Part 2 — NOTICE EXPLANATORY OF A CHART

OF

THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE GULF OF PE-CHE-LEE, YELLOW SEA.

[Sidenote: First meridian used in constructing the chart.]

In constructing this chart, I have assumed the longitude of the fort at the mouth of the Pei-ho to be 117º 49' east of Greenwich, or 11' west of the place where the squadron lay at anchor. From this the difference of longitude was measured by two chronometers. The latitudes were ascertained by frequent observations of the stars, as well as of the sun.

[Sidenote: Aspect of the south and south-west coasts.]

[Sidenote: Soundings.]

The coast on the south and south-west sides of this Gulf is very low, resembling, in this respect, the shore at the entrance of the Pei-ho, or Pekin river, where it is uniformly low and sandy; occasionally a few houses are to be seen, and also square mounds or buildings like forts, but generally, a low white beach is all that can be discovered. The coast is not visible till within about three leagues distance, and the eye elevated eighty feet from the sea, which is the height of the Lyra's foretop-gallant yard. The depth of water when the land first came in sight, was generally five fathoms; at some places only four fathoms, and at the very bottom of the Gulf, it could not be discerned till in three and a half fathoms. It may be said generally, that at ten miles distance the soundings are from four and a half to six fathoms; at twelve miles, from six to eight fathoms. There is a wonderful uniformity in the depth from the Pei-ho round to the south-east corner of the Gulf; the bottom is mud, sometimes a little gritty, particularly towards the southern parts.

[Sidenote: Colour of the water.]

The colour of the water was mostly of the same dirty yellow or green which was observed off the Pei-ho, but we did not observe any red coloured water, as was frequently noticed at that place; at the bottom of the Gulf, indeed, there were several changes in the colour of the water, accompanied by long lines of foam, indicating, it would seem, the vicinity of a great river.

[Sidenote: Tides on the western side of the Gulf.]

On the west side of the Gulf the ebb tide runs to the south-east by south, and the flood north-west by west; the periods are very regular, being generally about six hours: they vary, however, in rapidity. As we anchored on the flood we were enabled to measure its velocity; as we got deep in the Gulf it decreased: at the Pei-ho it frequently ran two and two and a half knots, but far south it was sometimes hardly perceptible; it is worthy of notice, too, that the perpendicular rise and fall decreased from ten feet off the Pei-ho, to one, or at most two feet, in the bottom of the Gulf.

[Sidenote: Bottom of the Gulf.]

The most southern point of our track was 37º 15' north; at this time we could perceive the low coast stretching to the east and west; the distance it is difficult to assign very accurately, but it was probably seven or eight miles, for with a glass we could perceive a number of people on the shore. I took great pains to ascertain the latitude stated above, by the meridian altitudes of several stars; the longitude is 1º 39' east of the Pei-ho, or 119º 28' east of Greenwich.

[Sidenote: South-eastern side different from the opposite.]

The coast from the south-west corner of the Gulf to the peninsula of Teu-choo-foo, is of a totally different character from that opposite to it, for it is high, and well marked: a range of mountains stretches from south-west to north-east, at the distance of three or four leagues inland; their outline is peaked, and they are intersected by deep ravines without any verdure; the summits are also barren.

[Sidenote: Mount Ellis.]

One of these mountains is very remarkable, having two peaks or paps by which it can be distinguished at the distance of fifty miles, and bears the same aspect when viewed from all parts of the Gulf. It lies in 37º 6' north, and 2º 11' east of the Pei-ho, or 120º east of Greenwich. It has been called Mount Ellis, in honour of Mr. Ellis, the third commissioner of the Embassy.

[Sidenote: Aspect of the coast.]

[Sidenote: Jane's Isle.]

[Sidenote: Douglas Island.]

Between this range of hills and the shore, there is a lower belt of elevated ground in a state of high cultivation, covered with many towns and villages, and interspersed with scattered trees and several extensive woods; the ground, too, presents a varied surface, so that the whole offers a pleasing contrast with the rugged land behind. There are two small islands on this line of coast; the southern one lies in 37º 21' north, and 2º 5' east of the Pei-ho; the other is in 37º 28' north, and 2º 19' east of the Pei-ho.

[Sidenote: Dangerous shoal.]

There is a dangerous shoal about five leagues off the shore, abreast of these islands, upon which the Lyra nearly struck at midnight on the 17th instant. When at anchor just outside the shoal, the south island bore south 20º east, and the other, east 21º south; on the shoal there was two and a half fathoms, hard bottom. It seems to extend in a north and south direction, and is very narrow. It lies in 37º 32' north, which I ascertained by altitudes of the pole star, under favourable circumstances. It is 1º 58' 30" east of the Pei-ho.

[Sidenote: Soundings and tides.]

The soundings on this side of the Gulf are somewhat deeper than on the other, but not so deep as might have been expected from the bold nature of the land. The ebb tide runs to the north-eastward, and the flood into the Gulf.

[Sidenote: Winds.]

[Sidenote: Melville Point.]

[Sidenote: Teu-choo-foo city.]

The wind was south-east and quite light, from the 11th August to the 17th, when it shifted to north north-east till about eight P.M. when close in shore near the southern of the two islands; it then blew off, with all the appearance of a regular land breeze. On the 19th it blew a gale of wind from the north-east, with a short, high sea; during the gale we lay at anchor off a remarkable point, connected with the main land by a low sandy neck; the ground felt soft to the lead, but it was probably rocky under the mud, as both ships lost a bower anchor by the cables being cut. This point lies in 37º 42' north, and 2º 35' east of the Pei-ho. We found the city of Teu-choo-foo to lie in 3º 4' east of the Pei-ho. The latitude observed in Teu-choo-foo roads was 37º 53' north, and the longitude 2º 54' east of the Pei-ho. The western Meadow Island bearing north.

[Sidenote: Cheatow Bay.]

The latitude of a small island at the north-east corner of the Bay of Cheatow or Zee-a-tow, was determined by the sun's meridian altitude on shore, to be 37º 35' 52" north, and longitude east of the Pei-ho 3º 45', or in 121º 34' east of Greenwich.

[Sidenote: Oei-hai-oei.]

The latitude of Oei-hai-oei was observed on shore to be 37º 30' 40" north, and lies 4º 25' east of the Pei-ho.

[Sidenote: Variation of the compass.]

The variation of the compass in the Yellow Sea was found to be 2º 16' westerly.

The rise and fall of the tide at the anchorage of the squadron off the Pei-ho was twelve feet. It was high water at full, and change at III. The flood tide runs to the west-south-west, and the ebb generally about east and east-south-east. Its strength and direction are a good deal influenced by the prevalent winds.