasses Island, or to shut in Sausalito Point with the south extreme of it. The position of the rock may generally be known by a ripple; but this is not always the case. There are no other directions necessary in working for Yerba Buena Cove, which I recommend as an anchorajre to all vessels intending to remain at San Francisco. In the navigation of the harbour much advantage may be derived from a knowledge of the tides. It must be remem- bered that there are two separate extensive branches of water lying nearly at right angles with each other. The ebbs from these unite in the centre of the bay, and occasion ripplings NAUTICAL REMARKS. 42/ and eddies, and odier irregularities of the stream, sometimes dangerous to boats. The anchorage at Yerba Buena Cove is free from these annoyances, and the passage up to it is nearly so after passing the Presidio. The ebb begins to make first from the Santa Clara arm, and runs down the south shore a full hour before the flood has done about Yerba Buena and Angel Island ; and the flood, in its return, makes also first along the same shore, forcing the ebb over the Yerba Buena side, where it unites with the ebb from the north arm. The flood first strikes over from the Lime Rock*, and pass- ing tlie Island of Alcatrasses, where it diverges, one part goes quietly to Santa Clara : the other sweeping over the sunken rock, and round the east end of Angel Island, unites with a rapid stream through the narrow channel formed by Angel Island and the main, and both rush to the northward through the Estreciio de San Pablo to restore the equilibrium of the basin beyond, the small rocks of Pedro Blanco and the Alca- trasses Island lying in the strength of the stream. The mean of eighty observa- tions gave the time of high water (full and change) at Yerba Buena anchorage lOh. 52m. The tide at the springs rises 7ft. lOin. sometimes 8ft. Sin. Neap ... 1 10 Average rate of ebb at spring tide 2k. Of. at neap . Ik. Of. Flood ..10 . 0 6 Duration of flood . . . 5h. 25m, At Sausalito the mean ofseven- teen observations gave the time of high water (full and change) 9 51 Rise (full and change) . . 6ft. Oin. Neap 2 6 Duration of flood , . . 4h. 43m. * See the Chart, 428 APPENDIX. On quitting San Francisco, the direction of the wind in the offing should be considered. If it blow from the S.W. there would be some difficulty in getting out of the bay to the south- ward of Punta de los Reyes. The residents assert that an easterly wind in the harbour does not extend far beyond the entrance, and that a ship would, in consequence, be becahiied on the bar and perhaps exposed to a heavy swell, or she might be swept back again, and be obliged to anchor in an exposed situation. Northerly winds appear to be most generally ap- proved, as they are more steady and of longer duration than any others : they may, indeed, be said to be the trade-wind on the coast. \V idi them it is advisable to keep the north shore on board, as the strength of the ebb takes that side, and as on the opposite shore, near the One Mile Rock, the tide sets rather i(p07i the land. In case of necessity, a ship can anchor to the eastward of the One Mile Rock; but to the S.W. of the rock die ground is very uneven. The wind o-enerally fails in the entrance, or takes a direction in or out. From the fairway steer S.W.i,W. and you will carry seven fathoms over the bar, ^ ebb, spring tide. This 1 judge to be a irood course in and out with a fair wind. I would avoid, by every endeavour, the chance of falling into the sandy bay to the southward of Lobos Point, and also closing with the shore to the N.W. of the Punta Bonets, MONTEREY. CALIFORNIA. The anchorage at Monterey is at the soudi extremity of a deep bay, formed between Punta Ano Nuevo and Punta Pinos, This bay is about seven leagues across, and open in every part except Uiat frequented by shipping, where it is shut in by Point Pinos. Ships should not enter this bay in light winds in any other part than that used as an anchorage, as there is generally a heavy swell from the westward, and deep water close to the shore. It is impossible to mistake Point Pinos if the weather be at all clear, as its aspect is very different to that of any part of NAUTICAL REMARKS. 429 the bay to the northward. It is a long sloping rocky pro- jection, srirmoinited by pine-trees, from which it takes its name; whereas the coast line of the bay is all sandy beach. There is no danger in approaching Point Pinos, except that which may ensne from a heavy swell almost always setting upon the Point, and from light winds near the shore, as the water is too deep for anchorage. With a breeze from the southward. Point Pinos should be passed as closely as possible ; a quarter of a mile will not be too near : and that shore should be hugged in order to fetch the anchorage. In case of havino- to make a tack, take care of a shoal at the S. E. angle of the bay, which may be known by a great quantity of sea- weed upon it : there is no other danger. This shoal has three and a half and four fathoms upon its outer edge, and seven fa- thoms near it. With a fair wind steer boldly tov,ards the sandy beach at the head of the bay, and anchor about one-sixth of a mile off shore in nine fathoms, the fort upon the hill near the beach bearing W. S. W., and moor with the best bower to the E. N. E. This anchorage, though apparently unsafe, is said to be very secure, and that the only danger is from violent gusts of wind from the S. E. The north-westerly winds, though they prevail upon the coast, and send a heavy swell into the bay, do not blow home upon the shore : and when they are at all fresh they occasion a strong off-set in the bay. This, I believe, is also the case at Callao and at Valparaiso, to which this an- chorage bears a great resemblance. There is no good water to be had at Monterey, and ships in want of that necessary supply must either proceed to San Francisco, or procure a permit from the governor, and obtain it at Santa Cruz, or some of the missions to the southward. By the mean of many observations on the tides at this place, it is High water (full and change) at 9 h. 42 m. Rise is about . . . 6 ft. 0 in. at spring-tide. And . . . .1 2 at the neaps. There is very little current at the anchorage. 430 APPENDIX. H O N O R U R U. SANDWICH ISLANDS. The harbour of Honoruru has a bar, with only twenty feet water upon it at low water, and the channel is so narrow and intricate that no stranger should attempt it. The natives understand the signal for a pilot, and will come off if the weather is not too boisterous. In consequence of this diffi- culty ships anchor outside, in about sixteen fathoms water; the Punch-bowl bearing N. N. E. half E., and the highest part of Diamond Point E. by S. ^ S. Should it be necessary to enter the harbour, the morning is the best time, as there are then leading winds through the passage ; but after the trade wind has set in it cannot be entered. It is necessary to adopt the precaution of having the boats ready to tow or run out lines to the reefs. From the outer anchorage run along shore in nothing less than eleven fathoms, and look out for a large grass-hut, which stands conspicuous upon the wharf at the north head of the harbour, on the western side of a new yellow European house. When the north end of this hut is in one with the eastern chimney of an European built house,* with a ship's figure- head attached to it,'t' haul directly in for the opening between the breakers, which will now be seen. The bar is about fifty fathoms in breadth, and consists of smooth coral rock, having ten fathoms close to its outer edge, and seven fathoms on the inner. When on the bar, the King's residence (an European built house with a slate-coloured pointed roof), situated to the N. E. of the town, will be open to the westward of the north-west hummock of Punch-bowl Hill ; the before-mentioned mark of the hut and chimney will also be on, and is to be kept so until the outer cocoa-nut tree in Wytiete Bay comes in one with a small rise on the northern part of Diamond Hill. Then * The only house that had a chimney in 1827. t These in one bear N. 20" E. by compass. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 431 bring the eastern tangent of the cluster of cocoa-nut trees nearest the fort, in one with a remarkable saddle on the moun- tain at the back of the town, until the outer part of the dry ground on the right comes on with Diamond Point, or until a large hut standing by itself on the north shore of the har- bour is in one w'lihfour cocoa-nut trees in a cluster. With these marks, steer for the four trees, open the trees to the eastward until they are a sail's-breadth apart; and when the fort flag-staff is one with the trees eastward of the fort, anchor in four and a quarter fathoms, mud. These directions will, I think, be intelligible to a person on the spot ; but I must repeat, that no stranger should run for this harbour, except in cases of absolute necessity. Should it be attempted, a good look-out from the jib-boom end, or fore-yard, will be found serviceable. In consequence of the sea that rolls over the reef, and breaks in four or five fathoms water, it is necessary that boats should follow nearly the directions that have been given for vessels, except that when the eastern point of the dry land on the right of the entrance comes on with Diamond Hill, they may then steer for the south end of a stone wall, which will be seen on the western side of the harbour; and when the before- mentioned yellow house opens, they may steer for the landino- place. Unless they adopt these precautions, they will in all probability run upon the reefs, or be upset. And in entering the harbour, it is necessary for boats as well as shipping to keep the marks strictly on. I shall conclude these remarks, the greater part of which have been furnished by Mr. Elson, the master, by observing, that the water in the wells in the town is unwholesome upon a voyage, and that it is proper to send the casks up the river to be filled. TYPA. MACAO. The depth of water in the Typa has diminished within these last thirty years, as there are now not more than nine and a half or ten feet water, at the lowest spring-tides, and no vessel 432 APPENDIX. drawino; more than fourteen or at the most fifteen feet, can enter at the top of the tide. There are no marks required for this channel ; but with the last of the flood (say three-quarters), enter between Kaloo and Kai-kong, keeping about mid-channel, and when the western point of the tmstern Kai-kong opens with the ragged point at the S. W. extremity of tlie eastern Kai-kong, keep a little to the northward, and pass the ragged point at the distance of a quarter of a mile; then steer mid-channel between the islands, remembering not to attempt the channel between the western Kai-kong and the island of Makarina, The water will now deepen, and when the town of Macao opens with the west Kai-kong, and when the ragged point bears east^ anchoi- in about eighteen or twenty feet water ; in which berth you will have good riding ground over a muddy bottom. The time of hio;h water is 9 h. 30 m. The tide at full and change rises 7 ft. 1 in.; rate about 2 k. 4 f.; at the neap . . 2 1 .... 1 6. The flood sets to the northward from the anchorase, and branches off on meeting the tide setting westward to the north of Kai-kong. NAPAKIANG. LOO CHOO. Ships bound to Napakiang may pass close round the south extremity of the island, and sail along the western coast at the distance of a mile or a mile and a half They will then see a sandy island in latitude 26° 05' 50" N., and longitude 7' 40" W. of Abbey Point, which is the only danger to the westward of Loo Choo that I am acquainted with, until near the Kirrama Islands, or to the northward of the entrance of Napakiang. Abbey Point, at the south extremity of the port of Napa- kiang, may be known by its ragged outline, and by a small wooded eminence called Wood Point, situated about a mile and a half to the southward of it. The mainland here fahs back, and forms a bay, which is sheltered by coral reefs stretching to the northward from Abbey Point ; they are, however, disconnected, and between them and the point there NAUTICAL REMARKS. 433 is a channel sufficiently deep for the largest ship. Nearly in the centre of this channel, outside withal, there is a coral bank named Blossom Rock, having a good passage on either side of it. The channel between it and Abbey Point should be adopted with southerly winds and flood tides, and that to the northward with the reverse. A reef extends off Abbey Point, which, for convenience of description, will be called Abbey Reef. When off Abbey Point a rocky headland will be seen, about a mile and a half north of the town ; this I shall call Kumi Head, and upon the ridge of high land beyond it three hummocks v/ill be seen to the left of a cluster of trees. In the distance, a little to the left of these, is Mount Onno- dake, in latitude 26° 27' N. A remarkable rock, which, from its form, has been named Capstan Rock, will next appear; and then, to the northward of the town, a rocky head with a house upon its summit, which I shall call False 'Capstan Head. At the back of Capstan Rock there is a hill, named Sheudi, upon which the upper town is built. The highest southern point of this is one of the landmarks to which I shall have to refer. Having opened out the Capstan Rock, haul towards Abbey Reef, and bring the right-hand hummock about 4^ to the east of Kumi Head, and steering in with these marks on, you will pass through the south channel in about seven fathoms water, over the tail of Blossom Rock. You may now round Abbey Reef tolerably close, and steer in for the anchorage. Should the wind veer to the eastward in the passage between Blossom Rock and Abbey Point, with the above-mentioned marks on, you must not stand to the northward, unless the outer cluster of trees near the extremity of Wood Point are in one with, or open to the westward of. Table Hill, a square rocky headland to the southward of it. This mark clears also the tongue of Oar Reef, which with Blossom Rock forms the other western channel. It is advisable, with the wind to the north-eastward, to beat through the channel north of Blossom Rock (Oar Channel), in preference to that above-mentioned. To do this, brino- the false capstan4iead in one with a flat cluster of trees on the ridge to the right of the first gap south of Sheudi : this will 434. APPENDIX. clear the nortk tongue of Blossom Rock ; but unless the Table Hill be open to the eastward of Wood Hill, you must not stand to the southward, but tack directly the water shoals to less than twelve fathoms, and endeavour to enter with the marks on. Having passed to the N. E. of Blossom Rock, which you will know by Wood Hill being seen to the right of Table Hill, stand towards Abbey Point as close as you please; then tack, and on nearing Oar Reef take care of a tongue which extends to the eastward of it, and be careful to tack immediately the outer trees of Wood Point open with Abbey Point. In entering at either of the western channels, remem- ber that the flood-tide sets to the northward over Blossom's Rock, and the ebb to the southward. The best anchorage is in Barnpool, at the N. E. part of the bay, in seven fathoms water, where a vessel may ride in per- fect security. The outer anchorage, I should think, would be dangerous with a hard westerly gale. The Blossom anchored there in fourteen flithoms muddy bottom : Abbey Bluff, 8. 430 20' W. ; Capstan Rock, S. 75o 40' E. ; (mag.) ; varia- tion 53' 59" E. The entrance to Barnpool lies between Barnhead and the reef off Capstan Rock. In entering, you are not to appi-oach Barnhead nearer than to bring the north tangent of Hole Rock (to the northward of Capstan Rock) in one with the before-mentioned flat clump of trees on the hill south of Sheudi, until the point of the burying ground (Cemetery Point) is seen just clear of Capstan Head. You may anchor in any part of Barnpool. As the northern channel into Napakiang is very dangerous, I shall not tempt any person to sail through it, by giving directions for it. It is high water at Napakiang at 6 h. 28 m., full and change ; rise from five to seven and a half feet, but this was very irregular during our stay at the place. NAUTICAL REMARKS. 435 ARZOBISPO ISLANDS. PORT LLOYD. This group of islands lies N. by E. and S. by W., and is divided into three clusters, extending from 27" 44' 35" N. to 26" 30' N. and beyond. As I have described these islands in my narrative, I shall here give only the necessary direction for entering Port Lloyd, which is the best harbour in the group, and indeed, the only one that should be frequented. DIRECTIONS FOR ENTERING PORT LLOYD. Having ascertained the situation of the port, steer boldly in for the southern head; taking care not to bring it to the northward of N. 47° E , true, or to shut in with it two paps on the N.E. side of the harbour, which will be seen nearly in one with it on this bearing. In this jwsition they are a safe leading mark. To the southward of this line there is broken ground. If the wind be from the southward, which is generally the case in the summer time, round the south Bluff at the dis- tance of two hundred yards, close to a sunken rock, which may be distinctly seen in clear weather. Keep fresh wav upon the ship, in order that she may shoot an end through the eddy winds, which baffle under the lee of the head * ; and to pre- vent her coming round against the helm, which would be dan- gerous. The winds will at first break the ship off, but she will presently come up again : if she does not, be ready to go about, as you will be close upon the reefs to the northward, and put the helm down before the south end of the island off the port to the westward comes on with the High Square Rock at the north side of the entrance. If she comes up, steer for a high Castle Rock at the east end of the harbour, until a pointed rock on the sandy neck to the eastward of the south headland comes in one with a hiirh suoar- * Keep the top-gallant clew-lines in hand. 436 APPENDIX. loaf shaped grassy hill to the southward of it. After which you may bear away for the anchorage, taking care not to open the sugar-loaf again to the westward of the pointed rock f. The best anchorage, Ten-fathom Hole excepted, which it is necessary to warp into, is at the northern part of the harbour where the anchor is marked in the plan. In bringing up, take care of a spit ivhich extends off the south end of the small island near Ten-fathom Hole, and not to shoot so far over to the western reef as to bring a rock, at the outer foot of the south hlnff, in one with some black 7'ocks which will be seen near vou to the south-westward. The depth of water will be from eighteen or twenty fathoms, clay and sand. If the wind be from the northward, beat between the line of the afore-mentioned Stigar Loaf and Pointed Bock westward, and a north and south line from the Castle Rock to the east- ward. This rock on the western side, as well as the bluff to the northward of it, may be shaved if necessary. The hand- leads are of very little use in beating in here, as the general depth is twenty or twenty-four fathoms. The best watering-place is in Ten-fathom Hole. It is necessary to be cautious of the sharks, which are very nume- rous in this harbour. It is high water 6h. 8m., full and change. TRES MARIAS AND SAN BLAS. WEST COAST OF MEXICO. The Tres Marias, situated lo 15' west of San Bias, con- sist of three large islands, steep and rocky, to the westward, and sloping to the eastward with long sandy spits. Off the S. E. extremity of Prince George's Island (the centre of the group) we found that the soundings decreased rapidly from seventy-five fathoms to seventeen, and that after that depth they were more regular. Two miles from the shore we found ten and twelve fathoms, bad holding ground. There is no- thins^ to make it desirable for a vessel to anchor at these t This rock is white on the top with birds* dung, and looks hke an island. I NAUTICAL REMARKS. 437 islands. Upon Prince George's Island there is said to be water of a bad description ; but the landing is in general very hazardous. There are passages between each of these islands. The northern channel requires no particular directions : that to the southward of Prince George's Island is the widest and best ; but care must be taken of a reef lying one thii-d of a mile off its S.W. point, and of a shoal extending a mile and a half off its south-eastern extremity. I did not stand close to the south Maria, but could perceive that there were breakers extending full three quarters of a mile off its S.E. extremity; and I was informed at San Bias that some reefs also extended from two to four miles off its south-western point. There is an islet off the north-west part of this island, appai'ently bold on all sides ; but I cannot say how closely it may be ap- proached. From the south channel Piedro de Mer bearsN. 16^ E. true, about forty-five miles. It is advisable to steer to windward of this course, in order that, as the winds, during the period at which it is proper to frequent this coast, blow from the northward, the ship may be well to windward. The Piedro de Mer is a white rock, about a hundred and thirty feet high, and a hundred and forty yards in length, with twelve fathoms all round it, and bears from Mount St. Juan N. 770 W. thirty miles. Having made Piedro de Mer, pass close to the southward of it, and unless the weather is thick, you will see a similarly shaped rock, named Piedro de Tierra, for which you should steer, taking care not to go to the northward of a line of bear- \n ■W \]r j^ 442 APPEND IX. NAMES OF PLACES. Latitude. South. Longitude. Remarks. From Meridian Wf St from of Greenwich. Gamhier. O ■ / II ** / // C 3»27'23"w 138 22 44 Cocoa-nut trees, N.E. extreme. Carysfort Island, 20 44 53 (^ 3 24 07 138 19 28 East extreme. r 21 47 00 • . . . North extreme. OSNABURGH ISLAND,Or J 21 53 42 4 04 13 138 59 34 S. VV. extreme. Matilda Reef, ) 21 50 32 3 49 07 133 44 28 East extreme. I 21 50 00 3 58 33 138 53 54 Sanfly Island on the Bar. f 22 12 25 3 44 32 138 39 53 Hillock at N. E. extreme. CocKBURN Island, < 22 17 09 . • S. W. extreme. Bligh's Lagoon Island, 21 37 41 5 42 37 140 37 58 North extreme. Byam Martin Island, 19 40 22 5 27 07 140 22 28 N. VV. extreme. Gloucester Island, ( 19 07 38 5 42 28 140 37 49 N E. extreme. Tooe Tooe, . . . \ 19 08 44 5 45 30 140 40 51 S. VV. extreme. r 18 04 31 . • . . 140 56 58 Moral at entrance. V Bow Island. 140 51 35 Ol)servatory. North extreme. Bow Island, called j 18 04 00 • • • Heyou .... j 18 08 31 0 09 24W. 141 00 59 Cluster cocoa-nuts VV. extreme. f^ 18 26 06 0 13 09 E. 140 38 26 S. E. extreme. MoLLER Island, . f 17 44 18 0 16 21 140 35 14 N E. cocoa-nuts at extreme. Amannoo, . . . \ 17 52 51 0 03 09 140 48 26 S. VV. extreme. Resolution (TowereyJ, 17 22 20 0 32 15W. 141 23 50 Cocoa-uuts S. E. extreme. f 19 10 19 0 19 08 141 10 43 North Stony point. Cumberland Island, < 19 12 20 0 17 31 141 19 06 S. E. extreme. Prince William, C 18 49 02 • • • • . South extreme of reef. Henry Island, or <^ 18 45 53 0 51 03 141 42 38 S. W. extreme. Lostange, . . (^ 18 42 54 0 47 50 141 39 25 N. E. extreme. tc ( 18 18 10 1 15 08 142 06 43 South extreme. O- ft 1 § 1 Dawahaidvy . < 18 15 36 1 12 22 142 03 57 S. E. do. 18 10 08 1 15 08 142 06 43 Two cocoa-nuts nearN .extreme. o i .^ f 17 58 24 1 16 20 142 08 15 North extreme. ^ f Maracau, . , < 18 09 58 . South extreme. Doubtful Island, . 17 19 46 1 29 36 142 22 11 East extreme. n« I i 17 34 59 1 47 37 142 39 12 N.W. extreme. Melville Island, < 1 40 11 142 31 46 S. E. extreme. V Bird Island, . . . 17 48 00 2 13 17 143 04 52 North extreme. Croker Island, . . 17 26 30 2 32 07 143 23 42 Two cocoa-nut trees E. extreme. Maitea Island, . . 17 53 39 7 9 12 148 00 47 The Peak. ii CTiarraloo, . . , 17 54 12 .... . .South tangent. . 8 14 07 149 05 42 S. E. extreme. 5 1 Point Venus, , , 8 37 25 149 29 00 o ^ Toanoa. 149 30 42 Observatory. Eimeo Island, . . 17 29 51 0 16 22 w 149 47 04 Peak with hole through it. Tetheroa Island, 17 02 23 0 00 16 149 30 58 S. E. extreme. North. ffoahoo. 168 00 00 Oneehow Island, 21 52 15 2 23 20 160 23 20 Yam Bay S. VV. extreme. Petropaulski, . . . 53 00 58 Petropaulski. 201 16 30 Church. VlLLEUCHINSKY MoUNT, 52 40 43 0 22 61 w 201 39 21 Cape Gavaria, . . 52 21 43 0 4 22 201 20 52 High Northern Peak, 63 19 30 0 04 05 E. 201 12 25 Beering's Island, .| 55 22 14 7 16 21 w 191 00 09 North low points. 55 17 02 7 06 09 194 10 21 West point, or Point Ky troff. Beering's Seal Rock, 55 13 35 7 00 61 194 15 39 N.W. end. Clarke's Island, < [63 24 40 29 37 00 171 39 30 S. W. cape. '63 51 10 29 47 00 171 29 30 N. W. cape. Chamisso. 161 46 00 St. Paul's Island, 57 10 33 1 8 31 48 170 17 48 The Western peak. 1 1 GEOGRAPHICAL POSITIONS. 443 NAMES OF PLACES. Latitude. North. Longit ude. Remarks. From Meridiaa West from of Greenwich. 0 / /; Pelropaulski. 0 / ;/ St. George's Island, 56 37 30 70 46'49"w 169 32 49 The south peak. ;^-rN. W. orRATMaO ~ 1 NOFF Island, J 65 51 12 7 17 45 169 03 45 N. W. extremity. "Sn Krusenstern Isl. i i S. E. or Fairway ") 51, Rock, , , / 65 65 46 38 17 40 7 09 10 6 57 45 168 55 10 168 43 45 South extremity. Centre. East Cape, . . . G6 03 10 7 57 50 169 43 50 South-east extremity. Cape Prince of Wales, 65 33 30 6 13 10 167 59 10 Bluff under the peak. Cape Espenderg, 66 34 56 1 50 38 163 36 38 East extreme. Cape Krusenstern, i 67 67 08 11 00 05 2 00 00 1 50 45 163 46 00 163 36 45 Low cape not defined. Western bluff over Cape K. Cape Deceit, 66 06 20 0 54 32 162 40 32 At S. E. extreme of Kotzebue Point Rodney, . . 64 42 10 4 31 50 166 17 50 [Sound. King's Island, . . 64 68 49 6 11- 47 167 57 47 Northern peak. Cape York, . . . 65 24 10 5 33 40 167 19 40 Port Clarence, . . 65 16 40 5 01 50 166 47 50 Point Spencer. Chamisso Island, 66 13 11 . . . 161 46 00 The summit by obs. Cape Mulgbave, . , , 2 11 41 163 57 41 Badly defined. Cape Thomson, . . 68 07 39 4 06 26 165 52 26 Sharp Peak over ") Cape Seppings, J 67 57 20 2 55 21 164 41 21 Hope Point. . J 68 19 50 5 00 24 166 46 24 Sandy point. roiNT, . 1 68 19 15 • • • • . Lieutenant Belcher. Cape Dyer, , . . 68 37 52 4 22 19 166 08 19 Cape Lisburne, . J 68 6'i 52 52 09 03 4 19 39 166 05 39 Flint Station. Lieutenant B. Cape Sabine, . . . 68 56 40 2 49 08 164 35 08 Cape Beaufort, . , 69 06 47 1 52 28 163 38 28'CoaI Station. Lake Station, 69 34 23 1 20 40 163 06 40 Village. Icy Cape, . . . J 70 20 01 0 00 08 161 46 08 Village. 70 19 08 . . . . • > • Lieutenant Belcher. Cape Collie, . . . 70 37 24 1 50 36 e. 159 55 24 Point Barrow, . . 71 23 31 • • » . 156 21 30 Boat expedition. San Francisco, . . 37 47 50 San Francisco. 122 23 07 Observatory. PuNTA de los Reyes, 37 59 40 0 36 52 w 122 59 59 The extremity of the cliff. ■Great Farallon, 37 41 55 0 35 51 122 58 58 The Peak. Table Hill, . . 37 55 40 0 10 27 122 33 37i Bolbones Mountain , 37 52 55 0 29 26 e. 121 53 44 Height 3765 feet. San Francisco, 37 48 30 0 04 16 W 122 27 23 The fort. Notch Hill, . . . 37 30 58 0 00 00 122 23 07 A small peak on the coast. Monterey, .... 36 36 24 0 31 21 121 51 46 The fort. Point Pinas, . . . 36 37 15 .... . Honororu Fort, 1 [Ifoahoo.J . . J 21 18 12 ffoahoo. 158 00 25 Macao, 22 12 00 88 31 18 W Typa. 246 31 1 8 Saluting battery. 246 28 00 Assumption Island, 19 40 53 31 55 18 e. 214 32 42 VV. end Kaikong. rt , ^ The peak. lli m \a fPeak on Centre Island, 238 01 04 1 y,^g Mangs from east point Mangs, . . . • . North Bashee, . . 19 57 02 31 47 48 8 29 00 Vela Rete, . . . . . . 7 19 32 239 08 28 (^Assumption, true N. 27° Formosa, .... • , , 7 23 21 239 04 38 Highest rock. \01^ W. Pedra Branca, . . • • • 1 33 13 244 54 47S.E. tangent. 444 APPENDIX. Ldtilude. North. Longit ude. Rfimmks. NAMES OF PLACES. From Meridian of West from Greenwicli. Little Botel Tobago, 0 / „ 21 57 30 0 / // 8 08 30 E. o 23 8 / // 19 30 N. E. extreme. XlMA, .... 21 57 00 8 07 50 238 20 10 S. W. extreme. Great Tobago, . 1 22 01 40 8 07 45 238 20 15 S. W. extreme. XlMA, ... J 22 06 10 8 00 50 238 27 10 N. W. extreme. Samsanne Island, 22 41 15 8 00 30 23 8 27 30 The centre. Loo (hoo, .... 26 12 25 14 10 20 232 17 40 Abbey Point station. Ditto, .... 26 04 05 Alley Point. 232 17 40 South extreme. Sandy Island, . . 26 05 60 0 07 40 w 232 25 20 The centre. KiRRAMA Island, 26 09 00 0 25 30 232 43 10 The high weilge-shaped island ijf Port Lloyd, 27 05 35 14 29 30 e 217 48 29 No. 1 station, N. ex. harbour n From No. 1 sla- 217 48 30 ^< N.W.Island of 1 A 3 Pakry's Group/ 27 43 30 0 03 49 w 217 52 19 The N.W.' tangent. < V^Kater Island, 27 29 40 0 00 42 e. 217 47 4H The north extreme.' San Blas, .... . . . 17 08 35 105 15 30 At Arsenal. San Bias. 105 14 43 Town 47 ' east of Arsenal. San Juan Mount, 21 27 00 0 18 10 E. 104 56 33 Southern pap. ToNALisco Mount, . 21 46 48 0 29 48 104 44 55 Tepic 21 30 42 . . . Consulate. Piedra de ?iIer, . . 21 34 45 0 13 30 w 105 28 13 Isabella Island, 21 51 15 0 37 20 105 52 03 The peak. .: /"Northern Island, 21 32 53 1 13 20 106 28 03 The south iiluff. '1« T / ^ 7 San Juanito, < 21 45 00 21 44 05 1 23 50 1 24 37 106 106 38 35 39 20 Flat Island, N. W. part. High rock. t a Prince George, 21 23 12 1 09 58 106 24 41 Tlie northern peak. H v^Southern Island, 21 19 22 0 57 20 106 12 03 Tile eastern peak. Mazatlan, 23 11 40 1 07 41 106 22 24 High bluff at extreme. Corvetena, . . . • 0 33 06 105 47 49 Small rock off C. Corrientfes. Cape Corrientes, . . . 0 24 30 105 39 13 ( This cape, in one S.JuanMt I bears N. 32° 24' E., true. CoLiMA Mountain, . 19 24 42 1 41 42 E. 103 33 01 1 2,003 feet high. ACAPULCO, . . . 16 50 32 South. 5 23 59 . 99 50 44 Fort Sau Carlos. CooUIMliO, 29 56 57 . . . . 71 16 41 The co])per foundery. AURORA BOREALIS. We had frequent opportunities of observing the Aurora Borealis in the autumns of 1826 and of 1827. From the 25th of August until the 9th October, about the time of the departure of the Blossom from the northern regions in both years, this beautiful meteor was visible on every night that was clear, or when the clouds were thin and elevated.* It is remarkable that, in both years, its first appearance was on the 25tli August. The season of 1826 was distinguished by an almost uninterrupted succession of fine weather and easterly winds, and that of the following year by continued boisterous weather and winds from the westward. In the former year, the weather being fine, the Aurora was more frequently seen than in the latter; but in 1827 the displays were brighter, and the light more frequently passed to the southward of the zenith. It never appeared in wet weather. In 1826, when, as before mentioned, the weather was settled, the Aurora generally began in the W.N.W. and passed over to the N.E., until a certain period, after which it as regu- larly commenced in the N.E. and passed to the N.W. ; whilst in 1827 the appearance of the meteor was as uncertain as the season was boisterous and changeable. The period when this change in the course of the light took place coincided very nearly with that of the equinox ; and as the Aurora Borealis has been supposed to be affected by that occurrence, we ima- gined that tlie change might be in some way owing thereto, but the irregularity of the meteor in this respect in 1827 gave a contradiction to diis hypothesis. It was, however, uniform in making its appearance always in the northern hemisphere, and generally in the form of elliptical arches from 3o to 7" of altitude, nearly parallel with the magnetic equator. These * In 1826 it was visible on twenty-one nights; in 1827 only eleven. 440 APPENDIX. arches were formed by short perpendicular rays passing from one quarter to the other with a lateral motion, or by their being met by similar rays from the opposite direction. The arches, when formed, in general remained nearly stationary, and save out coruscations, which streamed toward the zenith. "When at rest the light was colourless, but when any move- ment took place it exhibited prismatic colours, which increased in strength as the motion became rapid. The coruscations seldom reached our zenith, and more rarely passed to the southward of it, but when that occurred the display was always brilliant : on one occasion only they extended to the southern horizon. We remarked, that when any material change was about to occur one extremity of the arch became illuminated, and that this light passed along the belt with a tremulous hesitating movement toward the opposite end, exhibiting the colours of the rainbow. An idea may be formed of this appearance from the examination of the rays of some moluscous animals in motion, such as the nereis, but more particularly the he- roes. Captain Parry has compared its motion to the waving of a ribbon. See Second Voyage, p. 144. As the light pro- ceeded along the arch, coruscations emanated from it ; and as the motion iDccame violent the curve was often deflected and sometimes broken into segments, which were brightest at their extremities, and in general highly coloured. When one ray of the Aurora ci'ossed another, the point of intersection was sometimes marked by a prismatic spot, very similar to that which occurs in the intersections of coronae about the moon, but far more brilliant ; and when the segments, which gene- rally crooked toward the zenith, were much curved, colours were perceptible in the bend. Generally speaking, after any brilliant display, the sky became overcast with a dense haze, or with light fleecy clouds. The Aurora has been frequently observed to rest upon a dark nebulous substance, which some persons have supposed to be merely an optical deception, occasioned by the lustre of the arch; but this appearance never occurs above the arch, which would be the case, I think, if these surmises were well AURORA BOREALIS. 447 founded. We sometimes saw this cloud before any light was visible, and observed it afterwards become illuminated at its upper surface, and exhibit all the appearances above men- tioned. It was the general opinion that the lustre of all the stars was diminished by the Aurora, but particularly by this part of it. Captain Parry, however, observes in his Journal, p. 142, that the stars in this dark cloud were unobscured, ex- cept by the light of the Aurora. He, however, agrees with us in the lower part of the arch being always well defined and in the upper being softened off, and gradually mingled with the azure of the sky. It is worthy of notice, that we never observed any rays shoot downwards from this arch, and I believe the remark will apply equally to the observations of Captains Parry and Franklin. We frequently observed the Aurora attended by a thin fleecy-cloud like substance, which, if not part of the meteor, furnishes a proof of the displays having taken place widiin the region of our atmosphere, as the light was decidedly seen between it and the earth. This was particularly noticed on the 28th of September, 1827. The Aurora on that night began by formino- two arches from W. by N. northward to E. by N., and about eleven o'clock threw out brilliant coruscations. Shortly after the zenith was obscured by a lucid haze, which soon condensed into a canopy of light clouds. We could detect the Aurora above this canopy by several bright arches being refracted, and by brilliant colours being apparent in the interstices. Shortly afterwards the meteor descended, and exhibited a splendid appearance, without any interruption from clouds, and then retired, leaving the fleecy stratum only visible as at first. This occurred several times, and left no doubt in my own mind of the Aurora being at one time above and at another below the canopy formed about our zenith. I must not omit to observe here that, on several occasions, when the light thus intervened between the earth and the cloud, bril- liant meteors were precipitated obliquely toward the south and south-west horizons. This supposition of the light being at no great elevation is strengthened by the different appearances exhibited by the 448 APPENDIX. Aurora at the same times to observers not more than from ten to thirty miles apart, and also by its being visible to persons on board the sliip at Chamisso Island, after it had vanished in Escholtz Bay, only ten miles distant, as well as by the Aurora being seen by the barge detached from the Blossom several days before it was visible to persons on board the ship, about two hundred miles to the southward of her. Captain Franklin has mentioned a similar circumstance in his notices on the Aurora Borealis in his first expedition, when Dr. Richardson and Mr. Kendall were watching for the appearance of the meteor by agreement, and when it was seen by the former actively sweeping across the heavens and exhibiting prismatic colours, without any appearance of the kind being witnessed by the latter, then only twenty miles distant from his companion. Captain Parry also, in his Third Voyage, describes the Aurora as being seen even be- tween the hills and the ship anchored at Port Bowen. Dr. Halley and other philosophers have supposed that the coruscations of the Aurora proceeded always in radii perpen- dicular to the surface of the earth, in the direction of the mag- netic meridian from the poles towards the equator, and the former has ingeniously accounted for the apparent deviations occasionally witnessed on the principles of perspective ; but this explanation is not quite satisfactory, as Captains Parry, Franklin, and ourselves, in Kotzebue Sound, have seen these rays emanate from almost all parts of the horizon, and ac- tually pass the zenith. At the same time I am disposed to be- lieve, from my own observation, that the radii in general take the perpendicular direction above alluded to, probably on ac- count of the less resistance they meet in the higher regions of the atmosphere than in such as near the surface of the earth ; and this will partly account for the appearance of the cone formed at the zenith of the ships at Melville Peninsula, des- cribed in Captain Parry's Second Voyage, page 146, and of another very similar, witnessed by ourselves in Kotzebue Sound on the 26th August, 1827, on which occasion the rays shot up from all directions, and formed over our zenith the perfect ap- pearance of a tent stretched upon a number of poles united at AURORA BOREALIS. 449 their ends ; but even here the rays could not have been quite parallel unless their extremities were infinitely high. In Kotzebue Sound the Aurora was seldom visible before ten o'clock at night, or after two o'clock in the morning. We never heard any noise, nor detected any disturbance of the magnetic needle : but here I mvist observe that Kater's com- pass was the only instrument employed for this purpose, and then on board the ship only, the exposed situation in which we were anchored not admitting of any establishment on shore, either for this purpose or for astronomical observations. Mr. Collie, the surgeon of the Blossom, whose attention to meteorological phenomena was unwearied, has given an in- genious hypothesis on the subject of the Aurora. After ex- pressing his opinion that this meteor occurs in the region of the thin and higher clouds of the earth's atmosphere, he ob- serves, that " it is highly probably that the two strata of at- mospheric fluid proceeding in opposite directions — the one from the equinoctial toward the polar regions, and the other in the reverse direction — are charged with opposite electri- cities, and that they are in different degrees of temperature and of humidity : the upper stratum, flowing from the equator toward the poles, being of a higher temperature and more charged with vapour than the lower, proceeding from the pole to the equator. They might thus be charged with opposite electricities, which would communicate and neutralize each other. " The opposite temperatures would be reduced to their mean, and under certain circumstances these changes might be attended with the evolution of electrical light, and with the condensation of transparent vapour into thin clouds (stratus- cirrus, or cirro-stratus). As the watery particles of these clouds form, a certain degree of electric conductibility would be established, by which this subtle fluid might be propagated to short distances ; but the greater dryness of the air, both above and below this region of thin mist, would oppose an un- conducting barrier to its escape. As soon as one thin cloud, a thin stripe of cirrus, or fleecy portion of cirro-stratus or cirro- cumulus, became charged with electricity, it would occasion,. 450 APPENDIX. by the laws of electric phenomena, an opposite electrical state in that portion nearest it ; and these opposite electricities would instantly attract each other, fly together, burst forth in fire, and become neutralized. If there should be a plane in which such thin clouds are formed, the subversion and re-establish- ment of the balance of electricity being thus begun would be rapidly propagated throughout the whole of this space, and produce that rapid, undulatory motion which we observe in the Aurora Borealis." In considering the subject of the Aurora Borealis, my at- tention was drawn to a fact which does not appear to me to have been hitherto noticed. I allude to the direction in which the Aurora generally makes its first appearance, or, which is the same thing, the quarter in which the arch formed by this meteor is usually seen. It is remarkable, that in this country the Aurora has always been seen to the northward ; by the ex- peditions which have wintered in the ice it was almost always seen to the southward; and by the Blossom, in Kotzebue Sound, 250 miles to the southward of the ice, it was, as in England, always observed in a northern direction. Coupling this with the relative positions of the margins of the packed ice, and with the fact of the Aurora appearing more brilliantly to vessels passing near the situation of that body, than by others entered far within it, as would seem to be the case from the reports of the Greenland ships, and from my observations at Melville Island and at Kotzebue Sound, it does appear, at first sight, that that region is most favourable to the production of the meteor. I do not, however, presume to offer any hypo- thesis on the subject ; but having witnessed the extraordinary change that takes place in the atmosphere, along the whole line of ice covering the Polar Sea, I should b^ remiss if 1 omitted to direct the attention of the natural philosopher to the circumstance. There is perhaps no part of the globe where the atmosphere vmdergoes a greater or more sudden chanse than over this line of the ice. A diminution of 10 or 15 degrees of temperature constantly occurs within the space of a few miles : the humid atmosphere over the ocean may sometimes be seen laden with heavy clouds, which disperse as AURORA BOREALIS. 451 ihey arrive at this line of reduced temperature, and leave the region over the ice exposed to a bright sunshine. Indeed the extraordinary effect of this large body of ice upon the atmos- phere, particularly when the sea is deep and the temperature of the ocean and its superstratum of air high, as between Spitz- bergen and Greenland, will scarcely be credited by persons who have not witnessed it. Mr. Scoresby has given some ex- traordinary instances of this in his Arctic Voyages ; and to these I will add one of many which fell under my own observation. The ships of the first polar expedition were beset in the ice about nine miles from the open sea. It was blowing a hard gale upon the ice, and we could perceive a ship carrying off under storm stay-sails only. There was nothing between us and the ship to intercept the gale, and yet we were becalmed during the whole of the day. The atmosphere over the open sea was loaded with clouds (nimbi), while that over the ice enjoyed a bright sunshine throughout. The limits of these opposite states of the atmosphere, by seamen called the ice- blink, were marked by a well-defined line, nearly perpendicular over the margin of the ice. As the heavy clouds reached this spot they were gradually condensed, the effect of which was precisely similar to that which sometimes occurs about the summits of high mountains, against which the clouds are suc- cessively driven, without any being seen to depart, and with- out any apparent increase. This remarkable disturbance of the equilibrium of the at- mosphere being admitted, I would here merely suggest whe- ther, under certain dispositions of the atmosphere, electricity might not be induced and communicated to the surrounding region, so as to occasion the Aurora Borealis, and to account for its appearance in the before-mentioned directions in pre- ference to others. I am not aware what would be the effect of the meeting of two atmospheres, one influenced by a large body of ice, the other by an extensive continent, such as that of America, and particularly when the circumstances might be modified by large frozen lakes. But it appears from Captain Franklin's obser- vations at Great Bear Lake, that the Aurora arose in almost 452- APPENDIX. all quarters of the horizon, and more frequently illuminated his zenith than the Auroras appear to have done either of those at the before-mentioned places. Our observations were too limited to justify any remark on the observation of Captain Franklin, that the appearance of the Aurora occurs more frequently in the last quarters of the moon than in others. THE END. vl J. B. NICHOLS AND SON, 25, PARLIAMENT STREET. #