matter. Again, the importance of an abundant supply of coal for the use of
steamers, not only of our own, hut of other nations that may reasonably he
expected ere long to throng these seas, furnished another motive for the visit
to Formosa, as there was reason to think the mineral existed in abundance on
that island. There was also a particular reason for touching at the Philippines,
which we will detail presently.
On the 29th of June, the Macedonian and Supply left Simoda. On the
second day out the Supply disappeared, and was not seen again until she entered
the harbor of Kelung in Formosa, on the 21st of July, ten days after
the arrival at that place of the Macedonian, which had made the run from
Simoda in about twelve days, encountering an opposing current, head winds,
and tempestuous weather through nearly the entire voyage. The island was
made at its northern end, and the entrance to Kelung was not very plain.
Certain landmarks, however, were noted by the officers, upon further acquaintance
with the locality, and by these and the charts made by the surveying
party during the stay of the ship, information' was obtained which
may be relied on. Very violent currents were found at the north end of the
island, though these may have been stronger than usual at the arrival of the
Macedonian, as there had then been a tempest of some days1 continuance.
A pilot came off and took the ship safely into the harbor.
As to our supposed shipwrecked and captive countrymen, Captain Abbot
made the most diligent investigation, through the medium of his Chinese
steward, but could gain no intelligence, although his inquiries were made,
not only of the mandarins or officials in and about Kelung, but also of all
classes of the people. The report from all was uniform; they declared that
they neither knew nor had heard of any shipwreck of any American or
European vessel on any part of the island; nor had they ever known or heard
of the existence of the crew, or any part thereof, of any such vessel anywhere
in Formosa, and Captain Abbot became quite convinced that, in this particular,
they told the truth, and reported to the Commodore accordingly, that
he had “ no belief that any of our missing countrymen are alive on the island
of Formosa.”
But after this conclusion had been reached, and no doubt correctly, a
specimen of cunning was exhibited, on the part of the island authorities,
such as meets us at every turn in the story of our intercourse with all the
eastern people, and indeed seems characteristic of oriental negotiation. The
chief mandarin of Kelung came to Captain Abbot, just as he was about sailing
(he had doubtless purposely deferred his visit until that moment, to
forestall the possibility of strict inquiry), and informed him that he had been
making more particular investigations concerning shipwrecks, and had
learned that some six or seven years before a ship had been wrecked, forty
or fifty miles from Kelung, on the western side of the island, having a number
of black men on board as well as white; that the white men took the
boat and went off to an .adjacent island, while the black men were left, and
all died pn board the ship; and that he would send some of his war-junks
with the Macedonian to show Captain Abbot the place. This story was a
lie too transparent .to deceive Captain Abbot for a moment, and was evidently
a ruse by which the Formosan hoped to induce the commander of the Macedonian
to do what, for several days, he had been unavailingly persuading him to
perform. He had been endeavoring to prevail on him to take the ship, in
company with some of his war-junks, to the western side of the island, a run
that, in going and returning, would occupy, he said, four or five days only,
and there assist him in driving off the rebels who were there collected, with
whom his troops had lately had a fight and been beaten, with a loss of thirty
men killed and wounded. The fact was that he lived in constant fear of an
invasion from Amoy. He told Captain Abbot that if he would render him
this assistance, -he would, immediately on his return, make him a present of
a large ship-load of coal. I t is needless to say that Captain Abbot paid no
attention to his proposals for a moment; he then seemed very anxious that
the ship should prolong her stay at Kelung, as he supposed her presence
there would insure the place from any attack by the rebels during her stay.
As to another object of the mission to Formosa, the search for coal, this
was confided to the chaplain, Mr. J ones, of the Mississippi; and Midshipmen
Breese and Jones, with Mr. Williams, master’s mate, all of the same ship,
were detailed for special duty as-assistants. Suffice it here to say, that he
found an abundance of coal, of excellent quality, admirably situated for
transportation from the mines to the water at very little expense; and that
he had reason to believe that a considerable part of the island, around
Kelung, at least, was underlaid with coal. Several tons were purchased and
brought away, though in the negotiation, the Formosans, high and low,
showed themselves to be such adepts in falsehood and cunning, that even the
equanimity of the good chaplain was disturbed, and his really mild and
amiable spirit was roused to meet the prevarications of the chief mandarin,
by bidding the interpreter say to him, “ that he had trifled with us, had lied,
and tried to deceive us from the beginning, and that he would be trifled with
no longer; and this, from the lips of Mr. J ones, will appear to those who
know his eminently peaceful temper, to be terribly energetic language. I t
may well be doubted whether he ever before told any body, in good wholesome
English, that “ he lied;” and yet the squadron, probably, did not contain
a more resolute and fearless man.
On the 23d of July, the Macedonian left Kelung, for Manilla, in the
island of Luconia. The Supply was ordered to remain, to take in the coal
and sail, as soon as she could, for Hong Kong. On this part of her voyage,
the Macedonian encountered terrible weather, having met with the border
of a typhoon soon after getting clear of the northern shores of Formosa.
This providentially carried the ship very rapidly on her course to the south