half in circumference, opening eastwardly, with a prominent headland on each side of the entrance, abreast of which vessels may find anchorage in from twenty to twenty-three fathoms; bottom of black sand. The depth of water in the centre of the crater is about thirty fathoms. From the northeast point of this island, a low rocky reef "makes out" about half a mile into the sea, on which the kelp may be seen growing to a great length, and rising to the surface of the water. From the north and west points of the island, breakers project about a quarter of a mile into the sea. From its western extremity, also, a reef makes out some distance, on which the sea breaks. Here, in an east wind, a sealing vessel was lost, and usually ships are not safe with the wind from that quarter.

The waters around this island abound with fish, among which is a species of the cod, bream, striped perch, red perch, and rock cod, with crawfish in myriads; dogfish and sharks are also found here in formidable numbers, together with whales, grampuses, porpoises, sealions, and seals. Indeed, so abundant are the fish, that almost every year the island is visited to procure and salt them, for the market of the island of Mauritius. As respects climate, sealers who have resided long upon this desolate spot say, that the weather is very fine in summer, but stormy in the winter, when the rains descend in torrents upon the island, and its surface is often swept with resistless tornadoes and whirlwinds. Numerous birds, such as the albatross, penguin, puffin, seaswallow, large black peterel, blue peterel, gray peterel, stormy peterel, and Mother Carey's chickens, abound on the island, and eggs are plenty.

The variation of the needle here, in 1747, was 17° 55′ west; in 1764, it was 18° 45′ west; and in 1789, it was 19° 45' west. In sight of this island, to the north, is Amsterdam island, which is not high, but contains more vegetation, and also fresh water. The Dutch navigators, who first discovered these islands, gave their favourite name of Amsterdam to the northern, and that of St. Paul to the southern. Captain Cook designated them in the same manner. But later navigators, it appears, have transversed these cognomens, and christened each anew. We adhere to the original appellation, and recognise St Paul's as the southern island.

When the British embassy to China, in 1792, with his excellency Earl Macartney as ambassador, touched at this island, they were not a little astonished to find it inhabited at the time by a small party, whom, on first sight, they supposed must be some unfortunate shipwrecked sailors. Such, however, was not the case. Though on so small an island, located in so vast a waste of waters, their exile was voluntary, nay, cheerful and lucrative— for they were busily engaged in the common prosecution of a voyage. It appears that they had come last from the Isle of France, being part of the crew of a sealing vessel, the joint property of Americans and Frenchmen, and landed on St. Paul's for the purpose of remaining long enough to procure a cargo of twenty-five thousand sealskins for the Canton market. At the time the embassy touched at the island, they had resided there about four months; and had already collected eight thousand skins, and were in hopes that in ten months more their whole cargo would be completed.

This vessel, it seems, had been fitted out in the Isle of France, in the Indian Ocean, and had now gone to Nootka Sound, on the northwest coast of America, with the view of buying some seaotterskins for the same market, intending to touch at St. Paul's on her return, for the skins collected during her absence. Thus it was intended to ply alternately between Nootka Sound, St. Paul's, and Canton, so long as the owners found the business lucrative.

While our boat was absent at St. Paul's island, a strange sail was seen to the northward. A gun was immediately fired, and signal made for the return of the fishing party, who, in a short time, were alongside, with a plentiful supply of fish. The boat was instantly run up, and all sail set to come up with and speak the stranger, who proved to be the French brig Naide, Captain De Allens, from Nantz, and bound to Batavia.

From this date to the seventeenth, nothing occurred at all deserving note. The wind had been variable, and the passage regular. After some squalls and flying clouds, the weather gradually cleared up, giving every indication of our being in the regular tradewinds. This expectation, however, was not finally realized; as the winds continued, for many days, exceedingly variable, rendering the passage more tedious than we could have

wished; so that Hog Island, on the coast of Sumatra, was not made until January the twenty-ninth. The wind was light and baffling; indeed, perplexing would be a better term; and, after succeeding in doubling the small islands called Cocoas, off the northwest extremity of Hog Island, the long-looked-for coast of Sumatra hove in sight. This land can be seen at a great distance, sometimes as far as thirty leagues at sea. The range of mountains extending from one end of this immense island to the other, are some of them very high, and vary in distance from the southwestern shore, from fifteen to twenty-five miles.

The approach to the coast of Sumatra by a vessel of the Potomac's dimensions, is attended with much danger; and the responsibility of such a command, when unaided and unattended by a consort, to ensure safety to life in case of accident, must ever be accompanied with feelings of anxiety painfully intense.

Coral reefs are numerous; and in light weather, when the sea is smooth, there are no breakers to indicate their position, which renders it indispensable for a ship with a heavy draught of water to proceed with the greatest caution. The leads, which were kept constantly going, indicated the most irregular soundings, varying more than one hundred fathoms in the course of a few rods.

It is to be remembered that the northwest monsoon, sometimes called the little monsoon, which some authors say blows from November to May, does not always do so; and though the prevailing winds within one or two hundred miles of the coast of Sumatra may be from the northwest, yet there are many intervals of calms, thick, cloudy weather, and sometimes heavy squalls, which, though generally of short duration, may frequently be entitled to the appellation of gales. The rise and fall of the tides appears to be governed by no laws, except those of the winds; indeed, the currents in these seas will be found to depend, principally, on the prevailing winds.

More than one hundred and fifty miles from this coast, a current had been found to run from west to northwest, and varying very much in velocity. On approaching the coast it became very irregular, sometimes from north-northwest, and then changing more to the westward, the intervals being quite uncertain. From these causes it will be perceived, that the Potomac's ap

proach to this coast must have required the utmost vigilance to avoid the reefs, so common and so little explored.

Hog Island was made on the lee bow, about forty miles distant; yet so light and so variable was the wind, with occasional calms, that, in despite of every effort, but little headway could be made; and it was ascertained by observation, as well as from the bearing of the land, that the vessel was drifted not less than twenty miles in twenty-four hours, to the southward and westward, by quite a contrary current from the one named before. At this time the wind hauled ahead to the northeast, and it was not for seven days after making Hog Island, that the Potomac was brought to her anchorage off Quallah-Battoo.

In relation to the approach to this place, Lieutenant Pinkham, in his notes, says; "From what I myself felt, with others of my watch officers upon the occasion, I think I can judge somewhat of the intense anxiety felt by the commodore upon approaching a coast so little known; the lead constantly indicating the most alarming changes. I remember upon one occasion, the ship not moving at a rate of more than half a mile an hour, the lead suddenly indicated a change from thirty-five to twenty fathoms; another cast was immediately made, and before the ship had proceeded more than once her length, no bottom could be found with a hundred and ten fathom line!"

The commodore was often heard to speak of this part of his cruise in the east as having been one of great solicitude and sleepless nights; and well might he thus speak, when it is recollected the value of the cargo intrusted to his care, of not less than five hundred souls, that must have perished had the Potomac struck upon, as she must have passed near to, some of these hidden and dangerous coral reefs.

By vigilance, however (in such seas the sailor's only chart), perseverance, and the blessings of Divine Providence, the Potomac had now reached in safety her first anchorage in the east; when the plan of operations on Quallah-Battoo was to be put into immediate execution.

CHAPTER VII.

ne Potomac, disguised as a Merchantman, anchors off Quallah-Battoo-A reconnoitring party of Americans deterred from landing by the hostile movements of the Malays-But little hopes of obtaining Indemnification by peaceable measures— Preparations for Enforcing our just demands-Humane Instructions of the Commodore-Landing of the Crew, with strict orders not to commence Hostilities, unless attacked by the Malays-The latter fire on the Americans, who immediately advance to the Attack, and storm and dismantle all the Forts but oneThe Victorious Party return on board-Loss in the Attack-Funeral Service for the Slain-Official Documents.

In order that the Malays might not comprehend the real designs and character of the Potomac, the stump topgallant masts were got up, the maindeck guns run in and ranged fore and aft, the half ports shut in, and the white streak so altered as to show only ten ports on a side. The frigate was thus made to assume the appearance of a merchant ship of great burden and capacity, like many of the East India traders. When all was prepared, the commodore, on the fifth of February, stood in, and came to anchor about five miles from the land.

From a manuscript chart, which had previously been taken by Captain Endicott, a tolerably correct idea could be formed of the local situations of the forts. The commodore, however, deemed it important that still more accurate information should be procured, if practicable, of their true positions; at least, that those intended to lead the several divisions should, previous to their landing with the forces which were intended for the settlement of accounts with these people, be fully aware of what they had to encounter, in effecting this object.

Voluntary justice on the part of the Malays, for the piratical act of which we complained, was not to be looked for, and was entirely out of the question. It was the act of a whole community, with at least the connivance of their rulers the rajahs. The only plan, therefore, that promised success in compelling them to do us justice, was that of securing the persons of some of