ABSTRACT OF THE LYRA'S VOYAGE, FROM LEAVING ENGLAND TILL HER RETURN;
SHEWING
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT PLACES AT WHICH SHE TOUCHED, AND THE TIME TAKEN IN PERFORMING EACH PASSAGE.
ABSTRACT
OF THE
VOYAGES OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP LYRA,
In 1816 and 1817.
The Lyra, in the short space of twenty months, viz. from the 9th of
February 1816, to the 14th of October 1817, visited Madeira, the Cape,
Java, Macao, the Yellow Sea, the West Coast of Corea, the Great Loo-choo
Island, Canton, Manilla, Prince of Wales's Island, Calcutta, Madras, the
Mauritius, and St. Helena; having run, in direct courses, a distance of
11,940 nautic leagues, or 41,490 statute miles.
An abstract of the various passages, from place to place, during this voyage, illustrated by brief remarks on the particular circumstances of each, will probably be considered interesting.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: England to Madeira and Cape, 2520 leagues.]
1.
Sailed through the Needles passage on the 9th of February, 1816.
Arrived at Madeira, 18th of February 9 days
Crossed the equator in longitude 25º 20' west, 4th March 15
Reached the Cape of Good Hope, 14th April 41
—-
From England to the Cape, in 9 weeks, 2 days, or 65 days.
This is not a very good passage, considering that we carried the north-east trade wind to the latitude of 4º north, and longitude 23º west, where we got the south-east trade, without any interval of calms.
* * * * *
2.
[Sidenote: Cape to Java, 1800 leagues.]
Sailed from the Cape on the 26th April 1816.
Arrived at Anjier Point, Java, 7th June. 42 days. —- Six weeks.
After leaving the Cape we had strong westerly winds, with which we ran the longitude down, in the parallel of 38º and 39º south, till in longitude 57º east, where the weather being very stormy, we hauled to the north-east till in 35º south latitude, and then ran east till in 90º east, when we steered to the east-north-east, and crossed the tropic in 102º east, which was probably too far west. The south-east trade hung far to the eastward, and made it difficult to fetch Java Head, which had we not succeeded in doing at first, might have caused considerable delay, as the wind still blew out of the Straits of Sunda.
* * * * *
3.
[Sidenote: Java to China, 600 leagues.]
Sailed from Anjier Point, Java, on the 12th June, 1816.
Reached Gaspar Straits on the 17th June 1816 5 days.
Arrived off Macao, 8th July 21
—-
From Java to Macao in 3 weeks 5 days, or 26 days.
This passage was unusually bad, it being nearly a week before we reached Gaspar Straits, an ordinary run of one day: in the south part of the China sea the south-west monsoon was very light. An American brig, which sailed only one day before us from Anjier Point, carried the breeze along with her, and reached Macao twelve days before us.
* * * * *
4.
[Sidenote: Ladrone Islands to the Yellow Sea, 520 leagues.]
Sailed from the Ladrone Islands off Macao, on the 13th July 1816.
Rounded the promontory of Shantung and entered the
Yellow Sea, 25th July 12 days.
From thence to the anchorage off the Pei-ho
or Pekin River, 27th July 2
—-
Macao to Pekin River, in 2 weeks, or 14 days.
This voyage can be compared only with that of the Lion on the occasion of the former embassy. The Lion was nearly three weeks, exclusive of the time at anchor at Chusan. We had fine weather and steady south-west winds, with very heavy dews at night. When nearly abreast of the south point of Corea, the wind became variable from the south-east and southward. In the Yellow Sea we had easterly winds and no fogs.
* * * * *
5.
[Sidenote: Pei-ho to Oei-hai-oei in the Yellow Sea, 90 leagues.]
Sailed from the anchorage off the Pei-ho on the 11th August, 1816.
Arrived at Cheatow Bay, after having coasted from the
anchorage along the south side of the Gulf of
Pe-che-lee, 22d August 11 days.
From thence to the harbour of Oei-hai-oei, 23d August 1
—-
From Pekin River to harbour of Oei-hai-oei, 1 week
5 days, or 12 days.
In this cruise round the Gulf of Pe-che-lee we had constant easterly winds, which obliged us to tide the whole way. It blew a gale of wind on the 19th from the north-east, with a high short sea. With this exception, and a fresh breeze on the 3d and 6th, the weather was uniformly fine during our stay in the Yellow Sea, and we never experienced any fogs.
* * * * *
6.
[Sidenote: Yellow Sea to Corea, 40 leagues.]
Sailed from Oei-hai-oei, in China, on the 29th August, 1816.
Made the islands off the coast of Corea, 1st September 3 days.
Running along the coast of Corea till the 10th September 9
——
12 days.
On the coast of Corea the winds were mostly from the northward, and the weather uniformly fine, with heavy dews at night.
* * * * *
7.
[Sidenote: Corea to Loo-choo, 240 leagues.]
From the south-west end of Corea to the Great Loo-choo
Island, on the 14th September, 1816, 4 days.
From Corea to the Great Loo-choo Island we had northeasterly and northerly winds, with one gale from the northward.
* * * * *
8.
[Sidenote: Loo-choo to China, 320 leagues.]
From Loo-choo to Lintin, off Canton.
27th October to the 2d November, 1816 6 days.
As the north-east monsoon was blowing fresh, this quick passage was to be expected.
* * * * *
9.
[Sidenote: China to Manilla, 200 leagues.]
From Lemma Islands to Manilla. 2d February to the 5th February, 1817 3 days.
A good passage for this season of the year.
* * * * *
10.
[Sidenote: Manilla to Penang, 600 leagues.]
From Manilla to Prince of Wales's Island. 21st February to 8th March, 1817 15 days.
In the north-east monsoon this is somewhat under the average passage.
* * * * *
11.
[Sidenote: Penang to Bengal, 400 leagues.]
From Prince of Wales's Island to Saugor Roads, Bengal. 13th March to the 27th March, 1817 14 days.
The average at this season is twenty-one days, consequently this passage is very good. At this season of the year the north-east monsoon has entirely ceased in the centre of the Bay of Bengal; so that a ship which steers well out between the Nicobars and Andamans need not apprehend northerly winds; whereas in the north-eastern parts of the bay, the monsoon still blows faintly, with long intervals of calm. A merchant brig, reputed a good sailer, left Prince of Wales's Island 6 days before us, and followed the inner route, while we went outside, and arrived 10 days before her at Calcutta.
* * * * *
12.
[Sidenote: Calcutta to Madras, 300 leagues.]
Sand Heads off Calcutta to Madras, against the south-west monsoon.
From 19th April to the 7th May, 1817 18-1/2 days.
Three weeks is said to be a good passage. We beat down as far as the latitude 11º north, and longitude 87º east, before we hauled across. We had fine weather all the way.
* * * * *
13.
[Sidenote: Madras to Mauritius, 1140 leagues.]
From Madras to the Mauritius.
1st June to the 1st July, 1817 30 days.
We were driven by the south-west monsoon as far as longitude 92º east, before crossing the equator; here we had a constant high swell. We were much baffled, and did not get the steady south-east trade till in 7º south, and longitude 88º east. The average passage is between five and six weeks at this season of the year.
* * * * *
14.
[Sidenote: Mauritius to rounding the Cape, 800 leagues.]
From Mauritius to making the land of Africa, about Algoa Bay.
8th July to the 22d July, 1817 14 days.
Thence to rounding the Cape on the 30th July 8
—-
Mauritius till round the Cape, 3 weeks 1 day, or 22 days.
The average from the Mauritius to rounding the Cape, is twenty-eight days; on this occasion we kept close in-shore: we had no current, and though in the depth of winter, the weather was invariably fine, and the water smooth. At night a breeze generally blew off shore. There was a heavy dew every night.
* * * * *
15.
[Sidenote: Cape to St. Helena, 570 leagues.]
From off the Cape to St. Helena on the 11th August 12 days.
Mauritius to the Cape (see above) 22 days.
—-
From Mauritius to St. Helena in 4 weeks 6 days, or 34 days.
[Sidenote: Mauritius to St. Helena, 1370 leagues.]
This is an excellent passage. It appears to be a great object in making a passage from India to England, to pass the Cape without going in; for it is often easy to round the Cape and go to St. Helena, when it is difficult and tedious either to go to Simon's or Table Bay, and much delay is produced by the difficulty of getting out of the former anchorage.
* * * * *
16.
[Sidenote: St. Helena to Ireland, 1800 leagues.]
From St. Helena to Bantry Bay in Ireland.
Sailed from St. Helena on the 14th August, 1817.
Arrived off Bantry Bay, 14th October, 1817 61 days.
This passage was unusually long, owing to a succession of hard gales from north-east to south-east, which we encountered in latitude 47º north, longitude 13º west, beginning on the 27th of September, and continuing, with little intermission, till the 8th of October; after which period the weather became fine, but the wind hung constantly to the eastward, so as to render it difficult to fetch Ireland.
GEOLOGICAL MEMORANDUM; BEING A DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIMENS OF ROCKS COLLECTED AT MACAO AND THE LADRONE ISLANDS, AND ON THE SHORES OF THE YELLOW SEA, THE WEST COAST OF COREA, AND THE GREAT LOO-CHOO ISLAND.
GEOLOGICAL MEMORANDUM.
It is greatly to be regretted, that, during this voyage, our means of gaining information on this interesting subject were so limited. In China we were restrained, sometimes by the jealousy of the Chinese, and sometimes by an apprehension on our part of giving offence, or of exciting suspicion, by following up enquiries, the nature of which it was impossible to explain when interrogated by the inhabitants. On the coast of Corea, the still greater jealousy of the natives rendered it impossible to prosecute geological investigations beyond the beach. Both in China and on the coast of Corea our stay at each place was very short, and our time being often necessarily occupied by avocations foreign to such enquiries, many opportunities were lost merely for want of time. Even at the Great Loo-choo Island, where we remained much longer, our researches were confined to a coast which offered nothing interesting.
Having therefore nothing of a general or striking nature to offer to the scientific world on this subject, I shall merely give an account of the specimens collected at the various places which we touched at during this voyage, accompanied by brief explanations from memorandums made on the spot.
The geologist will be struck with the resemblance which the rocks in this remote quarter of the globe bear to those with which he has been familiarly acquainted.
SPECIMENS FROM CHINA.
MACAO.
1. Granite, composed of white quartz, porcelain clay, and greenish steatite, with veins of white quartz intersecting each other.
2. Fine-grained granite, composed of yellowish feldspar, white quartz, and black mica.
Quartz dykes of great magnitude traverse the granite which forms this peninsula.
HONG-KONG, ONE OF THE LADRONE ISLANDS, OFF MACAO.
3. Lead-coloured compact quartz rock, with imbedded crystals of flesh-coloured feldspar.
GREAT LEMMA, ONE OF THE LADRONE ISLANDS, OFF MACAO.
4. Coarse-grained granite, with distinct crystals of feldspar.
SOUTHERN SHORE OF THE YELLOW SEA.
CHE-A-TOW.
5. Fine-grained gneiss, composed of white quartz, white feldspar, and black mica, with a vein containing hornblend and crystals of feldspar.
6. The strata are here very much contorted; the cliffs at some places being folded up like webs of cloth.
7. Granular primitive lime-stone, containing greenish steatite.
8. Quartz rock, alternating with gneiss.
9. A specimen containing amorphous pieces of iron.
CUNG-CUNG-CHEEN ISLANDS.
10. Very fine-grained gneiss, composed of white quartz, flesh-coloured feldspar, and black mica.
11. Coarser variety of the same.
12. Compact blueish-grey feldspar, with grains of quartz.
OEI-HAI-OEI.
13. Gneiss, composed of yellowish feldspar, white quartz, and black mica.
LUNG-CUNG-TAO ISLANDS.
14. Coarser variety of the rock described above.
WEST COAST OF COREA.
From an Island in Latitude 37º 45' North.
1. Compact stratified pale-pink lime-stone; variegated in colour; strata highly inclined.
2. Very compact slaty light-grey rock; strata inclined at an angle of 75º, dipping towards the north-east.
3. Dark olive steatitic rock, containing fragments of granular marble.
4. Very fine-grained greenish hornblend rock.
5. Vine-grained purplish slate; the strata highly inclined.
6. Greenish-grey slate, containing crystals of white feldspar and specks of hornblend: strata highly inclined, dipping towards the north-east.
SPECIMENS FROM HUTTON'S ISLAND, COAST OF COREA.
Latitude 36º 10' north, longitude 126º 13' east.
The following note is taken from the narrative at page 8.
We found the north-east end composed of a fine-grained granite[19]; the middle of the island of a brittle micaceous schistus of a deep blue colour[20]; the strata are nearly horizontal, but dip a little to the south-west. This body of strata is cut across by a granite dyke[21], at some places forty feet wide, at others not above ten; the strata in the vicinity of the dyke are broken and bent in a remarkable manner: this dislocation and contortion does not extend far from the walls of the dyke, though veins of granite branch out from it to a great distance, varying in width from three feet to the hundredth part of an inch: the dyke is visible from the top of the cliff to the water's edge, but does not re-appear on the corresponding cliff of an island opposite to it, though distant only thirty yards. This island is composed of the same schistus, and is cut in a vertical direction by a whin dyke[22], four feet wide, the planes of whose sides lie north-east and south-west, being at right angles to those of the great granite dyke in the neighbourhood, which run south-east and north-west. The strata contiguous to the whin dyke are a good deal twisted and broken, but not in the same degree as at their contact with the granite dyke. The whin dyke is formed of five layers or sets of prisms laid across in the usual way.
Beyond the small island cut by the whin dyke, at the distance of only forty or fifty feet, we came to an island rising abruptly out of the sea, and presenting a high rugged cliff of breccia[23], fronting that on which the granite dyke is so conspicuous: the junction of this rock with the schistus cut by the granite and the whin would have been interesting; but although we must have been at times within a few yards of it, the actual contact was every where hid by the sea.
The whole of the south-west end of this island is formed of breccia, being an assemblage of angular and water-worn pieces of schistus, quartz, and some other rocks, the whole having the appearance of a great shingle beach and cliffs. The fragments of the schistus in this rock are similar to that which forms the cliff first spoken of. (Specimen 8.)
The theory which presented itself to us on the spot was, that the lower part of the great mass of strata which now forms the centre of the island was formerly at the bottom of the ocean; and that the western part, now a firm breccia, had been a beach of shingle produced by the action of the waves on the upper strata, which may have formed a coast above the sea: the granite of the eastern end of the island had been forced into its present situation from beneath the strata, with sufficient violence to dislocate and contort the beds nearest to it, and to inject the liquid granite into the rents formed by the heaving action of the strata as they were raised up. It is natural to suppose that the ragged edges of the strata forming the sides of these cracks would be subjected to a grinding action, from which the strata more remote might be exempted; and in this way we may account for the extraordinary twisting, and separation of masses along the whole course of the granite dyke. In the dyke, as well as in the veins which branch from it, there are numerous insulated portions of schistus. That this last was softened, seems to follow from the frequent instances which occur of its being bent back upon itself without producing cracks. The same heat, generated by the melted granite in the neighbourhood, and which appears to have been just sufficient to soften the schistus, may be supposed to have reduced the shingle beach to a state of semi fusion by the aid of some flux contained in the sand scattered amongst the fragments. We could not discover any circumstance by which the relative antiquity of the two dykes mentioned above could be inferred.
The junction of the granite and schistus above described, resembles very much the well known junction at the Lowrin mountain, in Galloway, described by my father, Sir James Hall, in the 7th vol. of the Edinburgh Transactions. It is also very like the junctions at the Cape of Good Hope, described in the same volume. The same theory has been found to explain them all.
Specimen 7. Fine-grained granite, composed of white quartz, white feldspar, and olive-green mica. This rock (7) forms the eastern end of the island; the schistus next described (8) the centre, and the breccia mentioned immediately afterwards (9) the western end.
8. Fine-grained compact micaceous schistus: some of the specimens appear to contain plumbago. The strata lie north-west and south-east, dipping only a few degrees from the horizontal line.
9. Breccia, composed of angular and contorted fragments of micaceous schistus, and angular pieces of feldspar and quartz. This rock forms the western end of Hutton's Island[24]: it rises in high rugged cliffs. The angular pieces of schistus are of a similar rock to that described above (8).
10. Dyke, porphyritic granite, composed of white quartz, white feldspar, and bronze-coloured mica. This dyke cuts across the schistus last mentioned, in a direction north-east and south-west. It is nearly vertical, and varies in breadth from nine to forty feet, with numerous ramifications.
11. Dyke of compact whin stone. This dyke is composed of five layers of prisms, whose length is at right angles to the walls of the dyke. It is nearly vertical. Its direction north and south, and is about five feet thick.
MAIN LAND OF COREA.
12. Lead-coloured, fine-grained, micaceous schistus. From the main land of Corea, latitude 36º 10' north, longitude 126º 48' east. The strata lie north-west and south-east, and are nearly vertical; the natives objected to our examining the cliffs, though distant less than a quarter of a mile from the beach.
ANOTHER ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF COREA.
Latitude 34º 23' north, longitude 126º east.
13. Decomposing fine-grained rock; composed of flesh-coloured feldspar, white quartz, and porcelain clay.
ANOTHER ISLAND NEAR THE ABOVE.
14. Rock composed of white feldspar and quartz. The strata of this rock were very much contorted.
This rock is the most general of any in this range of islands, at least as far as we had opportunities of examining them. The islands on this coast are very numerous; they lie in great clusters along a line of three degrees and a half of latitude. The islands vary in length from five or six miles to as many yards, and are of all forms. We saw none that were remarkably high, and none which seemed volcanic. As our stay on the coast was only nine days, and as the ships were almost always under weigh except at night, it was quite impossible to make any careful or valuable geological observations. It offers a splendid field to future voyagers.
GREAT LOO-CHOO ISLAND.
1. Grey stratified lime-stone without shells. This specimen was taken from the north end of the island, where the ranges of hills were mostly composed of it: the strata being highly inclined. The hills rise to the height of four or five hundred feet, and present nothing interesting.
2. Fawn-coloured, cellular, granular lime-stone. The cliffs at Napakiang are composed of this rock; it also appears to stretch along the whole of the south-west and south parts of the coast. In the narrative, this rock has been erroneously called coral. These cliffs are curiously hollowed out into horizontal caves, which have all the appearance of having been worn by the dashing of the waves; but as it is obvious, that in their present situation the sea can never have reached the face of the cliffs, it seems probable that the whole coast may have been raised up, by a gentle movement, without dislocating the strata, or disturbing the horizontal position, in which it seems probable that these caves were formed.
The variety of coralines which girt the shores of this island was very great, and large collections were made, as well of these as of the numerous zoophites which filled up every part of the reefs below high-water mark. This collection, of which unfortunately no duplicates were kept, was afterwards lost.
SULPHUR ISLAND
Lies in latitude 27º 5' north, and longitude 128º 25' east. An accurate representation of it is given as a frontispiece.
We attempted to land, but the surf broke every where so high against the rock that this was impossible. There is a crater on the left side with white smoke issuing from it; this has a strong sulphuric smell. The sides of the crater are stratified. The south end of the island is about four or five hundred feet high, and is formed of a dark dingy red rock distinctly stratified; at several places it is cut vertically by great dykes, which being more durable than the strata which they intersect, stand out from the face of the cliffs to a considerable distance.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 19: Specimen 7, infra.]
[Footnote 20: Specimen 8.]
[Footnote 21: Specimen 10.]
[Footnote 22: Specimen 11, infra.]
[Footnote 23: Specimen 9.]
[Footnote 24: The island above described was so named by Captain Maxwell, in compliment to the memory of the distinguished philosopher whose theory has been used to explain the curious phenomena which it exhibits.]
END OF THE APPENDIX.
VOCABULARY OF THE LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT THE GREAT LOO-CHOO ISLAND, IN THE JAPAN SEA.
COMPILED BY HERBERT JOHN CLIFFORD, ESQ. LIEUTENANT, ROYAL NAVY.
IN TWO PARTS.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE LOO-CHOO LANGUAGE.
Of the grammar of this language I pretend to little knowledge, but the following observations upon some points may perhaps be worth attending to. The most striking circumstance, is the frequent use of the words noo and ka; the former of which seems to signify of, or the 's of the English language, as will appear in choo noo ka, a man's skin, or the skin of a man; oóshee noo stínnoo, the bullock's horn, or the horn of the bullock; and in moo noo kee saw'teeyoong, to dig potatoes out of the ground, or, literally, potatoes of the earth to dig out.
Ka, it will be observed, is used to denote skin, and also seems to signify a receiver or enclosure, as is expressed in the words meézee ka, a well of water, meézee being water, and ka, the place containing the water; and in ya ka saut eéchoong, to go out of a place, ka in this instance expressing the enclosure, ya you, and sawt eéchoong to go out from, as eéchoong signifies to go.
The adjective is for the most part placed before the substantive, as teeshoóee íckkeega, an old man; wúsa ya, a mean house; and wóckka innágo, a young woman.
There is little variety in the termination of the verb, the tenses being expressed by other means. I have throughout the vocabulary considered the termination oong to denote the infinitive, and have translated it as such, even when the sense points to another mood, merely to preserve consistency; there are, however, a few exceptions to this, and some of the verbs will be found to terminate in ang, ing, awng, ong, and ung. Those ending in oong seem generally to make the participle terminate in ee, as wóckkayoong, to separate, makes the participle wóckkatee, separated. The negative termination of the verb is generally nang or rang, as noómang, not to drink, is the negative of noómoong, to drink; meérang, the negative of meéoong, to see; and noóboorang, the negative of noóbooyoong, to climb or ascend. Na is also used as a negative, coónsoona, not to rub out, being the negative of coónshoong, to rub out.
Nang, nárang, and náshee are negatives used with a substantive, and are always placed after it, as koómoo nang, no clouds; meézee nárang, no water; and feéjee náshee, no beard.
Some peculiarities will be found by referring to the following words: deaf; the sole of the foot; head-ache; palm of the hand; the toe; and the wrist.
PART I.
VOCABULARY OF ENGLISH AND LOO-CHOO WORDS ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED, WITH NOTES, AND OCCASIONAL REFERENCES TO THE SENTENCES IN THE SECOND PART.
VOCABULARY OF THE LOO-CHOO LANGUAGE.
Note on the orthography used in the following vocabulary.—The sounds in the Loo-Choo words are expressed by the letters which in English correspond nearest to those sounds. There are no mute vowels. The letter a is invariably sounded as in the English word far. The emphasis is marked by an accent over the last vowel of the accented syllable. Ee and oo, whether accented or not, always express one syllable.
English. Loo-Choo.