THE COUNT DE BENYOWSKY, 
171 
in its broadest part, but greatly contracted at each 
extremity. That part of the island which the Chinese 
possess presents extensive and fertile plains, watered by 
a great number of rivulets that fall from the eastern 
mountains. Its air is pure and wholesome, and the 
earth produces in abundance corn, rice, and most other 
kinds of grain. Most of the India fruits are found here, — 
such as oranges, bananas, pineapples, guavas, cocoanuts, 
— and part of those of Europe, particularly peaches, apri- 
cots, figs, grapes, chestnuts, pomegranates, watermelons, 
&c. Tobacco, sugar, pepper, camphor, and cinnamon, 
are also common. The capital of Formosa is Taiouan, — 
a name which the Chinese give to the whole island.” 
In addition to the foregoing extracts from standard au- 
thority, we have a most marvellous account of this island 
from the pen of Mauritius Augustus, Count deBenyowsky, 
a Polish refugee from Siberian exile', who visited its east 
coast in 1790 in a small armed vessel containing about 
one hundred men. The account by this nobleman is 
interesting in the extreme, but unfortunately he is guilty 
of one gross and palpable falsehood, which necessarily 
throws a shade of distrust on his entire narrative. He 
speaks “of anchoring in several fine harbours on the east 
coast;” whereas we of the Hancock searched in vain for 
any such place of refuge along that entire shore. On the 
north and west coasts they are quite plentiful. 
After anchoi'ing in one of these “fine harbours,” the 
count goes on to give us an idea of the people who re- 
ceived him: they were Indians, savages, and very fierce, 
— so much so that they soon attempted the murder of a 
party that had visited their village. He now killed a 
