THE PENNY CYCLOPAEDIA 



OF 



THE SOCIETY FOR THE DIFFUSION OF 

 USEFUL KNOWLEDGE, 



T A I 



TAI-WAN (Taywan") is the Chinese name of an island 

 which in Europe is known by the name of Formosa, and 

 Hermosa, and, according to the Dutchman Valentyn, is 

 called by the aborigines Pekan or Psek-and. It lies be- 

 tween 21" 58' and 25 15' N. lat, and between 120 and 

 122 E long., and extends from south by west to north by 

 :ibout 240 miles. In width it varies much. From its 

 most southern point, where it is only about four miles 

 wide, it increases gradually, so that at 23 N. lat. it is 60 

 miles w'ide, and at 24 J N. lat. nearly 100 miles. Its 

 northern portion decreases in width, but very slowly, for 

 near its northern end it is still 60 miles wide. A rough 

 calculation gives the surface an extent of about 14,000 

 square miles, which is about half the area of Ireland, and 

 3000 square miles more than that of Sicily. 



The north-western point of TaV-wan is only about 80 

 miles from the coast of the Chinese province of Fukian, or 

 Fokian; but farther south the channel of Fokian, as the 

 ctween TaV-wan and China is called, grows wider. In 

 the parallel of Amoy, 34 40 7 N. lat., it is 150 miles across, 

 and still wider south of that parallel. This part of the 

 China Sea contains several banks, and the soundinirs are 

 also extremely irregular, especially in the vicinity of the 

 Ponghu or Phensrhii Islands, called also Pescadores, or 

 Fisher Islands. The southern extremity of TaV-wan is 

 divided from the Bashee Islands, which are south-east of 

 it. by the channel of Formosa, which is nearly 80 miles 

 wide, and has also very irregular soundings. 



The broad promontory which terminates the island on 

 Hith, and forms the south-east and south-west cape, is 

 a low flat, but at the distance of about two miles the 

 country suddenly rises into mountains, which continue to 

 run in an unbroken chain northward nearly through the 

 middle of the island to its northern extremity, terminating 

 with high chit's nt the north-east cape. As it is certain 

 that tl of mountains, which is called Ta Shan, or 



Great Mountain, is nearly the whole year round covered 

 with snow, its ( -It" ,:;d. in h;i been estimated by Humboldt 

 at bo:tt 12.IXK1 feet above the sea. The declivities of 

 tin >se mountains, with the exception of the crests of the 

 nio-,t ili>,ated portion, are covered with fine trees and 

 Mtore-grounds, and thus the island, when seen from the 

 sea. presents a very pleasing appearance, whence it was 

 called Hermosa by the Europeans who advanced thus 

 far into the Indian Sea. These mountains have never 

 been visited by Europeans, but from the accounts of the 

 Chinese geographers, which have been collected by Kla- 

 proth, it appears that there is more than one volcano on 

 this island. The Tshykang filed Mountain), south of the 

 town of Fung-shan-hian, was once an active volcano, and 

 there is still a lake of hot water on Shin Mountains. 

 The Phy-nan-my-shan, south-east of Fung-shan-hian, 

 emits in the night-time a brilliant lustre. The Ho-shan 

 (Fire-Mountain:, south-east of Tshu-lo-hian, is said to 

 contain many wells from which flames issue. There arc 

 gome other mountains which exhibit traces of volcanic 

 P. C., No. 1488. 



T A I 



action, and sulphur constitutes an important article of 

 export. 



The mountains have a steep declivity on both sides, but 

 on the west side they terminate at a considerable distance 

 from the sea, so as to leave a wide tract between them 

 and the shore. This tract has an undulating surface, and 

 terminates on the sea in a low sandy beach. The ad- 

 joining sea is full of sand-banks and snoals, and can only 

 be approached in a few places by vessels drawing more 

 than eight feet of water. On the east of the Ta-shan 

 range the mountains seem to occupy nearly the whole 

 space between the crest of the range and the sea, and 

 high rocks line the shore. There are no soundings along 

 this coast. This circumstance, united to the strong cur- 

 rent which sets along this side from south to north, is 

 probably the reason why this part of TaV-wan has never 

 been visited by European vessels ; nor does it appear that 

 Japanese or Chinese vessels have any intercourse with 

 this part of the island. It is an unknown portion of the 

 globe. 



Rivers are numerous on the west side, but as they ori- 

 ginate in a very elevated region, from which they descend 

 in continuous rapids and cataracts, they bring down a con- 

 siderable quantity of earthy matter, which they deposit at 

 their mouths, forming bars, which have so little water as 

 to admit only small vessels : this however seems to be no 

 great disadvantage, as there are numerous islands along 

 the shore, between which junks of ordinary size (about 200 

 tons burden) find good anchorage. Some of the rivers 

 however are said to be navigable for a considerable dis- 

 tance inl nd, especially the Tan-shuy-khy, which falls into 

 the Tan-shuy-kiang Bay, which lies in the narrow part of 

 the channel of Fukian. The rivers also offer the gjeat 

 advantage of an abundant irrigation, though they are 

 sometimes destructive to the crops by their inunda- 

 tions. 



No portion of the ocean is subject to such violent gales 

 as the sea surrounding TaV-wan on the west and east. 

 Both monsoons, the north-eastern and the south-western, 

 blow in the direction of the channel of Fukian, and as 

 they are confined between two high mountain-ranges, the 

 mountains of Fukian and of TaV-wan, their violence is 

 much increased. At the change of the monsoons the 

 most violent gales come on suddenly, and are accom- 

 panied by typhous, whirlwinds, and waterspouts. Many 

 Chinese vessels are annually lost at these seasons. The 

 Japan Sea, which lies north of TaV-wan, is noted for 

 its terrible tempests. In the vicinity of the island 

 the north-eastern monsoon generally lasts nine months, 

 as it continues to blow to the beginning of June. 

 In other respects the climate of the island is very tem- 

 perate, neither the heat nor the cold being excessive on 

 the plains along the western coast. The island is subject 

 : I iqi lakes, and they are sometimes very violent. In 

 \~i^'l I lie whole lower portion vas laid waste, and the sea 

 inundated the country to the base of the mountains for 



VOL. XXIV. B 



