progrefs to 52° north latitude, the crew of the Providence penetrated many miles the furtheft. However the different claims of both navigators may be afferted, it is certain, that the furvey of the north, fouth, and east coafts of Japan, the Lieuchieux, the islands of Madjicocemah, with the examination of the coaft of the Corea, belong exclufively to our countryman. When the very ftormy and tempeftuous coaft of Japan is taken into confideration, it seems almoft incredible, that fo accurate a furvey should have been made in so small a veffel; for Captain Broughton had the misfortune to lose his ship, and profecuted the remainder of his undertaking in the Tender.

Whoever fhall take up this book for mere amusement will be disappointed; it confifts chiefly of nautical remarks, made by a seaman, and communicated in the most unadorned language. But we confider the book as of the very highest intereft and importance to navigators, and to fuch we principally recommend it.

The following was the progrefs of the voyage. From England the Providence failed to the Canary Islands, to Rio Janeiro, to Port Jackfon, Otaheite, the Sandwich Islands, and Nootka Sound. From this latter place they fleered immediately for Japan and Infu. This latter place was very imperfectly known to Europeans before this voyage, and that of La Perouse. The people are thus defcribed.

"Sept. 16. At funrise the boats were fent in fearch of water, which was found oppofite our fituation; and the Japanese who attended fignified it was very good. Several of the natives accompanied us; but the jealoufy of this man would not let them approach within a certain diftance. They fpread mats on the beach, while we were filling water; and entered into converfation with us, fmoking fmall pipes of tobacco at the fame time. Their enquiries feemed to allude to our departure, and to fhew their anxiety for our going away. On our proceeding towards the village, they ftrongly objected; and to avoid any difference, we gave up the point.

"We rowed along, the beach to the westward about two miles; the country gradually rofe in floping hills, covered with verdure, and interfperfed with wood. We came to a fine ftream of water near some houfes: on our landing, the natives, with great humility, brought us mats to fit upon, and fortunately there was no Japanese prefent to interrupt their civility. This part of the coaft being more convenient for taking in water and wood, I determined to move the ship towards it; and, after obferving the fun's meridional altitude, we returned on board. During my abfence, feveral Japanese had arrived at the vil lage, with horfes carrying merchandize; in the afternoon they came on board, with fome degree of ceremony, to pay us a vifit. They were clothed in dark-coloured cottons, with filk fafhes round their waits; and each of them wore two fabres, richly ornamented with gold and filver, whose scabbards were highly japanned: their fandals

were of ftraw and wood matted. They alfo carried their pipes and fans with them. They were very particular in enquiring what nation we belonged to, and what our intentions were in coming among them; and as they feemed to comprehend our anfwers, they immediately noted them, having, like the Chinese, Indian ink for that purpose. After fmoaking out their pipes, and taking fome refreshment, they returned on fhore. In the evening, a junk anchored near us: fhe was laden with fea-weed (fucus faccharinus), and failed the fame night.

66

17th. This morning we hauled the feine with indifferent fuccefs, and were alfo employed in wooding and watering. I visited the opening we had perceived coming in, which proved to be a small harbour, having within it 3 fathoms, and the entrance to it was between fome rocks above water. It is a very convenient port for fmall veffels, and surrounded with houses; one of a larger kind was inhabited by fome Japanese, with a garden producing French beans and turnip radishes. On our return, we landed at the large village, and met our Japanese acquaintance, who appeared very uneafy in feeing us fo near their habitations, and ftrongly preffed us to return to the ship: we however walked to the watering place, where we embarked to their great fatisfaction.

18th. In the morning we moored the fhip nearer the watering place, and for the firft time faw fome women. They were fishing with the men, and affifting them in rowing. Their hair was cut very fhort, clofe round their heads; their lips were punctured with a blue colour, and their clothing feemed in every refpect fimilar to the

mens'.

19th. Through the whole day we were employed in wooding and watering.

20th. In the morning we proceeded to examine the north-weft fide of the bay. After rowing three miles, we came to a small village fituated at the mouth of a rivulet; this, for fome diftance, we traced along the beach. It appeared to flow from the north; and we ima◄ gined its fource to be at a confiderable dittance, from the depth of the water, and the rapidity of the fream. The country through which it meandered presented a very beautiful autumnal profpect; the hills were clothed with verdure, which was varied with clumps of trees, difpofed in the manner of an English park, and appearing as if arranged by the hand of art. The inhabitants of this fmall village received us with great civility, but in no part did we fee any cultivation,

"We returned on board in the afternoon, against a strong wind from the S. E. quarter; occafioning a large fwell, and increafing in the night.

"21ft. The fame wind and weather continued, and the furf on the beach was fo high we could not get off either wood or water.

"22d. The furf on the beach remained fo high, that our parties could not land till Saturday; when the winds, both from fea and land, became moderate, and enabled us to compl e our taking in wood and water. The natives conftantly attended our people on shore, bartering grapes for buttons; and fometimes we were able to perfuade the

fishermen,

frhermen, as they paffed by the ship, to sell us some fish; but this we could but feldom obtain.

"25th. The mafter was fent to examine the shore between the Thip and the apparent island. In the morning we were vifited by a new party of Japanese, fuperior to the others in drefs, and equally fo in behaviour. We derived not only pleature, but information alfo, from their fociety. They fhewed us a chart of the world, which appeared to have been conftructed in Ruffia; and having a book with them, in which were drawn the arms of different countries, they immediately pointed out thofe of Great Britain, to which country they fup pofed us to belong. They had alfo a Ruffian alphabet; and, by what I could understand, one of them had been at Petersburg. We had on board a feaman of that country, who converfed with them in his native language. They permitted me to copy a large chart of the islands to the north of Japan, and promifed me to bring one of their own doing the next day. After mutual civilities, they went on fhore. The mafter returned in the evening, having found a very good harbour in the N. E. corner of the bay, formed by the apparent island, which he difcovered to be a peninfula.

"26th. Fine weather enabled us to get every thing from the Shore, and we prepared for going to fea. Our Japanese friends joined our party at dinner, and prefented me with a chart of their own doing; in return I gave them Captain Cook's general chart of the world, which gratified them extremely. They were curious in making remarks on whatever they faw; and what they could not comprehend, they immediately reprefented in India ink drawings. They feemed highly pleased to hear that we intended to depart fhortly," P. 96,

They next visited the Kurile Iflands, of which Mareekan was the boundary of this, as well as of La Perouse's voyage. Ranging the eastern coaft of Japan, and paffing to the Lieuchieux Iflands, they proceeded to Macao, thus completing the firft part of the expedition. Their fecond expedition was to the north through the Straits of Sangaar, returning by the coaft of the Corea, and the Yellow Sea. Unfortunately, their fhip was wrecked on a coral reef off the island of Typinfan; the defcription of whofe natives, their manners, country, and habitations, is very interefting. This misfortune occafioned their return to China; where, having disposed of his supernumeraries, Captain Broughton proceeded to furvey the coafts of Tartary and Corca. The defcription of the island of Lieuchieux, called by the natives Loochoo, is among the moft entertaining parts of the volume; nor is that of Matzmai at all lefs fo. We shall give one extract more, representing the island of Tzima, between Japan and the coaft of Corea.

"It continued raining without intermiffion till day-light, when we had fair and pleasant weather, with the wind from the N. W. quarter.

The

The fea was open to us from the fouth to S. 23° E.; and in the angle we faw very diftinctly the island of Tzima, at ten leagues diftance.

"Early in the morning we were furrounded by boats full of men, women, and children, whofe curiofity had brought them off to fee the ftrange veffel. They were univerfally cloathed in linen garments made into loofe jackets and trowfers, quilted or doubled; and fome of them wore large loofe gowns. The women had a fhort petticoat over their trowfers; and both fexes, linen boots, with sandals made of rice ftraw. The men wore their hair in a knot tied up to the crown, and the women had theirs twifted and plaited round their heads.

"The features and complexions of these people resembled the Chinefe, particularly their fmall eyes; and in general all our visitors were extremely ordinary in their perfons: but it is to be remembered there were no young women in the party; the females being compofed entirely of old women and children.

In the morning we went on fhore in fearch of water, landing at the village for that purpofe; and from thence one of the inhabitants conducted us to a fine run of water, moft conveniently fituated for our purpose. We were in want both of wood and water; but of the former article the country feemed very deficient. After taking some altitudes for the watch, and obferving the diftances for the longitude, we took a walk, attended by a numerous party of the villagers. The habour, we perceived, extended fome diftance to the weftward of the rocks we had noticed in coming in, and alfo to the N. E. and S. W. of them, terminating in small bays that afforded fhelter from all winds. Many villages were fcattered round the harbour; and in the N. W. part we obferved a large town, encircled with ftone walls, and battlements upon them. Several junks were laying in a bafon near it, protected by a pier. Another mole or bafon appeared to the S. W. of the other, near fome white houfes of a fuperior construction, enclosed by a thick wood.

"The villages feemed to abound with people, and the harbour was full of boats failing about on their different avocations. They were fimilar in figure, though inferior in workmanship, to the Chinese boats; and like them made ufe of skulls and matted fails.

"As we came near another village they stopped, and begged we would not proceed any farther; and we complied with their requeft, On our return we remarked feveral graves, which the natives had pointed out and explained to us: they were placed in an east and west direction, and the ground elevated over them. Trees were planted in a femi-circular form round moft of them, and univerfally diftinguifhed by fome ftone work.

"We got on board to dinner; and in the afternoon we were visited by fome fuperior people, who came from up the harbour. They were dreffed in large loofe gowns, and were paid great deference to by the common people. They had on large black hats, with high crowns, manufactured with a firong gauze not unlike horse hair, very ftiff and ftrong. They tied them under the chin; and these hats, ferving as umbrellas, were three feet in diameter.

Each perfon carried a fan, with a fmall fillagree box attached to it, containing perfume; and a knife hand fomely mounted was faftened

round

round their waift. A boy attended each of them, who had charge of their tobacco pipes; and whofe occupation was to keep their dreffes fmooth. Most of them wore their beards long.

"Their inquiries feemed to tend to a knowledge of what brought us to their country; but I fear our replies gave them very little fatis. faction, as we could fo little comprehend each other. They were feemingly pleased with their reception, and foon after took leave of

us.

"We went on fhore to afcend the high land near us to the fouth, and from thence to take fome bearings. Our view from the top was very extenfive; and we faw diftinctly over every part of the harbour. Our angles were however ufelefs, the needle being fo ftrongly affected as to point east inftead of north, owing to fome magnetic power in the mountain, which would not admit the needle pointing true in any fituation. This hill was high and rocky; but the fides produced coarfe grafs, on which cattle were feeding; and in the lower parts, fome paddy fields.

"On our return on board in the evening we found the vessel crowded with vifitors, nor could we get rid of them till dark, and even with great difficulty, ufing almoft violence to induce them to go into their boats. At last they went on fhore.

"Soon after dark we were furprized feeing there boats coming off from the fhore, full of men, and very defirous to come on board. I did not chufe to permit them, and they came to an anchor along. fide. As we were unacquainted with their intentions, their conduct appeared to us fufpicious; and we prepared for the worft, having every body ftationed at their quarters. In a fhort time a boat came to them from the fhore with lights, which being diftributed amongst the others, after fome confultation, they took up their anchors and rowed on shore to the village.

"Fresh breezes and very pleasant weather from the N. W. quarter: the nights were cool and the days warm, having a clear fun. We had no boats off till after breakfast, when two came full of visitors, dreffed in a fuperior ftyle to any we had yet feen. In each were fome foldiers carrying finall fpears, that were as ftaffs to their colours, which were a blue fattin field, with their arms in yellow characters. The hats of the foldiers were decorated with peacock's feathers. They made me a prefent of falt fish, rice, and fea-weed (fucus facharinus).

"After many inquiries refpecting us, we plainly faw they were extremely anxious for our departure, which I explained to them was impoffible, as we were much in want of wood, water, and refreshments. They immediately offered to fend us any quantity of the former; but I could not perfuade them to fend any of the cattle we pointed out to them, grazing on the fhore. As money appeared of no value, and we had no other means to induce them, we were under the necessity of bearing with the disappointment, of feeing daily what we could not procure.

"These great men were dreffed in the fame form as the others we had before feen, but their garments were much finer; and the outer one was of a light blue gauze or tiffany.

"Under their chins, as if tying their large black hats, they had a tring of large beads, either agate, amber, or black, wood, which

was