III.] 



ADIEU TO LIU-KIU. 



63 



obtained a few tons of charcoal, came off to pay us a visit. We after- 

 wards discovered that he was somewhat better acquainted with the 

 state of the market than we were. Shortly afterwards Uyeno made 

 his appearance, bringing a few Liu-kiu 

 curiosities which he had kindly under- 

 taken to procure for us — snake -skin 

 samisens, hair-pins, lacquer plates with 

 open-work bamboo edges, and such like. 

 ISTo old red lacquer was to be obtained, 

 and, more unfortunately still, he had 

 been unable to get me a copy of the 

 work on the natural history of the 

 islands which I had seen at the 

 Governor's house. As a parting present 

 from himself he had brought us some 

 specimens of a large and beautifully 

 iridescent shell (Avicula macroptcron), 

 which, lie told us, was very rare on the 

 islands, and greatly valued for its beauty, 

 been then duly drunk, we returned with our visitors, and paid a 

 farewell visit to the Yice-Governor, with whom a mutual exchange 

 of complmients and presents took place. Among the latter we 

 received some curious maps of the Liu-kiu and Meiaco archipelagos, 

 and a Japanese phrase-book in Liu-kiuan. 



Late in the afternoon we weighed anchor, and proceeded round 

 the southern end of the island. We kept off the land with the 

 intention of examining the supposed position of the Heber reef, but 

 could see no signs of it. A little later and Okinawa-sima was lost 

 to view, and the south-west breeze was wafting us rapidly towards 

 Japan, laden with the mingled memories of ruined castles and the 

 wavinos of innumerable fans. 



COCONUT WATER-JAR. 



Our healths havino- 



