Journal of a Voyage to Australia and Round the World, for Lighthouse Illumination, being a Description of the Holophotal System and of Azimuth Condensing and Apparent Lights, &c. By T. Stevenson, F.R.S., C.E., 223 Lights in Lyrics, or a Glance at the Channel Lights on a Run Medelingen uit het Oost-Indish-Archief, door Mr. L. C. D. Van Meteorological Reports of the Board of Trade, Nos. 1 to 3, 224 The Law of Contraband of War, with a Selection of Cases, &c. By F. T. Pratt, D.C.L., Advocate of Doctor's Commons, 336 The Variation and Deviation of the Compass, Rectified by Azi- Notes on the Routes from Singapore to New Caledonia and the North- East Coast of Australia, 113, 177 Occasional Papers of the Nautical Club, 673 On Coiling Submarine Cables, 531 On the Gulf Stream and Currents of the Sea, 514 Pacific Ocean,-Sailing Directions from Honolulu for Jarvis Island, 607 Proceedings in China,-Official Despatch, 536 Purification of the River Thames, 575 Remarks on the Winds of the West Pacific Ocean, 250 Reminiscences of St. Domingo in 1849, 293 Report of the Royal Commission for Manning the Navy, 277 Sayings and Doings, 55, 112 Second Cruize of the "Morning Star," among the Mulgrave Islands, Temperature of the Sea around the Coasts of Scotland in 1857 and The Climate of Ponape or Ascension Island of the Pacific Ocean, 76 The Convent of La Rabida, an Historical Picture, 57, 146, 229 The Conveyance of Troops to India, 29 The French in Madagascar, 1642 to 1672, 400, 468, 525, 578 The Navigation of the Frazer River and its Approaches, 324 The New Hydraulic Lift at the Victoria Docks, 96 The Panama Route and the Australian Line, 432 The P. and O. Steamer "Malta," 162 The Port of Camaret, near Brest, 159 The Proposed Suez Canal considered in Reference to the Influence of The Strait of Gibraltar,-Winds and Weather, 337; Tides and Cur- THE NAUTICAL MAGAZINE AND Naval Chronicle. JANUARY, 1859. JOURNAL OF H.M.S. "INFLEXIBLE ON A VISIT TO FORMOSA, in Search of Shipwrecked Seamen.-By Commander G. A. C. Brooker, R.N. We left Hong Kong on the 3rd of June, and arrived at Amoy on the 5th. On the 6th, in company with Mr. Morrison, the Consul, had an interview with the Toutai and Admiral, explaining to them the object of our visit to Formosa, and requesting their assistance in our humane expedition. They said they could do nothing in the matter, as Formosa was quite independent of their authority: all they could do would be to forward my letter to the Toutai of Taiwan, Even this much would be an assistance, as it would show that official that our proceedings were known and were of a peaceful nature. However, next morning they sent Mr. Morrison word that they could not forward my letter without first applying to the authorities at Foo-chow, under whose jurisdiction Formosa lies. From this I can see that my mode of proceedings must be quite independent of the Mandarins, who will evidently not assist, probably from political purposes. I ordered some three or four hundred proclamations to be printed, offering rewards for any Europeans who may be found, or any clue which would lead to their recovery. These proclamations I intend distributing as we coast along. I was in hopes of gaining more information at Amoy than that which is contained in the enclosures for my guidance, which is of a vague and indefinite nature. NO. 1.-VOL. XXVIII. B At Amoy I found that the excitement which had been caused by some faint rumours having arisen about foreigners being still in Formosa, had quite subsided, and no one seemed to take any interest in the matter. The only man who had shown such a lively interest was Mr. Tait, but he had gone to England, and no one in his office could give us any further information than what is contained in Mr. Tait's despatches on the subject. With respect to the ring which is mentioned in Sir J. A. Douglas's letter to Viscount Palmerston, I heard it has turned out quite a mistake: a ring was seen or was sold which had a crest on it very similar to that of Mr. Smith; a dagger or naked sword was wanting on the ring spoken of to make it agree with that of Mr. Smith. I examined Wee-ke-sin, one of the people sent over to Formosa by Mr. Tait; but whether from smoking opium or from old age, he had very little recollection of what he saw and heard when he was sent over to make inquiries about missing foreigners. His statements to me partly corroborated his former one. His memory seemed now so impaired, that I did not put much reliance on his vacillating account. Monday 7th.-Having received an interpreter and a messenger, the latter being one who had been sent to the northern part of Formosa in 1857 in search of Europeans by Mr. Tait, but without success, we left Amoy, steaming for the Pescadores Islands, through which we passed the next day forenoon, and after passing East Island, steered for Kok-si-kon, off which we anchored at 4h. p.m., a mile and a half. This place is very difficult to make unless the weather is particularly fine, as there is no guide or mark except a few detached huts, which appear to be in the water from the very low beach on which they are constructed. The soundings are the best guide, and Ape Hill when it can be seen. Seeing a fisherman, I got him on board, who pointed out Kok-si-kon. I heard at Amoy that the entrance to the port had become blocked up, which I found confirmed, for on sending a boat the next day to gain intelligence, a landing could not be effected; a heavy surf was breaking right across the entrance. I could not proceed any further owing to constant rain and thick mist, and as the wind was North-easterly, we lay compaparatively safe. 10th. The wind being direct off shore and not very strong, I pulled in in the gig, and landed on the low sandy beach near a few miserable huts, which constitute Kok-si-kon. I should think there were not more than forty men who inhabit these hovels, wretchedly clad and seemingly half starved. These fishermen do not permanently live in these huts, but remain during the fishing season, and then return to their villages inland, some fifteen miles, with which they keep up a daily communication. I gave them some proclamations of rewards relative to missing Europeans, and they said they would distribute them to the different towns and villages they were in the habit of trading with. These fishermen had never heard of any shipwrecks on the coast. Since Mr. Richards, Master of H.M.S. Saracen, surveyed this place it has become blocked up from the inner basin, which, forming a bank outside the entrance, causes a heavy surf to pass. I found a passage in with only five feet where was formerly two and a half to three fathoms. The trading junks now use another passage, about four and a half miles further South. We continued South, and anchored off the land near Fort Zelandia. 11th. As the weather seemed settled, and the ship could be left with safety, the wind still remaining Northerly, I took the gig and cutter, armed, under charge of Acting Lieut. Stokes, and pulled in towards the shore, along which a surf was breaking. I obtained the assistance of a fisherman from one of the many catamarans that were near us fishing. He very willingly offered to show us the way for a small present. We pulled in under his direction, and got safely inside by going through a narrow passage formed by two distinct lines of breakers. This passage is only used by small fishing boats in fine weather. We continued on, passing the old Dutch fort of Zelandia, now a heap of ruins, and got into a narrow canal which leads to the city of Tai-wan, the chief city of the island. The channel was very intricate and tedious, being in some places nearly blocked up by rafts, which were coming down laden with the produce of the interior. This mode of conveying merchandise seems the only one in use. At length we arrived at the suburban village of the city, from which I despatched the messenger with a letter to the Toutai, stating that I would call on him at noon (it was then 10.50). Accordingly at that time I went to the Yamun, with a small guard, accompanied by a few. officers. We were received by the Toutai Prefect and Commodore with every outward feeling of goodwill. He quite understood the object of our visit, and promised to do all in his power in recovering any shipwrecked foreigners that may be still on the island. His opinion was that if Europeans were in any part of the island under Chinese authority, he must have heard of it, as strict injunctions had always been issued respecting shipwrecked foreigners being sent to Amoy or Foo-chow. He considered that if foreigners have fallen into the hands of the aborigines, or, as he styles them, "raw savages," of the island, it was next to an impossibility that any escaped with their lives. From what he had heard of these wild people, he believed them capable of cannibalism. I do not put much faith in this part of the Toutai's statement, having heard a different version of these "raw savages," of whom I hope to give a short account before we have finished our search. I left about one hundred proclamations with the Toutai, who said they should instantly be forwarded to all the magistrates of the different districts of the island which were in the possession of Chinese, with instructions to those officers to have them distributed to the small towns and villages under their respective orders. These proclamations are more intended for any future wreck that may occur although they refer to missing Europeans for years past; and I espe cially pointed out to the Toutai a handsome reward would be give |