CO129-030 - Bonham - 1849 [8-12] — Page 274

22.

I then proceeded on, and hove to off the entrance of Junk's channel, but

having no pilot on board, the place being,

Zurrounded

by -being, no junks in sight with whom I

sand banks, and there

could. communicate, I did not conceive it prudent to remain there in Her:

Majesty's steam

rossel under

my

-mand; and the island mentioned in

comman

Mr. Taylor's letter being

впого

than 25

miles distant from any spot where I

could with safety aucher, I was unwilling

to send a

boat up

the channels to make

inquiry, as I imagined such a proceding would be attended with too much danger. I therefore steamed slowly down the coach of Hainan, speaking, as

tie's occurred, with such of the opportunitie s

course), and

fishing vessels as lay in my frous all of them I obtained precisely

information as had been

the same

268

by the junks

previously afforded mno communicated with off the Taya- Islands.

There did not appear to be the slightest

of habitation along

Early on the

test sign

the

entire coast.

10th.

morning of the 10 instant, I arrived off Tinhosa Island;

but I found this place, like the other part of the coast, entirely

neither

Avcro

there

entirely uninhabited ; any junks in sight;

bay

and after looking well into the without morting, anything, which could: have conduced to the furtherance of this

object.

in view,

return to Ho

I judged it my duty to

Hongkong.

I had intended on my passage

back to this Soit to have touched at Tien.

- pak, with the view

the

of ascertaining whether

were and

: piratical fleet were still at anchor there. ; but at 3 o'clock on the

morning of the 11th instant, several of

the tubes coms

mmenced to give way in the