184 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



was called, until the next day, slapping their legs to indicate how tired they were^ and making 

 signs of slipping up and falling down in the mud. But we were inexorable, and they sent for 

 a new set of coolies to carry our baggage. We had another discussion about the distance, which 

 ended in their declaring that Sheudi was 65 li and Napha 30 li distant. This was absurd, and 

 probably oiight to be attributed to the ignorance of the Chinese, through whom we communicated 

 with them. The coolies prepared themselves for the rain by putting on shaggy jackets of grass, 

 resembling the sheep-skin garments of the Eoman herdsmen. Our men had their pea-jackets, 

 and we were partially protected by ponchos of gutta-percha and oilcloth. We were dela^^ed in 

 getting breakfast, and did not break up our camp until half-past nine, when we set out, every- 

 body stiff and sore from the previous day's travel. The rain was still falling, though not so 

 heavily as at first, and the road was an alternation of water and stiff mud, through which we 

 trudged with difficulty, and at the risk of leaving our boots behind us. After rounding the 

 head of the bight, we struck off over the hills to the southwest, and in an hour and a half came 

 upon another deep glen, in the bottom of which were two massive bridges over a stream so 

 broad and deep that it was doubtless a frith of the sea. We stopped an hour to rest and enable 

 Mr. Heine to take a sketch of the place. I noticed that the heavy triangular abutments to the 

 piers were here placed on the side next the sea. The natives gave the glen, or river, the name 

 of "Machinatoo." 



The rain had ceased by this time, excejit an occasional sprinkle, and the road improved. 

 After another hour the roads branched, that on the left striking off up the hills to Sheudi. We 

 kept on over the hills towards Napha, the scenery gradually assuming a familiar appearance, 

 till finally, from a height covered with pine trees, we looked down upon the harbor and the 

 American squadron. After fording a broad salt creek, and crossing another ridge, we descended 

 to the village of Tum6, opposite Napha. We reached our starting point, the house of Dr. 

 Bettelheim, at 2 p. m., and there took leave of our worthy Pe-ching and his two assistants, 

 after having appointed a time to meet them again, and endeavor to return some compensation 

 for the provision furnished during the journey. 



The distance we travelled during the six days was 108 miles, as nearly as we could calculate. 

 Our trip embraced a little more than half the island, leaving the extremity south of Napha, 

 (which is of limited extent,) and that part north of the head of Port Melville, and lying on both 

 sides of that harbor, for future exploration."* 



On the return of the party Mr. Jones submitted the following report to the Commodore 

 of his observations : 



"Before describing the ancient royal castle of Chun-Ching, which we discovered in our recent 

 exploration of Lew Chew, it may be well to say a few words about the geology of the island, as 

 the two are connected with each other. 



Going northward from Napha we find the general surface-rock to be argillaceous, either 

 compact or shaly, which is intersected, at frequent intervals, by dykes or ridges of secondary 

 limestone, of a very remarkable character. When we get as high up as Barrow's Bay the 

 argillaceous rock ceases, and is succeeded by talcose slate, in which, however, the same limestone 

 dykes occur. At the most northern point reached by us, that is, at the village of Nacumma, on 

 the west side of the island, say forty-two miles north of Napha, we reached granite, rising there 



•This report is from the pen of Mr. Bayard Taylor, who, it will be remembered, was directed by Commodore Perry to keep 

 a journal of the incidents of the exploration, and make the report. 



