2 1 2 e x p e d i t i o n t o j a p a n .
fragments of eoral, and anything else that may happen to come in, are
agglntinized hy carbonate of lime, (probably the washings of coral reefs,)
and are formed into a firm, compact rock. This rock is only about a foot
thick, and lies in table-like fragments upon the sands, where it was formed.
I saw a similar recently made rock, of fine sandstone, on the beach, just
west of Point de Gralle, in Ceylon.”
The Lew Chew Islands.
CHAPTER IX.
Efforts of Authorities o f Lew Chew to prevent a Visit to the Palace.—All Unsuccessfiol.—Landing for the
Visit.—Procession.—Appearance of the Country.—Reception at the Palace.—Embarrassment of the
Regent—Entertainment at the Regent’s House.—Saki.—New Dishes.—Commodore Invites Authorities
to a Dinner on board the Susquehanna.—General Impressions produced by tbe Visit.—Espionage
still kept up.—Daily exercise of Sailors and Marines.—Settlement of Accounts with Lew Chew Authorities.—
Mississippi and Supply remain at Lew Chew.—Susquehanna and Saratoga leave for the
Bonin Islands.—Death of an Opium Smoker on the passage.—Inhumanity of Chinese.—Sunday on
board.—Arrival at Port Lioyd.
HE determination of the Commodore
to return the visit of the
regent, at the palace, and nowhere
else, had been seemingly acquiesced
in by the Lew Chew dignitary;
but, in truth, he had but
yielded to a necessity. The
Commodore had power to carry
out his determination, and thè
regent deemed it most prudent to
concur, with the semblance of
politeness, in that which he could
not prevent.
This, however, did not induce that functionary and his subordinate
officers to spare their efforts in the attempt to escape the much dreaded
visit to the palace. Accordingly, they resorted to divers devices and
stratagems, too clumsy, however, to be deemed either ingenious or cunning.
In the first place they begged that the Commodore would return the visit
at Napha instead of Shui ; then the effort was made to entrap the commander
into a meeting with the regent, which would have been considered a
return of the latter’s visit. In pursuance of this scheme, the mayor of
Napha made a great feast, some days before that named by the Commodore
for his visit, and invited him to be present, with the intention of having the
regent attend and preside. The invitation was politely declined, on the
ground that the storeship, Caprice, was about to be dispatched on the
appointed day to Shanghai, and the Commodore would necessarily be