1827. 



PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 209 



had, however, a ffood deal of rain in this time, which chap. 



was about the change of the monsoon. By An-yah's \ 



account this island is occasionally visited by violent May, 

 ta-foongs (mighty-winds), which unroof the houses and 

 destroy the crops, and do other damage. They had 

 experienced one, only the month previous to our arri- 

 val, which we were told had destroyed a great deal of 

 rice, and was the cause of so many Japanese vessels 

 being in the port. In 1708 it appears that one 

 of these hurricanes did incalculable mischief, and 

 occasioned much misery. The inhabitants seem to 

 entertain a great dread of famine, and it is not impro- 

 bable that these ta foongs may occasion the evil. 

 April, May, June, July, August, and September are 

 the months in which these winds are liable to occur. 



The harbour of Napa-kiang, though open to winds 

 from the north, by the west to south-west is very se- 

 cure, provided ships anchor in the Barnpool ; a bay 

 formed by the coral, to the northward of the Capstan 

 Rock. In the outer anchorage, at high water, there is 

 sometimes a considerable swell ; and were it to blow 

 hard from the westward at the time of the spring tides I 

 have no doubt it would be sensibly felt. The reefs 

 which aftbrd protection to the harbour are scarcely 

 above the sea at low water neap tides, and some re- 

 main wholly covered. In general they are much bro- 

 ken, and have many knolls in their vicinity, which 

 ought to make ships cautious how they stand towards 

 them. There are two entrances to the outer harbour, 

 one from the northward, and the other from the west- 

 ward. The former is narrow, and has several dan- 

 gerous rocks in the channel, which, as they are not in 

 general visible, are very hkely to prove injurious to 

 vessels ; and as it can seldom happen that there is a 



VOL. II. p 



