}
252
Chusan Archipelago.
MAY,
Hĩh- Four small islets lie
Patahecock or Pătszekeo. The south-easternmost island is called Patahecock (
På tsze keō, or the 'letter Pă Point, so named from its resemblance to the form of the character ?} Its flat and table appearance will cause it to be easily recognised, when compared with the adjacent islands to the south, shan or Hesan, which are rugged and uneven. off its northeastern shore, and one off the southern. The summit is more than 450 feet above the level of the sea, and in lat. 29° 22′ N., and 122° 13′ 40′′ E. The northeastern islet of the group is a nar- row cliff, an islet uninhabited. To the westward are four small islands, inhabited and cultivated; and north of them, three cables, is a flat precipitous rock; its colored appearance renders it remarkable, being composed of red porphyritic hornstone. This face of the island may be approached without danger.
The westernmost island is the second in size and attains an elevá- tion of 400 feet. The body of the large island lies due south ‘from it. Between the two is a mud bank, gradually shoaling to the shore of the large island. By keeping the western extreme of the west islaud to the eastward of N.N.E., not less than 3 fathoms will be found and good holding ground without much swell. The highest part of the large island forms a sharp peak, near the western extreme, and is 490 feet high. The coast line of the island consists of steep high cliffs, with the exception of six small sandy bays.
South, and separated by a channel a cable and a half wide, there is another island, which is also high, with steep cliffs. Off the west- ern point is a half tide rock, and a reef runs off from its south
extreme.
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Holderness Rock. The Holderness rock lies N. 88° W. 1 mile from the highest part of this island. It has 1 fathom over it, and breaks occasionally. From it, the highest part of the western island bears N. 24° E; a small peaked islet to the S.E.S. 52° E., and Pa- tahecock table, S. 66° E. The reef of rocks, lying off the south ex- treme of the nearest island, being in line with it.
Sunken rock. Another sunken rock, with only three quarters of a fathom on it, lies S. 20° W. three quarters of a mile from the summit of the island, south of the large Kewshan; and N. 70° W. from Patas hecock, the east extreme of the large island being in line with the east extreme of the nearest island bearing N. 509 E. The inhabi tants were civil, and sold their pigs, potatoes, and goats readily. Fresh water probably could not be procured in any quantity.
During the expedition against Chusan in 1840, H. M. ship Pylades
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