68 NOTES UPON THE GULF OF PECHELI, [Nov. 22, 1858. 



deeper at low water, than it is at present — an error probably caused 

 from computation, instead of doing as we did, remaining constantly 

 upon the bar from high water to dead low water. My corrections 

 are upon the chart. 



The manner in which this, the American, chart came into my 

 possession, and afterwards into general use throughout the squadron, 

 is a proof of the necessity for a better understanding between geo- 

 graphers of different countries, and a more frequent interchange of 

 information collected by each. I will state the circumstances to 

 exemplify the case : — Prior to leaving Hongkong in March, 1858, 

 a conviction that the ultimate result of our Canton operations would 

 be to carry the Furious and the British Ambassador to the Peiho 

 River, if not to Fekin, induced me to seek carefully for any in- 

 formation bearing upon that part of China. I soon found that in 

 the British chart-boxes there was nothing about the Peiho beyond 

 the fact that the Hon. Company's steamer Madagascar had once 

 crossed the bar, but there was no certainty as to what water she car- 

 ried over it. The French, of course, were equally ignorant ; but 

 from Mr. Eeed, the American ambassador, as well as Captain Du 

 Pont of the U.S. frigate Minnesota^ I learned that, much to their 

 astonishment, Count Putiatin, the Russian envoy, had shown them 

 an American Survey of the bar of the Peiho Eiver, made by the 

 officers of the John Hancock^ of which they had been previously 

 ignorant, and of which no copy had even been supplied them from 

 the Hydrographic Bureau at Washington. That it was authentic, 

 however, there could be no doubt, and the good folks of the 

 United States can best explain how it was that a Russian could pro- 

 cure a copy of an official record before it was furnished to their 

 own accredited minister. Count Putiatin made no secret of his 

 valuable document, and when we arrived at Shanghai, and found 

 him there, he very kindly allowed me to make a copy of it, and 

 added some kind and valuable information touching the tides off 

 the Peiho and the dangers in Mia-tao Strait. Directly the Pique ^ 

 Captain Sir F. Nicolson, joined the Furious off the Peiho River, I 

 was able to lend him the American chart to copy, and we subse- 

 quently did as much for the flag-ship. 



With that chart and one of the river to Tientsin, of which the 

 Royal Geographical Society may procure a copy from the Admiralty,* 

 it will be easy to understand the following remarks : — The bar of the 



* A very fair chart of the river from Taku to Tientsin was made by Mr. Vine, 

 second master of H. M. S. Coromandel, and a copy of it, I am told, transmitted to 

 the Admiralty by the Admiral. 



