so completely covered with the floating leaves of a species of lily as to appear
like a patch of green sward. We passed around the base of the citadel to its
eastern side, and after some deliberation, took a paved road which led through
the suburbs of the oity in an E. S. E. direction. Wherever we turned we
could see scouts running in advance, and driving the inhabitants away from
our path, so that a silence and desertion, like that which follows pestilence,
took place wherever we moved. All with whom we accidentally came in contact
saluted us politely, but with a settled air of melancholy, which I ascribed
to the surveillance exercised over them by an unnatural government, rather
than any ill-will towards us.
The northern side of Sheudi is a wilderness of rich vegetation. The appearance
of a flourishing cocoa-palm, now and then, showed that the climate
is entirely tropical The eastern suburb of the capital is composed principally
of bamboo huts, thatched with rice straw. The inhabitants were all
hidden away out ef sight, and blinds of split bamboo let down before the
doors.. We took a road which led along the hills towards the southeast, and
after issuing from the capital, gained a ridge whence we could see a long
line of the western coast, with the squadron riding at anchor in the harbor of
Napha. From this point the interest of the journey properly commenced, as
we were entering upon ground which no one before us had ever explored.
The limit of the excursions made by others was Sheudi, and very few succeeded
in entering that capital. We were, therefore, greatly enlivened by
the prospect before us, and pursued our way with more alacrity than comported
with the comfort of our disheartened conductors.
About a mile from Sheudi, the road turned more to the east, and after
passing through a dense wood, came out upon a hill, whence we caught a
glimpse of the sea on the eastern side. A temple apparently erected during
the past year, (for it was destitute of either altar or god,) stood in the shade
of a clump of pines, and as it was now one o’clock we halted for refreshment.
Some of the natives brought water, while the men picked up sufficient dead
wood to boil our kettle, and in the course of time we were regaled with tea
and ship’s biscuit. We offered the former to the officers, but they did not appear
to relish it. The Lew Chew coolies, however, ate heartily of the biscuit,
which they had better earned than our vagabond Chinese. They gave
the name of the place as Pino. Mr. Heine took a sketch of it, and astonished
the natives, some forty or fifty of whom had collected to look at us, by firing
at a mark with his rifle. Immediately after leaving Pino, whence we started
at 3 p. m., the paved road ceased and the way became deep and miry. The
soil was a lead-colored, stiff clay, the disintegration of shale rock, which here
appeared for the first time. We had not proceeded more than half a mile
before we reached the dividing ridge or crest of the island, and a magnificent
panorama opened below us to the eastward. The sea-line of the Pacific
formed the horizon, and a spacious sheet of water between two headlands
which made out from the island led us to suppose that we were looking upon
Barrow’s Bay. Between us and the sea lay an amphitheatre of hills, cultivated
to their very tops and clothed with the greenest verdure. Their sides
were carefully terraced, and every advantage taken of the inclination of the
soil, so as to collect the rains for irrigation. The cultivation was quite as
patient and thorough as that of China. The picturesque formation of
the hills gave a great variety of outline to the landscape, which embraced
a compass of perhaps twenty miles. Towards the west we overlooked all
the country we had passed, as far as a headland in the northwest which I
took to be Cape Broughton. Mr. Heine took a sketch of the view, looking
eastward, while I attempted to take the western side.
Besuming our march, we descended the ridge, which was about 600 feet
above the sea-level. The clayey path leading down was very wet and slippery,
and the coolies fell and rolled over several times with the baggage.
Passing through gaps between the lower hills, we reached a Semi-circular
plain, nearly two miles in breadth, extending around the head of the bay.
On either side was a village of thatched huts, buried in trees. The scouts
had already been before us, and the natives lay concealed in their habitations
The former supposed that we would take a road leading to a large village at
the head of the bay, but as we turned abruptly to the northward, we soon
saw them running across the fields to regain the road ahead of us. There
were a number of villages at the base of the hills, on our left, but so thickly
studded with trees that they were almost concealed from view. I collected
a number of plants, one of them a species of althaea, with a splendid scarlet
blossom. The road which we took led through the rice fields and was very
deep and muddy. While stopping to rest on a bridge over one of the irrigating
streams, our old conductor came up with his two assistants, and intimated
to us by signs that it was time we should return to the ships. The sun
would soon set, they said, and we should have no place to sleep. We replied,
(also by signs,) that instead of returning we were going northward and would
not reach the ships again for five or six days. They appeared greatly surprised
at this and a little troubled, since it was part of their duty not to lose
sight of us. The old fellow, who, in his haste to keep up, had slipped down in
the muddy road and soiled the hinder part of his robe, laughed heartily at the
accident, and finally became resigned to the prospect of the long tramp before
him. They then pointed to the west, saying that there was a Cung-qu;i
in that direction, where we could spend the night. Our course, however,
was nearly northeast, and about half past five, having reached a hill overlooking
the bay, on the summit of which was an open space surrounded with
young pines, we determined to encamp there. The people objected to our
cutting down the trees, and we made tentpoles by fastening together the
bamboo staves used by the coolies. There was a village on the slope of the
hill below us, and after some delay, caused by the difficulty of interpreting our