PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 
497 
case, and the Capstan Rock, spoken of before, presents a curious instance CHAP, 
of its effect ; but it is not quite so evident that the sea has reached 
the cliffs near Abbey Point, as they are seiiarated from it by a plain May, 
• ^ • 1 827 
covered with vegetation, and the violence of the waves is broken by 
reefs which lie far outside them. 
The soil in the vicinity of Napa-kiang is generally arenacious and 
marly, but to the south-east of Abbey Point there is a stratum of clay, 
which, in consequence of its retaining moisture better than other parts 
of the soil, is appropriated to the cultivation of rice. 
The greater part of the island is surrounded by reefs of coral. 
These are of two sorts ; one in which the animals have ceased to exist, 
and the other which is still occupied by them. Roth are darker- 
coloured than the reefs in the middle of the Pacific, owing, probably, 
to various depositions which the rains have washed from the land. 
The shells found upon them are very much incrusted. About eight 
miles to the northward of Napa-kiang there is a deep bay, the shores 
of which are very flat, and have been converted into salt-pans by the 
natives. A river which appears to have its rise near the capital, after 
passing at the back of some hills, about five miles inland, empties itself 
into this bay. There is also another stream at Potsoong. 'I’he natives 
would not permit us to ascertain how far inland the water flowed up 
the harbour ; nor would they inform us whether it was a division of 
the island, as its appearance induced us to suppose. In the Chinese 
plan already alluded to, the island is divided by such a channel ; but 
it is doubtful whether this division may not be intended for the chan- 
nel which separates Loo Choo from the Madjico-sima group, as the 
island to the southward has Ta-ping-chan written upon it, and there is 
a small island close to the eastward of it csMed Little Lew-Kew‘^. The 
relative positions of these are correctly given in the plan, but, if in- 
tended for those places, there is an egregious violation of all distance 
and proportion. 
It has been already mentioned that the vegetable productions of 
the torrid and temperate zones are here found combined. The palmae, 
* Foimosa, notwithstanding it is considerably larger than Loo Choo, was called Little 
Lieou-Kieou, from there being so few inhabitants upon it . — Recueil de P. Gaubil. 
3 s 
