Account of a Voyage of Discovery Part 9

The wind was south-east and quite light, from the 11th August to the 17th, when it shifted to north north-east till about eight P.M. when close in sh.o.r.e near the southern of the two islands; it then blew off, with all the appearance of a regular land breeze. On the 19th it blew a gale of wind from the north-east, with a short, high sea; during the gale we lay at anchor off a remarkable point, connected with the main land by a low sandy neck; the ground felt soft to the lead, but it was probably rocky under the mud, as both ships lost a bower anchor by the cables being cut. This point lies in 37 42' north, and 2 35' east of the Pei-ho. We found the city of Teu-choo-foo to lie in 3 4' east of the Pei-ho. The lat.i.tude observed in Teu-choo-foo roads was 37 53'

north, and the longitude 2 54' east of the Pei-ho. The western Meadow Island bearing north.

[Sidenote: Cheatow Bay.]

The lat.i.tude of a small island at the north-east corner of the Bay of Cheatow or Zee-a-tow, was determined by the sun's meridian alt.i.tude on sh.o.r.e, to be 37 35' 52" north, and longitude east of the Pei-ho 3 45', or in 121 34' east of Greenwich.

[Sidenote: Oei-hai-oei.]

The lat.i.tude of Oei-hai-oei was observed on sh.o.r.e to be 37 30' 40"

north, and lies 4 25' east of the Pei-ho.

[Sidenote: Variation of the compa.s.s.]

The variation of the compa.s.s in the Yellow Sea was found to be 2 16'

westerly.

The rise and fall of the tide at the anchorage of the squadron off the Pei-ho was twelve feet. It was high water at full, and change at III.

The flood tide runs to the west-south-west, and the ebb generally about east and east-south-east. Its strength and direction are a good deal influenced by the prevalent winds.

NOTICE TO ACCOMPANY THE CHART OF THE WEST COAST OF COREA.

[Sidenote: Inadequate time allowed for so extensive a survey.]

This chart extends from 34 to 38 north lat.i.tude, and from 124 to 127 east longitude. The time of our stay on the coast being only nine days, no great accuracy is to be expected, and this chart pretends to be little more than an eye-draught, checked by chronometers and meridian alt.i.tudes of the sun and stars. Under circ.u.mstances of such haste, much has unavoidably been left untouched, and what is now given is presented with no great confidence.

[Sidenote: General remarks on the methods followed in the survey.]

What follows is extracted from notes made at the time by Mr. Clifford and myself. The longitudes by chronometer have all been carefully recomputed, and the greatest care was taken in ascertaining the various lat.i.tudes. The true bearings are in every instance set down, the variation being allowed for at the moment. The variation of the compa.s.s recorded in this notice, was determined by two azimuth compa.s.ses, and the method recommended by Captain Flinders, of repeating the observations by turning the compa.s.s first one way and then the other, was invariably followed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Track _of His Majesty's Ship_ ALCESTE _and_ LYRA _Sloop along the Western Coast of the PENINSULA of_ COREA by _Captain Basil Hall R.N._]

[Sidenote: The ships leave China.]

[Sidenote: Make the coast of Corea.]

[Sidenote: Sir James Hall's group.]

[Sidenote: Anchorage on the south side of an island.]

His Majesty's ships Alceste and Lyra, after quitting the port of Oei-hai-oei, which is in lat.i.tude 37 30' 40" north, and longitude 122 16' east, on the north coast of Shantung Promontory, stood to the northward and eastward till in lat.i.tude 38 north, and then ran to the eastward. On the morning of the 1st of September, 1816, we saw the land, bearing about east. By sights with chronometer on the meridian of these islands, we ascertained that the west end of the northern one lies in 124 44-1/2' east. The lat.i.tude of the south end of the eastern island was ascertained by meridian alt.i.tude of the sun to be 37 44-1/2' north.

There is a rocky white islet off the west end of the middle island. We had from twenty to thirty fathoms on rounding the south-west end of the islands, but on the south side of the southern one there is a bight with seven fathoms, black sand in the centre: here we anch.o.r.ed. There is good anchorage all over the bay, which is sheltered from all winds except between west south-west and south-east, being open to the southward.

There are two villages here. From the top of the highest peak on this island, which is about seven or eight hundred feet high, we could discern the main land of Corea, high and rugged, stretching north north-west and south south-east, distant from eight to ten leagues.

Along the coast abreast of us there were seen many islands. The channel between the middle island of the group and the one we were upon appeared clear and broad; but the northern and middle islands seemed connected by a reef which shews above water at several places.

[Sidenote: Character of the inhabitants.]

The inhabitants were suspicious and unfriendly: we saw some cattle and many fowls, but neither money nor any thing else that we had could induce them to part with either.

[Sidenote: Lose sight of the coast.]

In the evening we weighed and stood to the southward; next morning there was no land in sight. At noon we were in longitude 124 47' 52" east, and lat.i.tude 36 44-1/2' north, no land in sight. We hauled in sh.o.r.e to the eastward, and anch.o.r.ed in the night in deep water.

[Sidenote: Group of five islands.]

[Sidenote: Bearings.]

3rd of September.--Weighed at 3.30 and stood in sh.o.r.e; at 7.45 A.M. we were due south of the western of a group of islands. Many sights were taken as we pa.s.sed to settle the place of this group: it lies between 125 42-1/2' east, and 125 57-1/2' east, and in lat.i.tude 36 44' north.

After pa.s.sing this group we stood to the south-east towards a vast cl.u.s.ter of islands: at noon, when we were just entering the cl.u.s.ter, the lat.i.tude was observed 36 18' 21" north, and longitude 126 10' east.

The south-west extreme of the islands bore south 40 west. There were eight islands near us between south-east and south-west, and a high bluff dark rock south one-quarter east, four miles: and on the main land a very high hill, east 19 north. When we had got well among the islands it fell calm, and we anch.o.r.ed in eight and a half fathoms. It remained calm during the night.

[Sidenote: Run among the islands.]

4th of September.--Weighed on a breeze springing up, and stood in sh.o.r.e.

Observed in 36 13' north, longitude 126 30' east; at this time the following bearings were taken.

[Sidenote: Bearings.]

A remarkable peak on the main land, east.

High mountain on the main land, east 38-1/2 north.

White cliff on the east end of the fourth island to the left of the wide entrance into the cl.u.s.ter, north.

Small round island, north 30 west.

Another, north 35 west.

Extremes of a large bluff island from north 38 west, to north 32-1/2 west.

Rock, north 72 west.

Outer island, north 75 west.

Extremes of the outer cl.u.s.ter, from north 77-1/2 west, to west 1 south.

Large island, from west 14 30' south, to west 18 south.

[Sidenote: Basil's Bay.]

[Sidenote: Unsocial disposition of the inhabitants.]

These islands being within from ten to fifteen miles, were laid down by estimated distances, but it was quite impossible to a.s.sign places to the immense number of others which stretched away to the south and south-east, as far as the eye could reach. We stood in sh.o.r.e for the purpose of discovering whether there was any place of shelter in the main land, but in general it proved shallow and unsafe. At length we discovered a bay which promised shelter, but on running into it, the depth was found not to exceed three or four fathoms. This bay is open towards the south, and is formed by a curved tongue of land on the north and west. The longitude of the south end of this point is 126 42' 22"

east, and lat.i.tude 36 7' 38" north. We remained here during the night, and the forenoon of the 5th. The natives came on board, but made great objections to our landing.

[Sidenote: Tides.]