38 EAMBLE8 OF A NATURALIST. [Oh. III. 



probability of spending some weeks in visiting its various 

 ports; and on the 6th May the "Serpent" arrived off Ta-kau- 

 con, ia the south-eastern comer of the island. 



The harbour is so small, and the entrance so narrow, 

 that we did not attempt to take the ship in, but contented 

 ourselves with anchoring outside, where heavy rollers, the 

 result of the recent typhoon, were setting in from the south- 

 west. Several catamarans — mere rafts of bamboos, on which 

 a single Chinaman stands and rows — came off with vegetables 

 and fruit, presenting a curious appearance, for not only 

 were they entirely lost to sight when in the trough of the 

 sea, but even when borne up on the crest of the wave the 

 rower seemed to be standing upon the water itself. 



The aspect of Ta-kau from the anchorage was striking and 

 interesting. North of the harbour was Apes' HiU, consist- 

 ing of a double truncated elevation, the higher plateau 

 reaching 1120 feet — and, southwards, the Saracen cliffs, a 

 long line of low perpendicular rocks, upon which a few cycads 

 were growing. Between these elevations was the narrow 

 entrance to the harbour, within which could be seen the 

 yards of several square-rigged vessels moimting Bremen 

 colours, while behind all was a magnificent range of moun- 

 tains in the distance — a portion of that chain which traverses 

 the island of Formosa from north to south — whose slopes 

 and base are the abodes of numberless species of deer, wild 

 cats, pheasants, &c., and which formerly had the reputation 

 of harbouring tigers also. But we have much to learn yet 

 of the natural productions of the island ; and but few 

 Europeans have penetrated even to the foot of these 

 lulls, about which we know but little more now than we 

 did when the forgeries of Psalmanazar guUed a susceptible 

 public. 



