ALCESTE ISLAND. 
99 
however, a closer and more critical inspection had 
taken place, and the supposed sea-monster turned 
out to be, in reality, a long dark root of a tree, 
gnarled and twisted, and secured to the moorings 
of a fishing net ; the strong tide j^assing it rapidly, 
giving it an apparent life-like movement and 
serpentine aspect. 
***** 
“ Alceste Island,”— the name of which recalls the 
splendours of a former Embassy to China, and 
many pleasant associations connected with the 
Narrative of Staunton, and the Voyages of 
Captains Maxwell and Basil Hall, not forgetting 
j 
Surgeon Macleod's “Voyage of the Alceste,” — is 
a little high island, placed to the north of the 
extremity of the Shan-tung Promontoiy, the 
easternmost continuation of the lofty peninsula 
which forms the Province of Shan-tung. On 
the rocks above water which form a portion of 
the reef that extends about a mile round the 
island, lie huddled together numbers of seals, 
which, on our approach in the boat, all tumble 
