purposely sent their women out of the way; but the ladies managed (as usual) to outwit them, and to gratify curiosity in defiance of every precaution to the contrary. A number of them had either been placed intentionally on the other side of the river, or left there in consequence of all the men having come over to the show; but our boats, in going out, had to pass within a few yards of their pier-head; when finding themselves in almost exclusive possession of that bank, they left their station on a hill, ran down to the point, and had their peep, whilst their friends on the opposite shore were unable (had it been their intention) to keep them in the back ground.

About this period a mutual friendship began to exist between us; confidence took place of timidity; and now, instead of permitting only a few to visit the shore at a time, they fitted up the garden of a temple as a sort of general arsenal for us: the habitations of the priests were alloted as an hospital for the sick, whilst other temporary buildings of bamboo were erected for the reception of our powder, which re

quired airing, and for various stores wanting inspection and repair. The rope

makers, smiths, and other artificers, were established at a convenient spot, about a mile farther along the beach. They continued their usual supplies, bringing us even fresh water on board in their boats; and, understanding we required some wood for spars, they felled fir-trees, floated them down the river, and towed them alongside, singing their usual boat-song, which had a very plaintive and pleasing effect.

The island of Lewchew* is about fiftyeight miles long and from twelve to fifteen broad; Napa-kiang, our position, (and

*It is called by an infinity of names in books and charts, such as Lekeyo, Lieoo-Kieoo, Lequeyo, Lieu-Kieu, Likeo, Lieuchieux, Liquieux, and Loochoo ; none of which have the most distant resemblance to the real sound, except the latter; but as the first syllable is according to the pronunciation of the superior order of the natives, liquid, as in Llewelyn, or the terminating syllables of Curlew and Pelew, for which loo would be unsuitable, so Lewchew is here adopted as the only mode of spelling, which conveys the true tone or accent of the word. It is often by the lower classes corrupted into Doo-Choo.

G

within five miles of Kint-ching, the capital,) lying in lat. 26° 14′ N., long. 127° 52′ 1′′ E. This is its south-west point, the main body of the island extending from hence north a little eastwardly. It is washed on the one side by the Northern Pacific Ocean, and on the other by the Tung Hai, or Eastern Sea.

The rocks about it are all of the coral kind, and immense masses, some assuming very odd shapes, were seen every where along the sea-shore; and many of the same formation were found on the higher land, at some distance from the beach, whose situation is not easily to be accounted for, unless we suppose them to have been elevated by the force of volcanic fire.

It is the principal island of a group of thirty-six, subject to the same monarch, and the seat of the government. The natives trace their history back to a period long anterior to the Christian era; but their first communication with the rest of the world, when their accounts became fully corroborated and undisputed, was about the year 605, when they were in