554 Attempted visit to the [Oct. 



the country in consequence of some rain having already fallen, which 

 made it doubtful whether the prospects of the season were so bad as 

 to render the present a favorable occasion for such an application on 

 our part, founded as it was on the assumption that the country was 

 threatened with famine. Captain McKay was requested to be in no 

 hurry about presenting his copy, but to let all persons understand 

 that he had come with such a petition. 



May 7th. At 1 a. m. we left the ship with a fair wind and flood-tide. 

 We were 14 persons in all ; namely, Mr. Gutzlaff, Mr. Stevens, 

 and myself, the Gunner of the " Findlay, " a native of Trieste, a 

 tindal, eight lascars of various nations, Bengal, Goa, Muscat, Macao, 

 and Malayan Islands, and my Portuguese servant, a native of Bombay. 

 Having studied such charts of the river as we possessed, we resolved 

 on turning to the left as soon as we came to the entrance of a river 

 called in them the Chang : its position corresponding with that of the 

 rejunction of the right branch of the Min, as laid down in the Jesuit's 

 Map. Mr. Stevens kept the look out at the head of the boat, and the 

 Gunner steered, while the tindal sounded. The night was fortunately 

 clear, and by 4 o'clock, we struck off into the western river. This 

 soon widened into a very broad channel, which a little further on 

 seemed to branch into two. That to the left-hand appeared full of 

 shoals, and low sedgy islands, and we accordingly followed that to 

 the right, which appeared still broad and clear. It was on our right, 

 besides, that we had to look for the main stream of the Min. We 

 had not proceeded far before the expanded sheet of water we were 

 proceeding by gradually diminished in width, sending off several 

 small branches in various directions, until at last it dwindled away 

 into a narrow nullah, over which there was a stone bridge. Relying 

 on the strength with which the tide flowed up this creek, as proof 

 that it must lead into some other channel, we struck our masts, and 

 passed the bridge, going on, till we saw reason to believe the reports 

 of the villagers, that there was really no passage into the Min by 

 that course. We accordingly came to, that our people might cook, 

 intending to retrace our way with the assistance of the ebb. Unfor- 

 tunately, however, the depth decreased so rapidly, that before we had 

 proceeded far, we were fairly brought up, and obliged to wait for the 

 return of the flood. Mr. Stevens and Mr. Gutzlaff went ashore 

 to reconnoitre, and satisfied themselves that the branch we had 

 avoided in the morning, was the proper one to be pursued ; in which 

 opinion they were confirmed by the villagers. We were unable to 

 get a pilot. To all inquiries as to our destination we replied that 

 we wished to go to Min-Tsing, the next Hfn town above Fuhchow. 



