209 



JAPAN, 



f I" ^HE remainder of the north oi Afia has been defcribed in 

 •*- my Arctic Zoology, what I have faid in this, ferves to 

 give all I can colle»5t refpedling that vaft continent. The illands 

 to the north of Formoja muft now be added, the omillion would 

 render this volume incomplete, for we Ihould not only lofe the 

 account of the important ifland of Japany but break into the 

 great chain, which extends quite from the firil of the Malayan 

 to the Kuril ifles, already defcribed in the above work. 



The illands, called by Mr. Armwjmitb the Tatpijiy form a nu- TATpiNlstE^ 

 merous group of fmall ifles dependent on thofe we are juft going 

 to mention ; they lie not remote from the eaftern fide of For- 

 fnofa, with the tropic of Cancer palling over the fouthern end. 



The ifles of Liquejo-, or as they are called by the natives Riukuy u^r^ of 

 are the next ; they are feventy leagues to the north-eaft of For- ^'^^J°* 

 mofa\ the moft confiderable,A7«//<:/^/V/, which lies north and fouth, 

 between Latitudes 26° 28', and 25* 45', is about fifty leagues long, 

 and fifteen broad : the eaft fide and fouth end Ikirted by num- 

 bers of little ifles and rocks ; the inhabitants arc chiefly Chinefs, 

 wlio fled from the Tartars at the time of the laft revolution. 

 They were well received by the natives, who fpeak a broken 



Vol. III. E e Chinepy 



