jCh.IV.] EICE EMBAEGO. 65 



over, the Chinese authorities winked at the exportation by 

 natives, and junks laden with it left Tai-wan in spite of the 

 embargo, greatly, no doubt, to the advantage of the man- 

 darins. The excuse that no more was produced than was 

 required was simply a subterfuge ; and the evil effects to the 

 commerce of the island are evident from the fact, that it was 

 roughly estimated that the direct loss with regard to Ta-kau 

 alone, ia commissions, was equivalent to 63,000 dollars per 

 annum as long as the prohibition lasted. Although, how- 

 ever, it extended to all Pormosa, it was enforced with far 

 less stringency at Tam-suy than in the other ports. 



A Hamburg merchant, Mr. MUlisch, residing at Mbang- 

 ka, or Bang-ka, situated nine or ten miles up the right 

 branch of the Tam-suy river, having invited us to visit him 

 there, we took the opportunity of seeing a town which, being 

 the chief of the Hoo-wei district, was more considerable and 

 interesting than Tam-suy. Mr. MiUisch was the only Euro- 

 pean resident there, and occupied a handsome two-storied 

 house, the only one I observed in this part of Formosa. 

 "We accordingly went up with the tide in the captain's gig, 

 aided by a breeze from the sea. For the first four miles 

 the stream was of varying width, averaging about a mile, 

 and running in a south-easterly direction at the foot of the 

 Kwang-yin hills, which, seen in the light of a western sun, 

 had a remarkably piled-up or cone-in-cone appearance, and 

 at the base are perforated with caverns. . On the right bank 

 a cultivated plain stretched to the foot of the Tai-tun hUls, 

 which expanded to the eastward as we proceeded. At length, 

 at a village called Kan-tow, the stream divided, the left 

 branch continuing its course across the island in an easterly 

 direction, while the right, which we followed, took a south- 

 easterly course through a flat country, in which rice, sugar. 



