1841
Coast of China and Corea,
375
From the Quoin, H. M. ship Wellesley sailed from Toki on the 18th of September at Ő A. M., with the tide running to the westward, carrying a depth of 10 and 10 fathoms water from the anchorage, until passing the southeast end of Houke, where it deepened to 13 and 14 fathoms, then shoaled again to 10 and 9 fathoms.
Heshan, or Miaotas group. When passing the west point of the Heshan islands, to which we gave a birth of 3 miles to avoid a reef that extends from the west point in a southwest direction 11⁄2 to 2 miles, and which broke when we passed it, after having rounded the southwestern point of the Hesban island, we hauled up gradually to the eastward, carrying a depth of 7 fathoms. The first anchorage was in 62. fathoms, good holding ground, with the western Heishan island bearing from north 38° west to north 15° west; and Long is- land or Chang shan, the easternmost of the group, from N. 53° 40 E. to S. 78° E.
The next day, we weighed, and ran further to the E. N. E., and anchored in 6 fathoms mud, with a rocky islet off the west, Heshan, bearing north 62° 40′ west, the southwestern point of Long Island or Changshan being N. 3° E., distant of a mile.
Bluff point
with a fort on it at the west side of the entrance to Tăngchow foo, S. 15° 20′ E., and the pagoda on the hill over Tăngchow foo, S. 6° 20′ E. Variation, 1° 32′ W.
There is an extensive and good anchorage under these islands. The holding ground is good and soundings regular from 6 to 7 fa- thoms water, and sheltered from all winds, except the westward, and even with a strong wind from this quarter the land is sufficiently near to prevent any sea from rising; and should it blow so hard from the westward as to prevent a vessel riding in safety, she might weigh or slip and run out through the eastern passage. We could discover no danger to the southward of these islands, except the shoal running off the southwestern point of the Heshan islands, and a spit extending 14 mile or more from the southwest end of Changshan. This spit has irregular soundings, 44 and 2 fathoms, and the latter depth near to its southern extreme. A small, round hill, with a heap of stones on it, forming the extreme of the land to the northeastward of a vil lage on the central island, kept open of the southwest point of Long island N. 30° W., will lead without the shoal in 5 fathoms, The southwest point of Long island is a low bluff, and of a reddish color The hill which forms the mark is low; and to the northeast of the village is another hill higher than this, having also a heap of stones
on its summit.
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