224 VOYAGE TO THE 



at an island belonging to Loo Choo, named Usmay-Li- 

 gon, where he found that almost all the inhabitants had 

 been converted to Christianity by a Jesuit missionary. 

 If we can credit his statement, he was treated by the 

 natives with the greatest hospitality and unreserve. 

 Contrary to the custom of the eastern Asiatic nations, 

 these people brought their daughters to the count and 

 his associates, and pressed them to select wives from 

 among them. In short, the conduct of the inhabit- 

 ants is described as being so engaging, that some of 

 Benyowsky's crew determined to remain with them, 

 and were actually left behind when the count put to 

 sea. And the natives, on the other hand, are asserted 

 to have been so attached to their visitors, that they 

 made them promise to return and form a settlement 

 among them, and signed a treaty of friendship with 

 the count. This veracious traveller found muskets 

 with matchlocks in use with these people ; and to add 

 to their means of defence, on his departure he pre- 

 sented them with 80 muskets of his own, 600 swords, 

 and 600 pikes, besides 20 barrels of powder and 10 

 barrels of musket-balls. 



Loo Choo in 1796 was visited by Captain Brough- 

 ton, and in 1803 by the ship Frederick of Calcutta, 

 which made an unsuccessful effort to dispose of her 

 cargo. The inhabitants on both these occasions were, 

 as usual, extremely civil and polite, but resisted every 

 attempt at opening a commerce. The next mention 

 of this interesting island is in the well-known publi- 

 cations of Captain Basil Hall, and of Mr. M'Cleod, 

 the surgeon of the Alceste. 



Thus Loo Choo, like almost every other nation, 

 has been disturbed by civil wars, and the state has 



