SAILING DIRECTIONS AND NAUTICAL REMARKS. 381 



The islands Yourou, Oukin, and Kakaronina, are high, well wooded, and appear to he 

 inhabited. These, as well as all other of the islands laid down on the French " Carte de L 

 Archipel Lou Tchou, et de la partie sud du Japon" of 1848, that were seen by our squadron, are 

 correctly placed. We helieve the chart can he fully relied upon. 



Ou-sirna is the largest of the chain of islands lying between Lew Chew and Japan. It is 

 about thirty miles long, lying in a northeast and southwest direction, and is high, well culti- 

 vated, and from the number of villages seen along the coast, must contain a large population. 



Two boats from the Mississippi landed near a village in a bay on the western shore, where 

 there is good anchorage, but which is entirely exposed to the eastward. A few fowls and vege- 

 tables were procured from the natives, though the visitors were decidedly unwelcome. Off this 

 bay, about two miles distant from the shore, there are two rocks above water. 



The vessels sounded as they ran along the western shore, four or five miles distant, in from 

 45 to 52 fathoms. The north end of the island is high, and, as it is connected with the main 

 by a narrow, low isthmus, it has the appearance, from some bearings, of being a separate 

 island, and, as such, it is placed upon some of the charts. There are several smaller islands 

 lying immediately off the south end. Latitude, north point, 28° 31' north ; longitude, north 

 point, 129° 41' east. 



This is probably the " Harbor island " of the old charts. 



There is a rock, fifteen or twenty feet high, three or four miles to the northward of the North 

 point.* 



Kikai-sima,f probably Bungalow island of the old charts, lies to the southward and eastward 

 of the north end of Ou-sima, distant about twelve miles. This is a moderately high island, 

 about seven miles in length, and inhabited. Latitude, center of the island, 28° 20' north ; 

 longitude, center of the island, 129° 57' 30" east. 



SANDON KOCK. 



This is a small rock, about twenty feet in height, resembling a haycock, and lying twelve 

 miles north by east-half-east from the north point of Ou-sima. 



Bungalow and Harbor islands, as laid down on some of the charts to the eastward of the 

 north end of Ou-sima and Kikai-sima, we are satisfied do not exist. 



ISLAND OF KIKAI, 



As laid down on some charts in latitude 29° 36' north, longitude 130° 25' east, has no 

 existence in that position. The strong currents which prevail in this vicinity are no doubt the 

 cause of the numerous discrepancies in the positions of islands, &c, given by the different 



charts. 



REDFIELD ROCKS. 



This is a dangerous cluster of small, sharp pointed rocks, varying from five to twenty feet in 

 height, and lying about twenty miles southwest from Kozu-sima, in latitude 33° 56' 13" north, 

 longitude 138° 48' 31" east ; and latitude 33° 57' 31" north, longitude 138° 49' 13" east. 



* The ship William Badger reports (1S56) the discovery of two rocks, about 8 feet above water, bearing northeast by 

 north from Ou-sima, distant 30 miles. 



f Commander Rodgers, in his recent surveying expedition to the North Pacific, reports a dangerous shoal about two 

 miles south by west from the southwest point of this island. The charts of his valuable surveys are now in process of pub- 

 lication . 



