188 VOYAGE TO THE 



cannot say the result of the investigation was as satis- 

 factory as I could have wished, as we never saw any 

 weapon whatever in use, or otherwise, in the island ; 

 and the supposition of their existence rests entirely 

 upon the authority of the natives, and upon circum- 

 stantial evidence. The mandarin Ching-oong-choo, 

 and several other persons, declared there were both 

 cannon and muskets in the island ; and An-yah dis- 

 tinctly stated there were twenty-six of the former dis- 

 tributed among their junks.* We were disposed to 

 believe this statement, from seeing the fishermen, and 

 all classes at Napa, so familiar with the use and ex- 

 ercise of our cannon, and particularly so from their 

 appreciating the improvement of the flint-lock upon 

 that of the match-lock, which I miderstood from the 

 natives to be in use in Loo Choo ; and unless they 

 possessed these locks it is difficult to imagine from 

 whence they could have derived their knowledge. 

 The figures drawn upon the panels of the joshouse, 

 seated upon broadswords and bows and arrows, may 

 be adduced as further evidence of their possessing 

 weapons ; and this is materially strengthened by the 

 fact of their harbour being defended by three square 

 stone forts, one on each side of the entrance, and the 

 other upon a small island, so situated within the har- 

 bour, that it would present a raking fire to a vessel 

 entering the port ; and these forts having a number 

 of loop-holes in them, and a platform and parapet 

 formed, above with stone steps leading up to it in 

 several places. This platform would not have been 

 wide enough for our cannon, it is true ; but unless 

 it were built for the reception of those weapons, there 



* There were none on board the junk which sailed for China. 



