Oh. Yni.] EEPOETS OF THE EALEIGH BOCK, 117 



120Z. each, he at once offered to give that sum, and seemed 

 disappointed when he was informed that Government pro- 

 perty could not he disposed of. Having lunched with us 

 in the cahin he returned to his ship, with many poHte 

 chin-chins, receiving a salute of three guns as he left the 

 " Serpent." In the afternoon he quitted Ke-lung, salutiug 

 us with three guns as he passed, having previously sent on 

 board a present of sweetmeats, and his card on red paper. 



Whilst in this part of Formosa it was determhied to 

 search for, and determine the position of, the Ealeigh Rock 

 and Recruit Island, both of which were very doubtfully laid 

 down on the charts. The Raleigh Rock was supposed to be 

 seen by H.M.S. " Ealeigh " in 1837, and was afterwards 

 described by Sir E. Belcher as 90 feet high, perpendicular 

 on all sides, and covering an area of about 60 feet in diameter. 

 The ship "Recruit," in 1861, sighted an island near the 

 same spot, which was described by the master as about a 

 mile in extent, and 600 feet high. The ship " King Lear," 

 Captain Croudace, also describes a rock of 90 feet high close 

 to the same locahty, rising very abruptly, and having a small 

 rock standing erect, Hlie a pillar in ruins, detached from its 

 north side. The possible existence, therefore, of two or three 

 large rocks in the track of vessels, in a locality in which the 

 reckoning was much affected by the Japan stream, was of 

 sufficient importance to warrant an attempt to clear up the 

 mystery, especially as Admiral Belcher had not professed to 

 settle its position, owing to bad weather. 



On the 1st June, therefore, we quitted Ke-lung harbour 

 on the quest, for the second time ; for on the first occasion, 

 four days previously, we encountered such heavy weather on 

 leaving our shelter, that we were glad to put back with all 

 speed, and had received no encouragement to quit it again 



