1844.] MEIA-CO-SHIMAH PEOPLE. 87 



The S.W. angle of Typinsan is situated in Lat. 24 44' N. 

 Long. 125 14' E. var. 1 23' W.* The anchorage of 

 Ty-pin-san is in a hollow, formed by the junction of Ty- 

 pin-san and Koo-ree-mah reefs ; two other dangerous out- 

 lying reefs lie half a mile off the southern end of the latter 

 island. The anchorage is rocky with sandy patches be- 

 tween, and is not secure in any season. Ty-pin-san should 

 not be approached at all on its northern side, the reefs ex- 

 tending beyond the clear radius of vision from the summit 

 of Y-ki-mah ; on the southern side, the reef extends about 

 one mile from the land, and vessels, during northerly 

 breezes, might lie to, under its lee until morning, the 

 drain of current is southerly. As yet, safe anchorage has 

 not been found in the vicinity of Ty-pin-san or its islets. 

 " In describing the principal features which seem to 

 mark the character of the people of this hitherto unknown, 

 or rather unvisited group, termed Me'ia-co-shimahs by 

 the authorities, it will be immediately apparent how very 

 near they approximate, in general, to the inhabitants of 

 Loo-Choo, so well detailed by M'c Leod and Basil Hall 

 in the Voyages of H.M.S. 'Alceste' and 'Lyra'. Like 

 those mild and inoffensive islanders, their physical 

 appearance much resembles that of the Koreans and 

 Japanese ; their dress also consists of a similar loose robe, 

 of varied pattern, having large wide sleeves, and which is 

 secured about the waist by a long sash. Like them, also, 

 they strain back their long black hair, which is secured 

 in an elegant top-knot, through which they pass their 

 ornamental hair pins, or kamesashee and oosisashee ; the 

 former bearing an ornamental head evidently copied from 

 * For corrected Latitudes and Longitudes vide Appendix. 



