238 



QUE CHINA FLEET. 



Chap. XI. 



coal which only require to be dug out of the 

 earth. 



We have had a whole fleet of men-of-war — brigs 

 and steamers of all sizes — in China ever since the 

 termination of the last war, and yet how little has 

 been done to extend our knowledge of an island 

 like this, or, with the exception of Japan, and 

 this was only a year ago, of any part to the east- 

 ward of China beyond the 32° of north latitude. 

 In the fruitless search made after the Eussian 

 fleet in 1855, the knowledge which we ought 

 to have acquired long ago, but which we had 

 not, might have done us good service. 



Within the last year or two our vessels of war 

 have had enough to do, and could not be spared 

 on a service of this kind. The disturbances in 

 China and the piracy on the coast have kept the 

 vessels stationed at the different ports fully em- 

 ployed, and well and nobly have they performed 

 their duties ; but some few years ago, I well re- 

 member seeing such vessels lying at their anchors 

 with nothing in the world to do for months to- 

 gether, if not for years. In several instances 

 their crews got sick, and when it was too late — 

 when numbers of the hands were dead or dying — 

 the anchors were got up, and the vessels put to 

 sea. Let any one visit the little English burying- 

 ground on the island of Chusan, and he will have a 

 full confirmation of the truth of what I state. Had 

 the commanders of these vessels been ordered to go 

 to sea from time to time, to explore the northern 



