ABSTRACT OF THE VOYAGES OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP LYRA, IN 1816 AND 1817. THE Lyra, in the short space of twenty months, viz. from the 9th of February 1816, to the 14th of October 1817, visited Madeira, the Cape, Java, Macao, the Yellow Sea, the West Coast of Corea, the Great Loo-choo Island, Canton, Manilla, Prince of Wales's Island, Calcutta, Madras, the Mauritius, and St. Helena; having run, in direct courses, a distance of 11,940 nautic leagues, or 41,490 statute miles. An abstract of the various passages, from place to place, during this voyage, illustrated by brief remarks on the particular circumstances of each, will probably be considered interesting. 1. Sailed through the Needles passage on the 9th of February, 1816. Arrived at Madeira, 18th of February Crossed the equator in longitude 25° 20′ west, 4th March 9 days. England to Ma deira and Cape, 2520 leagues. 15 Reached the Cape of Good Hope, 14th April 41 From England to the Cape, in 9 weeks, 2 days, or 65 days. 1 This is not a very good passage, considering that we carried the north-east trade wind to the latitude of 4° north, and longitude 23° west, where we got the south-east trade, without any interval of calms. Cape to Java, 1800 leagues. 2. Sailed from the Cape on the 26th April 1816. 42 days. Six weeks. After leaving the Cape we had strong westerly winds, with which we ran the longitude down, in the parallel of 38° and 39° south, till in longitude 57° east, where the weather being very stormy, we hauled to the north-east till in 35° south latitude, and then ran east till in 90° east, when we steered to the east-north-east, and crossed the tropic in 102° east, which was probably too far west. The south-east trade hung far to the eastward, and made it difficult to fetch Java Head, which had we not succeeded in doing at first, might have caused considerable delay, as the wind still blew out of the Straits of Sunda. Java to China, 600 leagues. 3. Sailed from Anjier Point, Java, on the 12th June, 1816. 21 From Java to Macao in 3 weeks 5 days, or 26 days. This passage was unusually bad, it being nearly a week before we reached Gaspar Straits, an ordinary run of one day in the south part of the China sea the southwest monsoon was very light. An American brig, which sailed only one day before us from Anjier Point, carried the breeze along with her, and reached Macao twelve days before us. 4. Sailed from the Ladrone Islands off Macao, on the 13th Ladrone Islands From thence to the anchorage off the Pei-ho or Pekin River, 27th July 12 days. 2 Macao to Pekin River, in 2 weeks, or 14 days. to the Yellow Sea, 520 leagues. This voyage can be compared only with that of the Lion on the occasion of the former embassy. The Lion was nearly three weeks, exclusive of the time at anchor at Chusan. We had fine weather and steady south-west winds, with very heavy dews at night. When nearly abreast of the south point of Corea, the wind became variable from the south-east and southward. In the Yellow Sea we had easterly winds and no fogs. Р |