ISLANDS OF LEW CHEW. 



151 



CHAPTER VII. 



NUMBER AND POSITION OF ISLANDS OF LEW CHEW. — THEIR 8DPF0SED POLITICAL RELATIONS TO JAPAN AND CHINA. — DESCRIP- 

 TION OF THE ISLAND OF GREAT LEW CHEW, AS SEEN ON THE FIRST APPROACH TO IT, VISIT OF OFFICIALS TO THE 



SUSQUEHANNA. VISIT OP DR. BETTELHEIM. REFUSAL OF PRESENTS, AND CONSEQUENT MORTIFICATION OP THE LEW 



CHEWANS. EXPLORATION OF THE ISLAND RESOLVED ON BY THE COMMODORE. DAGUERREOTTPING ON SHORE. CORAL 



INSECT AND ITS FORMATIONS. SECOND VISIT OF THE AUTHORITIES OF LEW CHEW. REGENT OF THE ISLAND RECEIVED 



BY THE COMMODORE. FRIENDLY NATURE OF THE INTERVIEW. SURPRISE OF THE LEW CHEWANS AT SIGHT OF THE 



STEAM ENGINE. COMMODORE ANNOUNCES TO THEM HIS INTENTION OF RETURNING THE VISIT AT THE PALACE OP 



9HTI. THEIR EVIDENT EMBARRASSMENT THEREAT. LEAVE TO GO ON SHORE. DESCRIPTION OF NAPHA AND ITS 



VICINITY, BY ONE OF THE OFFICERS. EXPLORING PARTY SETS OUT, PLACED UNDER THE COMMAND OP THE CHAPLAIN, 



MR. JONES. MR. BAYARD TAYLOR ATTACHED TO IT, WITH ORDERS TO TAKE NOTES AND FURNISH A DETAILED REPORT OF 



THE JOURNEY. NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE LEW CHEW AUTHORITIES TO OBTAIN A HOUSE ON SHORE. THEIR MANIFEST 



OPPOSITION. COMMODORE PERSISTS AND SUCCEEDS. OFFICERS, WHEN ON SHORE, CONTINUALLY WATCHED BY SPIES. 



CAPTAIN BASIL HALl's ACCOUNT OF THE LEW CHEWANS SOMEWHAT EXAGGERATED. IMPRESSIONS MADE ON THE 



OFFICERS AS TO THE CHARACTER OF THE NATIVES. HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS. BOAT EXERCISE OF THE CREWS, AND 



DRILLING ON LAND OF THE MARINES. 



^g; N Thursday, the 2r)th of May, the sqiiadron found 



^^Wss^^^ itself quietly anchored in the harbor of Napha, the 



principal j)ort of the Great Lew Chew island, and 

 ai^ the first jDoint where the exi^edition touched on 

 Japanese territory, if Lew Chew (or, as the natives 

 call it, Doo Choo) be indeed a dependency of 

 Japan. The group of islands known as the Lieou 

 Kieou, or Lew Chew, is said to be in number 

 thirty-six, at considerable distances from each 

 other, and lying between the islands of Kioosioo 

 and Formosa; they are between 24° 10' and 28° 

 40' north latitude and 127° and 129° east longi- 

 tude from Greenwich. 



It is a question yet discussed to what power Lew Chew belongs. By some it is said to 

 be a dependency of the Prince of Satziima, of Japan; others suppose it to belong to Cliina. 

 The probabilities, however, are all on the side of the dependence, more or less absolute, of Lew 

 Chew on Japan, and probably, also^, of some qualified subordination to China, as they undoubt- 

 edly send tribute to that country. Language, customs, laws, dress, virtues, vices, and com- 

 mercial intercourse, all are corroborative of such an opinion. But of this more will be said 

 hereafter. 



