NOTICE TO ACCOMPANY THE CHART
Inadequate time
allowed for so
extensive a survey.
General remarks
on the methods
followed in the
survey.
THE WEST COAST OF COREA.
T h is chart extends from 34° to 38° north latitude, 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 altitudes
of the sun and stars. Under circumstances of such haste,
much has unavoidably been left untouched, and what is
now given is presented with no great confidence. ■
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 latitudes. The
true bearings are in every instance set down, the variation
being allowed for at the moment. The variation of the
compass recorded in this notice, was determined by two
azimuth compasses, and the method recommended by
Captain Flinders, of repeating the observations by turning
the compass first one way and then the other, was invariably
followed.
His Majesty's ships Alceste and Lyra, after quitting the £ g * r u.ve
port of Oei-hai-oei, which is in latitude 37° 30' 40' north,
and longitude 122° 16' east, on the north coast of Shantung
Promontory, ‘stood to the northward and eastward till in
latitude 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° 44i’ east. The latitude of grtrap.
the south end of the eastern island was ascertained by
meridian altitude of the sub to be 37° 441' north. There is
a rocky white islot 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 anchored. There is good anchorage fh^ T K ”c„f
all over the bay, which is sheltered from all winds except » m»«•
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 .qr 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.
The inhabitants were suspicious and unfriendly : we
saw some cattle and many fowls, but neither money nor any