COAL REGIONS OF FORMOSA. 159 



Our surveyors, from this circumstance, have named the point at the western entrance of the 

 harbor, "Image Point." 



Saturday, 15th. — Captain Abbot wishing to make the Hip-toy a present in return for his of 

 yesterday, requested me to accompany it, which I did. The mandarin was greatly pleased ; 

 and I said to him, " You see that our coming here has been of advantage to your people ; they 

 are finding a good market in our ship for everything they bring, and we are scattering a great 

 deal of money among them. Now, if we can find coal here of a suitable quality for our 

 steamers, it will be greatly to the profit of your country, making you rich and prosperous. A 

 party of us desire to set out overland for the coal-mine you speak of, 100 miles from this, on the 

 eastern coast ; and we wish you to furnish us with four sedan-chairs and bearers for that 

 purpose." He replied that the thing was impossible ; that the region of country lying between 

 is out of his jurisdiction, and is inhabited by savage men, who are cannibals ; and that his own 

 people have to steal the coal which they procure there. 



At 3 p. M.j the Hip-toy came in state to visit the ship, accompanied by four other mandarins 

 in official costume. They were shown around the vessel, and seemed to be greatly pleased. 



Sunday, 16th. — This afternoon a native came alongside in a shore-boat with coal for sale. 

 He said he brought it 100 miles in his boat, which was evidently false, and we determined on 

 exploring the coast ourselves on the morrow as far as our boats could venture from the ship. 



Towards evening Captain Abbot's steward, a Chinaman, brought on board two natives, who 

 offered, if we would pay them well, and keep the matter secret, to conduct us to the mines on 

 the coast, which they said were distant five hours' pull in the boats. To make sure of them, we 

 determined to keep them on board all night. 



Monday, l*lth. — Purser Allison, Mr. Breese, and myself, together with the two natives, started 

 in a ship's boat at earliest dawn ; our guides, at their request, disguised in sailors' dresses. We 

 pulled through a channel between the main and a small island, at the eastern entrance of the 

 bay, (called "junk and boat passage" in the chart;) thence on by a sharp promontory 

 ("Sphinx Head") two miles distant ; and, turning this, to our joy, saw the mines before us, 

 only a little way off; so that the 100 miles of the mandarins and of the coal-merchant of 

 Sunday, and the five hours' pull of our guides, thus resolved themselves into a distance of only 

 three miles from the ship. The position of the mines was also everything thatcoiildbe desired. 

 They are represented on the accompanying map by the letters e,f, g, h. A steep bluff, 200 feet 

 high, rises here almost directly from the water ; its strata of various kinds distinctly marked 

 along its face, and running down at an angle of about 15° with the horizon. One of these 

 strata was marked by black coal-heaps along its front, and showed itself to be a coal seam, the 

 several drifts opening to the right being evidently in a single seam. Their appearance is thus : 



Entering the lower drift, which is about 20 feet above water mark, I found myself at once 

 in the coal seam, here 32 inches thick, the strike E. and W., and dip 10° S. This drift reaches 

 to the extent of only 100 feet. 



