to the top of a tree and fired signals. I took a bath in the sea, with the
men, while onr kettle was boiling. The water was excessively saline, and
the fine white particles of salt covered my fece like dust as it became dry.
At this point Mr. Jones found a stratum of gneiss, for the first time, at the
water’s edge. Our native friends drank three cups of our tea and asked for
some biscuits, which they seemed to relish. Before starting again we had a
talk with them about the route. We wished to reach a point on the coast
north of Barrow’s Bay, marked as “ Kaneja ” on our copy of the Japanese
chart of Lew Chew. The officers did not seem to recognize any such place,
though they spoke of “ Kannah,” where there was a Cung-qua, 30 li, or ten
miles distant, and we decided to reach it, if possible.
We left at half-past one, taking one of the natives as a guide. The path
followed the line of the bay, and we walked, for two hours, in deep sand and
crushed shells, around curve and headland. I t was very toilsome work,
especially as the glare of the sand struck directly in our faces. The beach
was narrow and bordered with thick hedges of the pandanus, the fruit of
whieh resembles that of the pine apple. The mountains on our left were
wild and uncultivated. There were occasional paths striking up their sides;
but, although the compass told us that the shore-path led us out of our true
course, the guide refused to take any of them. At the end of two hours we
reached a large village, where the guide, who had followed us from “ Isitza,”
levied a substitute and turned back. A two-masted junk,'of thirty or forty
tons’ burden, lay at anchor in a cove near this place. We were now approaching
the northern extremity of Barrow’s Bay, and had a full view of
the long headland south of it, and the four islands which lie, like a breakwater,
across its mouth. The bay appeared to be extremely shallow, except
near the entrance; and I doubt whether it would be of much value, as a
harbor, for shipping of large size.
The path, finally, turned off to the north up a steep hill, which brought
us upon a rolling upland, covered with abundance of wood. The mountains
we had passed exhibited an outline similar to the Catskills, and there was
nothing in the scenery to remind us of the vicinity of the tropics. We
presently entered a fine, broad avenue of pines, at the extremity of
whieh appeared a handsome house with a tiled roof. Our native conductors
passed on into some bamboo arches, which denoted a village beyond; but I
slipped suddenly into the open entrance and found a spacious house in the
midst of a garden, with a small Buddhist temple beside it. Quick as my
motions had been, the mats were already let down before all the doors, and
nobody was to be seen. Before the house was a plant ahout ten feet high,
with large scarlet panicles of flowers. I had barely time to break off a
cluster when one of our officers came hurrying up and urged me, by signs
and words, to leave, saying that the Bunyo, or Governor, as he designated
Mr. Jones, had gone on. I, therefore, followed him through the village to
a Cung-qui, which was larger and finer than any we had yet seen. I t was
like an elegant private residence; having a garden, enclosed by a square,
clipped hedge of jessamine, and a separate establishment for servants and
attendants. There were rows of chrysanthemums (a flower much esteemed
by the Japanese) and two peach trees in the garden, besides a stout camellia,
clipped into a fanciful shape, i We installed ourselves in the chief apartment,
on the soft matting, while the Pe-ching and his train took the other building.
The only supplies we could procure were raw salt fish and sweet potatoes,
with some roots of a native onion, pickled in salt. Neither fowls nor eggs
could be found. The natives gave the name of the village as “ Ching,”
which, being a Chinese word, is evidently incorrect; but we could get no
other. The paper screens between the rooms were removed on our arrival,
tea was brought in, and the natives busied themselves to make us comfortable
; but the same unrelaxing espionage, as at “ Missikya,” was kept up
through the whole night. Again camp-fires were kindled and guards posted
around us, while crowds of curious natives peeped from behind the bushes
and walls to gratify their desire of seeing us. Mr. Heine, who had the first
watch, went out to the camp fire, showed the people his watch, and other
curiosities, and soon had a large crowd of villagers gathered about him;
but one of the officers making his appearance, a single word of command
scattered them in all directions, and they did not return again. In the
evening I offered a handful of cash to one of the boys who had accompanied
us from Napha. He refused it very earnestly, as there were two other boys
standing near ; but, watching an opportunity, when he was alone, I offered it
again, when he immediately accepted it, with gestures expressive of his
thanks.
The Pe-ching, who had fallen in the rear, came up after dark, and
immediately Bought us, to make his salutations. We found that he and his
associates had been keeping a journal of our proceedings, and had already
filled a roll of paper several yards in length with their remarks. We had
but few mosquitoes, and slept so well that I had some difficulty in rising for
the mid-watch. After much search, two tough old hens.were found for our
breakfast, which we ate under the scrutiny of an hundred eyes, continually
peering at us over walls, or popping out from behind bushes. Whenever
we noticed any of them the heads disappeared, but they returned again as
soon as our gaze was removed.
We were now commencing our fourth day, and it was time to think of
turning back shortly. After some consultation, it was determined to follow
the coast for a short, distance further, then strike across the island in the
direction of Port Melville, and reach in the evening a point on the western
shore corresponding to the latitude of our present camp. On starting, the
native officers were very urgent in requesting us to take a road leading westward.
We kept, however, a course nearly due north, and soon reached a