596 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



bf uninhabited islands lias long 

 ceased to be appropriate. The 

 author I have followed relates, 

 that a merchant of the province 

 of Fitsen, sailing from the point 

 of Idsou, accidentally touched at 

 these islands, and thinking that 

 their products would repay the 

 expense of establishment, return- 

 icd afterwards with thirty men, 

 and furnished with a patent or 

 iseal which guaranteed the pos- 

 session to him. The only diffi- 

 culty he experienced in going 

 there from Idsou was a very rapid 

 current setting from east to west, 

 which sometimes changes its 

 direction. This current, situated 

 to the north of Fatsisio, between 

 that island and the island Mi- 

 kouri, is called Kourosigawa, or 

 the black current. 



It appears that the colonists 

 who are established in the Bonin 

 islands, devote themselves to fish- 

 ing, the cultivation of the earth, 

 and collection of the medicinal 

 substances and valuable Avoods 

 thatgrow there. The Japanese go- 

 vernment has not taken posses- 

 sion of them formally, and the 

 limits of the empire are still at 

 Fatsisio ; yet it is very probable 

 that they would not see the 

 establishment of Europeans there 

 without displeasure. Better in- 

 formed persons may decide, if 

 the situation of these isles in the 

 vicinity of a nation closed againr,t 

 commerce, may attach some im- 

 portance to them. I thought that 

 ihe preceding notice might at 

 least be interesting to geogra- 

 phers. The peopling these 

 islands at so recent a period 

 is in itself an unimportant fact, 

 yet calculated to assist' in eluci- 

 dating the peopling of the 



Oceanic islands, and of the new 

 world. 



CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 



(From the same.) 



Description of a meeting which 

 took place between his Excel- 

 lency the Governor, Lord Charles 

 Somerset, and Gaika, king of the 

 Caftres. 



" His Excellency Lord Charles 

 Somerset having completed his 

 military inspection of the eastern 

 frontier, thought it advisable, 

 previous to adopting a new system 

 for preventing the future depre- 

 dations of the CafTre people on 

 the inhabitants of this part of his 

 Majesty's settlement, to have an 

 interview with the principal Caft're 

 chiefs, in order, if possible, 

 amicably to arrange with them 

 a plan for putting a stop to the 

 frequent vexations which their 

 incursions have latterly caused ; 

 and this interview having taken 

 place, his Excellency and suit 

 returned to this place this 

 evening. 



*' The CafFre chief Gaika having 

 been apprized of his Excellency's 

 intention to visit him, and having 

 expressed his satisfaction thereat, 

 his Excellency assembled an 

 escort at Van Aard's on the Great 

 Fish River, on the 29th of last 

 month, consisting of 100 dra- 

 goons of the 21st regt. detach- 

 ments from the 72nd and 83rd 

 regts., the Cape regiment, and a 

 small detachment of Artillery, 

 with a light 3 pounder and i\ 

 inch hov.'itzer, under the com- 

 mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Cuy- 

 ler, together with 200 armed 

 and mounted biughers of the 



Uitenhage 



