FORMOSA. [chap. 



There are few more stupendous cliffs than those of the Yosemite 



Valley in California, and if any one wishes for a sensation of height, 



combined with others, to a novice, of a less pleasing nature, he has 



only to 



" Hang half-way down, 



As one that gathers samphire — dreadful trade," 



in search of birds' eggs over the grand sea-wall of Hoy in the 

 Orkneys. I have dropped my pebble over the edge of the 2000 

 feet of perpendicularity which the Penha D'aguia in Madeira 

 opposes to the Atlantic surges, and have admired the glories of the 

 iron-bound coast of Norway. But all these fade into nothingness 

 beside the giant precipices of Formosa. Surely the Portuguese 

 must have sighted the island from the north or south. Had they 

 made their first acquaintance with the low flat shores of the western 

 side, the name would never have occurred to them. Had they seen 

 it first from the east they could not have stopped short of a super- 

 lative. 



We passed the village of Chock-e-day, or rather its supposed 

 position, for neither it, nor the river marked in the chart in this 

 latitude, were to be seen. The short, shar|) gale of the previous 

 day had dropped before sundown, but had left a somewhat heavy 

 swell behind it, which caused the Marclicsa to roll steadily. "We 

 kept close in to the land, the appearance of which, if anything, 

 increased in gi-andeur. The gigantic wall of rock is cleft every few 

 miles by huge gorges, which in the rainy season must pour mimense 

 volumes of water into the sea, as is evident from the size of the 

 boulders in their beds. Now, however, they were dry, or nearly so, 

 and looked tempting enough, forming as they did a practicable 

 highway into the interior, which is otherwise well-nigh inaccessible, 

 owing to the denseness of the vegetation. Off the mouth of one of 

 these, in a position that noon observations gave us as 24° 14' N., 

 we ran closer in-shore, with the intention, if possible, of anchoring, 

 but, gettmg no soundings with 100 fathoms, we decided that it 

 would be better to keep the ship standing off and on rather than to 



