72 RETURN TO THE MEIA-CO-SHIMAS. [1845. 



Haddington about 8, A.M., and having obtained observa- 

 tions for the Chronometers, sailed the same evening. 



Our friend Kieu-Anchee was, I thought, rather tardy 

 in making his appearance, but on his arrival, he endea- 

 voured to explain this apparent inattention, by stating 

 that it arose from his anxiety to keep a promise which he 

 had made, to procure two monster specimens of the 

 large furbelowed Clam (Tridacna gigas), and which he 

 informed me, his people would shortly bring to the beach. 

 His apparent coolness, which I attributed mainly to fresh 

 instructions from Loo-Choo, soon wore off, and I thought 

 that I could trace a certain nervousness, or a fluctuation 

 between duty and friendship, the latter certainly predomi- 

 nating. He would scarcely credit my resolve to sail im- 

 mediately, and left me very precipitately to obtain vege- 

 tables, and other little presents, as well as to hasten those 

 conveying the shells. Time, however, was too valuable 

 to us, and without the satisfaction of a formal leave-taking 

 we were soon distancing the port, and, with a fine breeze, 

 cleared the dangers before dark. 



The breeze deserted us on rounding the western dan- 

 gers, and between these islands and the southern limit of 

 Formosa, we were harassed by contrary currents and 

 light baffling airs, reaching Botel Tobago on the 30th. 



In this neighbourhood we continued to make many 

 traverses, taking advantage of every change in order to 

 cross the position assigned to Gadd's Rock, or Cumbrian 

 Reef; but without noticing the slightest indication of 

 ripple or breaker, sufficiently distinct to warrant the idea 

 of a shoal. The sea was perfectly smooth, and as our 

 latest authority, Captain Ross, assigns a depth of twelve 



