shoulder peak 3 miles at the back of it, bearing N.W., and when Yungning islet (off Yungning point) is in one with Junk head (the first point to the northeast of it,) the vessel will be to the westward of them; from these rocks to Yungning islet the distance is 1

mile.

This bay can only be termed a roadstead, and a dangerous one in the southerly monsoon. Yungning islet is steep-to, but a reef lies W. S. 3 cables from it, and covers at high water. Within the bay the depths shoal gradually, but vessels drawing 15 feet and upward must not bring Yungning islet to the southward of E. S.

Tides. It is high water, full and change, in Chimmo bay at 10h. 20m. and springs rise 16 feet. The tide sets with considerable velocity along the coast, between Hu-i-tau and Chimmo bays; but both the period and the rate vary considerably with the monsoon; the state of the tide will be known by the numerous fishing-nets moored off the coast.

The Coast from Chimmo bay trends N.E. by N. 8 miles to Chungchi point, the southern point of entrance to Chin-chu harbour. Several sandy bays occur between these points, and afford shelter to junks, but from the number of rocks in and about them they cannot be recommended for square-rigged vessels. At 1 mile southward of Chungchi point is an islet with a building on it something like a bell.

Chin-chu Harbour or Tsiuen-chau-Chungchi point is about 400 feet above the sea; sunken rocks extend 2 cables from it to the south-eastward. The entrance to the harbour is about 10 miles wide between this point and the town of Tongbu to the north-east, but its shores rapidly approach each other, so that its proper entrance may be considered to be not more than 4 miles wide between Chungchi point and the point North of it, and between which are the islands Tatoi and Seatoi, with the Hewen rocks, above water, lying half a mile S.W. of the latter; these all lie in a N.N.E. and S.S.W. direction, and between them are the navigable channels to the Lockyung river entrance. Seatoi is a low barren islet; Tatoi, 358 feet high, is the highest land in this neighbourhood. The Seatoi bank, with 24 fathoms on it, extends about 2 miles to the eastward of Seatoi island; and an extensive sand, named the Boot, runs westward from Tatoi island to the entrance of the river.*

Pilots.-Chin-chu harbour is the only place where pilots can be obtained for Hai-tan strait or Hungwha sound, and it is advisable that all vessels bound there should take one, as the navigation is very intricate.

Passage Island lies N. E. N. 44 miles from Chungchi point, and to the eastward of it are three rocks, which cover at high water; the outermost rock bears E.S., half a mile from the island. A ledge also extends from the southwest point of the island, the outer rock of which is 14 cables from high water mark.

White Rocks.-N.E. N. about half a mile from Passage island are two White rocks, which are always partly uncovered; the channel between them is not safe. At three-quarters of a mile northward of the White rocks is Tahkut,

• See Plan of Chin-chu Harbour, No. 1,769; scale, m = 1 inches.

, i. e. Otter Hole, an island at high water a large town on it; and between them is a sunken rock, from which the highest part of the northern White rock bears S. by W. W. half a mile, and the summit of Tatoi W. by S. S.

Lynx Rock, with only 6 feet water over it, lies E. by S. southerly not quite half a mile from the highest part of Seatoi, with Tatoi summit bearing N. by W. W., and Passage island N.E by E. & E.

Taheen Rock is 2 cables to the S. by E. of the Lynx, and shows at low water; when upon it, Choho pagoda bears W. N., and Tatoi summit N. by W. W. The bottom between the Taheen and Hewen rocks is rocky and uneven, and in several places there are only 6 feet at low water; a channel through, however, is sometimes used by the opium vessels, when the wind is too far to the eastward to permit them to fetch between the Lynx and Seatoi; their leading mark is, the highest part of Hewen in line with Choho pagoda bearing W.IN.

Mid-channel Reef.-Between Seatoi island and the Hewen rocks, rather more than a cable's length from the south-west point of the former, and a good half cable from the latter, is Mid-channel reef, three heads of which show at low water springs; it is about 2 cables in circumference, and from its centré the summit of Tatoi is in line with the west summit of Seatoi. Reefs also extend half a cable's length from Seatoi on its South, S.W., and eastern sides; thus rendering the channel between this island and the reef exceedingly awkward to a stranger.

Choho Reef.—A sandspit extends nearly 1 mile in an easterly direction from Choho pagoda and from a reef lying on its northern edge the pagoda bears S.W. W., and is distant 6 cables, and the summit of Pisai island W. by N. N.

Ota Rock, which covers at high water, lies East half a mile from Pisai, and N. W. N. from Choho pagoda.

Tides. It is high water, full and change, at Pisai island in Chin-chu harbour at 12h. 25m.; springs rise 17 feet.

Directions.-Kusau pagoda, 760 feet above the sea, is an excellent mark for recognising the locality of Chin-chu harbour, when approaching it from the southward From a position about 13 mile to the eastward of Chungchi point steer North until Choho pagoda opens northward of Seatoi island bearing W. S., when it should be steered for on that bearing, and it will lead along the northern edge of Seatoi bank. The ship Omega, drawing 11 feet, struck upon a bank 1 mile to the eastward of Seatoi, but not less than 2 fathoms were found upon the Seatoi bank in March 1844; the southerly monsoon may, however, cause the sand to accumulate.

If running for the harbour from the northward, and intending to anchor to the southward of the Boot sand, after passing about three quarters of a mile south of Passage island, steer in with Choho pagoda W. S., until the peak on Tatoi island bears N. by W. W., and the eastern end of Seatoi island S.S.W. W., then haul to the southward, and pass a cable's length to the eastward of Seatoi. Round the south side of Seatoi at half a cable's length, and when its

western summit is in one with the highest part of Tatoi the vessel will be in the narrowest part of the channel, which is here barely a cable across.

Having passed Seatoi, a W.N.W. course will lead to the anchorage above Pisai islet in mid-channel. By keeping this islet to the westward of W. by N. N. the reef off Choho pagoda will be avoided; and the southern edge of the Boot will be cleared by not bringing Seatoi to the southward of E. by S. S.; the outline of this bank, however, is generally visible. The opium vessels run in between the Lynx and Taheen rocks, with the south extremes of Seatoi island and Ota rock in line with north extreme of Pisai. The anchorage is North about 1 or 2 miles from Pisai, where the channel is 3 cables wide.

If intending to anchor northward of the Boot sand, steer to pass northward of Tatoi island; and if drawing less than 15 feet, a vessel may run up until Choho pagoda bears S. by W. W., where she will have smooth water in any weather, as the Boot forms an excellent break water. The north edge of the Boot will be avoided by keeping the White rocks to the southward of East. There is a sunken rock lying 14 cable from the northern shore, and N. by W. W. from the summit of Tatoi. There is good anchorage in north-east or northerly gales in 34 and 4 fathoms, with the summit of Tatoi bearing S.E. by S.; but in a south-west gale the former anchorage is to be preferred. The Boot may be crossed by a vessel of light draught at high tide, but it should be sounded first, as the sands shift.

The entrance of the small river leading to the town of Chin-chu bears W. by N. N. 8 miles from Pisai islet. On the left bank, near the entrance, is a circular fort, called Fah-shih Pau-tai, 4 or 5 miles above which is the town, standing on the north bank of the river. The channels to it are shoal and intricate, and the large junks have to wait in the neighbourhood of Pisai for tide before they can cross the flats, which are covered with artificial oyster-beds.

Pyramid Point, or Ta-tsch, at 3 miles eastward of Tongbu, is the southern point of entrance to Port Matheson, and when approaching it on a westerly bearing, it appears a bold black face of land, not in any way representing its name; but on a northerly bearing, or inside the point, it cannot be mistaken.

The Pyramid rock is connected with the point at low water, and to the S.E. of it is a rock which never covers. To the eastward of Pyramid rock are several reefs, from the outermost of which the Pyramid bears S. W. by W. W. 6 cables, the highest part of the land forming the north side of Port Matheson N. by E., and a cliff head at the head of the promontory (extending southwesterly from the above hills) is in line with a remarkable cone in the bay N. by W. W.

Anchorage. -Vessels requiring anchorage in the North-east monsoon will find it in the first bay westward of Pyramid point, where they will be sheltered to the eastward by the reef of rocks, mostly above water, extending south-east from the point, and forming a good breakwater; care must, however, be taken to avoid a sunken rock lying South a cable's length from the first point eastward of the walled city of Tongbu.

Port Matheson, called by the Chinese Gulai, or Siao-tsih, is the next inlet to the north-east of Chin-chu, the isthmus near the city of Tongbu being only a mile across. The port is 4 miles wide at entrance, and will afford tolerable shelter to vessels of about 12 feet draught, if the wind be to the northward of East; but it is only a roadstead, and that a bad one, in the southerly monsoon. There are no dangers in it, except a rock lying North 4 cables from the largest islet on the southern shore.

Meichen Sound, or Mei-chau, the next inlet north of Port Matheson, is 6 miles across at the entrance, which may be recognised by the Ninepin rock, which lies nearly in mid-channel. A reef extends South from the Ninepin, and at the distance of a mile is a cluster of rocks, one of which, Square rock, does not cover at high tide; from thence the reef extends southwesterly 14 cable, and its outer part dries at low water.

East 6 cables from the Ninepin is a flat patch of rocks, awash at high water, and between this patch and Rogue's point is good anchorage in the North-east monsoon. H.M.S. Plover rode out a gale to the westward of the Ninepin, without much strain upon the cable, but with an uneasy sea. Anchorage was therefore preferred under Rogue's point; but since that period H.M.S. Scout found a rock here, which lies midway between the Ninepin and the extreme of Rogue's point, bearing from the former E. by S. S., and from the mound at the end of the sandy isthmus connected with Rogue's point, South. H.M.S. Comus, in August 1856, anchored in 8 fathoms, with the Ninepin bearing South, Rogue's point S.E. E., and a small white rock off Meichen village E. N.; but it was considered an unsafe anchorage during the southerly monsoon, and many rocks were seen in the sound which are not noticed in the chart.

N. by E. E., one mile from the Ninepin, is a rock which shows at low water, and from it the highest part of Rogue's point bears S.E. by E. E. There is a passage between this rock and the Ninepin, but rocks extend a cable's length from the latter. Rogue's point may be approached without fear, except on its east side, where there is a reef lying rather less than a cable's length from the shore; a depth of 3 and 4 fathoms will be found at the distance of 3 cables from the sandy beach. One and a half mile South of Rogue's point is a patch with 4 fathoms on it.

Inner Harbour.-In the southerly monsoon, vessels will find a good harbour to the north-west of Saddle island, or Chuh-kan, which bears N.W. by N. 3 miles from the Ninepin. In approaching it, pass southward of the south islet off Saddle island, and haul to the northward round the western islet, giving it a berth of a cable's length at high water to avoid a ledge. The ground is very uneven hereabouts, and there are only 24 fathoms water at a mile W.N.W. of western islet.*

N. by E., one mile from Saddle island, is a low Cliff islet, from the west point of which a sandbank extends 1 mile to the north-west; the south peak of Saddle island kept eastward of S.E. by S. will lead westward of it. When

See Chart, East Coast of China, Sheet 5, No. 1,761; scale, d= 14 inches.

Mound peak or Si-ting hiang (which is on the mainland, and 3 miles northward of Saddle island, with a walled town and pagoda near it) bears East, a vessel will be to the northward of this bank, and can haul in towards the town. W. by N. N., 24 miles from Mound peak, is a knoll with only 6 feet over it.

The junks use the channel between Mound peak and Cliff islet, and also pass between Mound peak and Meichen island. The former channel is deep, but requires personal knowledge; the latter is strewn with rocks, and in some places has not a greater depth than 9 feet. The sound runs back 10 miles to the northward of Mound peak, forming narrow isthmuses across to Pinghai bay and Hungwha sound.

Tides.-In Meichen sound it is high water, full and change, at 12h. 30m.; springs rise 17 feet.

Sorrel Rock, 60 feet high, bears E. by N. 3 miles from Rogue's point. A rock lies three-quarters of a cable's length southward of it.

Ping-haiBay, the next inlet north-east of Meichen sound, is 6 miles wide at entrance, between the Rowan islands and Ping point, and carries a depth of 5 to 3 fathoms. Ping rock, 90 feet high and conical shaped, lies 4 cables to the southward of the latter point, and bears N.E. by N. 9 miles from the Sorrel rock; a sunken rock lies S. W. by W. a quarter of a mile from it.

The anchorage in this bay is in 3 fathoms, off the town of Ping-hai, with the Ping rock bearing S. E. by E. At 5 miles westward of the anchorage is a high range of hills, one of the peaks of which, named Marlin Spike, will form a good guide for this part of the coast. The bay runs back past the foot of the Marlin Spike range, but is shoal, there being seldom more than 2 fathoms to the westward of the range.

Reefs extend nearly a mile from the coast to the northward of the Ping rock.

Lou-tz Rock (i. e. the Cormorant) lies E.S.E. about 5 miles from the Ping rock, and between them, at 13 miles from the Loutz, are two sunken rocks, named Loutz shoal, from which the Ping is in line with Marlin Spike peak bearing N.W. by W. W., and the islet lying north-east of the Loutz is in one with the South Yit, E. & N. There is a rock, which shows at half tide, lying N.N.W. 2 cables from the above islet, and another S. W. 8 cables from the islet, and East from the highest part of the Loutz.

Ockseu Islands.—The Ockseu or Wokeu-seu

group consists

of three islets, the centre one being a barren rock joining the eastern island. The western island, the largest, is in lat. 24° 59! N., long. 119° 271/ E., and elevated between 200 and 300 feet above the sea. It is round-topped, with smooth sides, and bears from the Sorrel rock E. by S. S. 15 miles, and from the South Yit S. by W. W. 10 miles.* The steam-vessel Nemesis, drawing 5 feet, anchored under the eastern island, which is low, rugged, and sandy, with a large fishing village on it, and detached rocks off its east and west points. It

A strong tide ripple, or reef, appeared to break about 1 mile W.N.W. of the western Ockseu island.-Commander J. C. D. Hay, H.M.S. Columbine, 1848.