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been accepted, he praised our rule of conduct as most consistent and commendable. He lamented the mean shift to which Woo had betaken himself, by declaring his country dependent on China. He expressed his regret at our parting, and was almost moved to tears. Again we requested that any English ship touching there might be treated with civility, and supplied with provisions, to which he agreed most fully, and solemnly took his leave. Among all the officers who came on board, none behaved with such politeness and dignity as Kim. He had something commanding in his aspect; he was always grave, and answered and asked questions generally to the point. His observations were just, and his objections usually unanswerable. He expressed his deep regret that strangers should not be permitted to have any intercourse with his country, but remarked that it was not at the option of the mandarins, but could be authorized only by the king. This was nothing new to us, who well knew that in every despotic country the will of the monarch is the law of the country.

As cattle are abundant, ships touching here can always be supplied with beef; and to this the mandarins will make no objection. It is not likely that any trade of importance could be

carried on with this peninsula. Though there are spacious and secure harbours, among which, Gan-keang, the place of our anchorage, holds the first rank, there are perhaps few productions for exportation, and little money to pay the surplus of imports. One should not be too positive, however, in such assertions, for a country not sufficiently known may not be sufficiently valued. We have an instance in the Sandwich islands, where a flourishing trade is now carried on, which a few years before was considered a matter of impossibility. Those parts of Corea which we have seen, have in themselves great resources; and we think that the interior is far more cultivated than the islands of the coast. Doubtless there would be a demand for British goods; for we saw they invariably prized the calico and the woollens, cloths entirely unknown among them. Nor, as the natives would have us believe, do we think that the country is so entirely destitute of silver, as to be unable to purchase annually some cargoes of European merchandise. How could the king, otherwise, pay such large sums in silver to the court of Peking?

Never did foreigners, perhaps, possess such free access to the country as we enjoyed. We hope that the communications which we transmitted,

ISLAND OF OUELPOERT.

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will suggest to the rulers a different line of policy from that which they have hitherto followed.

In the great will be a time

While we look

The inhabitants seem to possess sound understanding, but with great pride and apathy of feeling. The majority indulge to excess in spirituous liquors, but they swallow great quantities without becoming intoxicated. Unnatural crimes seem to be very common among them. Our notions of decency differ very widely from theirs; however, they are not so entirely lost as not to feel that they do wrong. plan of the eternal God, there of merciful visitation for them. for this, we ought to be very anxious to hasten its approach, by diffusing the glorious doctrines of the cross by all means in our power. The king of Corea may be said to have a Bible, which he at first refused to receive; and whether he now reads it, I am unable to say; but all the official persons about Gan-keang, and many of the common people, accepted them. The scripture teaches us to believe that God can bless even these feeble beginnings. Let us hope that better days will soon dawn for Corea.

August 17.-We passed many islands of every imaginable shape. The most southern, Ouelpoert, (lat. 32° 51', long. 126° 23',) is a charming

spot. It is well cultivated, and so conveniently situated, that if a factory was established there, we might trade with the greatest ease to Japan, Corea, Mantchou Tartary, and China. But if this is not done, could not such an island become a missionary station? Would it not be giving a fatal blow to those hateful systems of exclusion, by establishing a mission in so important a situation? I know not how far the Corean government exercises control over the island; but I should think, that a missionary residing here, would be less subject to dangers than those in New Zealand, and the first harbingers of the glad tidings in Labrador and Greenland. One thing is true, these islands are not inaccessible to Christianity.

CHAPTER VII.

AUGUST 22.-Yesterday, we passed Sulphur island, from which great quantities of smoke were rising. This island seems to be entirely volcanic, and destitute of vegetation. We wished much to go ashore; but the wind blew too hard, and the sea was too high to permit us to land. After experiencing sudden gusts of wind, we arrived, to-day, safely at Napa-keang, the principal anchorage of Great Loo-choo. This island has been repeatedly visited by Europeans, and has engaged the attention of the ablest writers.

Soon after anchoring, we set out to go ashore, at the temple of Lin-hae. We saw several Japanese vessels in the harbour, and observed the junk returned which we had seen at Fuhchow.

Some of the mandarins immediately invited us on shore. They spoke the mandarin dialect fluently, and showed us every attention, but