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Transcription
November 1854
Pacific Ocean)
13th N.Lat. 29°01' E.Long 137°09' No.W.S.W. No.7km. Wind
E.N.E. Blowing a gale. Temp. 72°. We continue
on our course toward Lo Choo, occasionally
passing over the reported positions of those
suspicious Shoals. The ship rolls heavily and
is very uncomfortable; scientific work in my
department impracticable: my time is
therefore chiefly employed in reading.
14th N.Lat. 28°02' E.Long 136°18' No.W.byS. No.8km. Wind
N. Blowing a gale. Temp. 76°
15th N.Lat. 26°30' E.Long 136°24' No.N. No.8km. Wind N.
Weather pleasant. Temp. 76°.
16th N.Lat. 26°04' E.Long 127°33'. Weather pleasant in N.WE
Shiny breeze. Having have to at midnight
at day light we saw Lo Choo ahead, and
immediately bore away and passed along
its South-eastern shore for thirty or forty
miles. The distance was too great to
give us a good view of the country, until
we passed close to its Southern extremity
and opened the parts around Napa, which
presented a beautiful appearance. We
beat up and anchored near some (lo)
study (coral) islands off Napa Harbor.
17th Short wind we have up anchor and ran
into the Harbor with a strong breeze.
Nov. - Dec. 1854
Lo Choo
Great Lo Choo is the largest and most southerly of
the chain of islands which extend southward
from Japan. It is about sixty miles in length
and rather less than twenty in average breadth.
The land is moderately elevated, but generally
much more level and easily traversed
than any other of the Japanese possessions.
At their Northern extremity however there
are some mountains of considerable elevation. The southern half is much the
most populous, and at one time, before
the Japanese invasions, formed a distinct
Kingdom. Near the Capital town, Shui, is
situated, at a distance of about three
miles from Napa, the Chief Port. Junii,
a small village half a mile North of
Napa is situated along the shore of a
small salt-water creek. At this place
our boats usually landed, and from its
convenience it was selected here for
our shore establishment, consisting of Messrs
Bruce and Kern, with Astronomical and
Daguerreotype instruments, and a small
party of men to attend the life-gauge