1844.] PORT HADDINGTON. 85 



colours were exhibited, as our resting place for the 

 night. 



The Islands of Pa-tchung-san and Koo-kien-san afford 

 several commodious harbours, and are, with good charts, 

 perfectly safe of approach. One, on the Kee-chee side 

 of Pa-tchung-san, which we named Port Haddington, 

 in compliment to the first Lord of the Admiralty, would 

 shelter a large fleet, but it abounds with coral patches, 

 rising suddenly from ten or fifteen fathoms almost to the 

 surface. In clear weather, all those having as little as 

 five fathoms over them, are clearly discernible, and of 

 course easily avoided. Except on the northern side of 

 Koo-kien-san and that just spoken of, watering would be 

 found very difficult, as the reefs extend a great distance 

 from the mouths of the streams, which are of frequent 

 occurrence. I must except, however, Seymour Bay, on 

 the S.W. angle of Koo-kien-san, where we spent the 

 first of the year 1844. There a fine stream enters the 

 sea in deep water, and a vessel might be moored suffi- 

 ciently close to lead the hoses from Hearle's pumps into 

 her, without the intervention of boats and casks. 



ThePa-tchung-san group consists often distinct islands, 

 of which five only are at all mountainous ; the remainder 

 are flat, like the Coral islands of the Pacific, and similarly 

 belted with reefs, such as in this instance connect the 

 ten islands into a distinct group. Besides these, Hum- 

 mock Island, a high uninhabited mass of rocks, is near 

 the coast, and to the W.N.W., the Island of Y-na-koo, 

 with its lofty peak and table base, offering further in- 

 terest for an examination at some future day. Y-na-koo-is 

 probably the Koumi of the old charts. 



