C H A P T E R II.
Enter the Japan Sea—Sulphur Island—Volcano—See the'Great Loo-Choo
Island—Lyra nearly wrecked-*—First Interview with the Natives—Anchor at
Napakiang—Natives crowd on Board-—Their interesting Appearance and
Manners—Several Chiefs visit the 'Alcesté—Land to make Observations—•
; Astonishment of the Natives—Six Chiefs visit the Ships—Alceste and Lyra
proceed farther in Shore—A Chief of high Rank waits upon Captain
Maxwell—Return his Visit—Feast—Projected Survey of the Anchorage—
Visit Reef Island—The Lyra sent to look for another Harbour—Arrangements
for landing the Alceste’s Stores—Description of the Temple and
Garden—First Acquaintance with Madera—Study of the Language;
A fter leaving Corea, we stood to the southward and eastward,
with a strong breeze from the north, and a mountainous
swell from the north-east. Shortly after daybreak on the
13th of September, we saw Sulphur Island, in the southwest
quarter, and by eleven in the forenoon were close up
to it. We intended to land, but were prevented by the
high wind, which caused so great a surf all round the
island, as to render this impracticable. The sulphuric
volcano from which the island takes its name is on the
north-west side; it emits white smoke, and the smell of
sulphur is very strong on the lee side of the crater. The cliffs
near the volcano are of a pale yellow 'colour, interspèrsed with
brown streaks : the ground at this place' is very rugged, as
the strata lie in all directions, and are much broken ; on thè
top is a thin coat of brown grass. The south end of the
island is of considerable height, ofia deep blood red colour,
with here and there a spot of bright green : the strata,
which are here nearly horizontal, are cut by ,a whin dyke
running from the top to the bottom of the cliff, projecting
from its face like a wall. As the weather still looked
threatening, we gave up the intention of examining this
spot, and proceeded to the southward till four o’clock, at
which time land was seen in the south-west quarter ; but as
there was. not sufficient daylight to close with it, we hauled
off to the westward for the night. Shortly after sunset the
sky became overcast, the wind veered about from one
point to another, the air became suddenly quite chill, the
sea rose high, and every thing, in short, seemed to indicate
an approaching tyfoong or hurricane-1 All our preparations
were made to encounter a violent tempest; but we were
much pleased a t finding it turn out nothing more than an
ordinary gale of wind.
14th of September.—The weather was still stormy, but
being anxious to close with the land, we bore up, and
steered in the supposed direction o f the Great Lieou Kieou,