54 EXPLORE THE HEIGHTS. [1845. 



from the various heads under the manipulation of the 

 youthful valets. 



At length, having re-mounted our steeds, we proceeded 

 by gentle oblique roads, leading towards the highest range, 

 pretty well paved, and shaded with trees of large size 

 on either side. At the summit the ground appeared to be 

 levelled by art, and the Padre taking the lead, passed into 

 a narrow path, reaching to the summit, at the boundary 

 wall of which a tablet with characters in Chinese, gave 

 some description of the building above, which was now in 

 a state of ruin. Erom our examination of the area which 

 it had occupied, being about 300 feet in length, by eighty 

 or ninety wide, and, probably, twenty-five feet in height, 

 as well as from one or two vestiges of bastions, or turrets, 

 which remained, it struck me as belonging to the same 

 school of fortification as those at Quelpart, which differ from 

 anything I have observed in recent works in China, Loo- 

 Choo or Japan, inasmuch as the latter are rather deficient 

 in placing their flanking guns to advantage. From the 

 summit of these ruins, apparently the most commanding 

 height upon Tah-Liew-Kiew (Great Loo-Choo), we were 

 able to see the ocean on all sides, as well as every re- 

 markable feature on the island, completely overlooking 

 the city of Sheudi, or Shoolee, the town of Napa, 

 anchorage, &c. As I had already received official notice 

 " that if I would not re-visit the Meia-co-shimas, to survey, 

 every facility would be afforded here, where there were 

 plenty of Mandarins to attend upon me," I considered 

 this to be my most important station, and viewed 

 with considerable interest the features of the island thus 

 delineated, as on a map, beneath me, mentally singling 



