Abstract of the Lyra’s Voyage, From Leaving England Till Her Return
Shewing
The Distance Between the Different Places at Which She Touched, and the Time Taken in Performing Each Passage
ABSTRACT
OF THE
VOYAGES OF HIS MAJESTY’S SHIP LYRA,
In 1816 and 1817.
The Lyra, in the short space of twenty months, viz. from the 9th of February 1816, to the 14th of October 1817, visited Madeira, the Cape, Java, Macao, the Yellow Sea, the West Coast of Corea, the Great Loo-choo Island, Canton, Manilla, Prince of Wales’s Island, Calcutta, Madras, the Mauritius, and St. Helena; having run, in direct courses, a distance of 11,940 nautic leagues, or 41,490 statute miles.
An abstract of the various passages, from place to place, during this voyage, illustrated by brief remarks on the particular circumstances of each, will probably be considered interesting.
England to Madeira and Cape, 2520 leagues.
1.
Sailed through the Needles passage on the 9th of February, 1816.
Arrived at Madeira, 18th of February 9 days
Crossed the equator in longitude 25º 20’ west, 4th March 15
Reached the Cape of Good Hope, 14th April 41
—-
From England to the Cape, in 9 weeks, 2 days, or 65 days.
This is not a very good passage, considering that we carried the north-east trade wind to the latitude of 4º north, and longitude 23º west, where we got the south-east trade, without any interval of calms.
2.
Cape to Java, 1800 leagues.
Sailed from the Cape on the 26th April 1816.
Arrived at Anjier Point, Java, 7th June. 42 days. —- Six weeks.
After leaving the Cape we had strong westerly winds, with which we ran the longitude down, in the parallel of 38º and 39º south, till in longitude 57º east, where the weather being very stormy, we hauled to the north-east till in 35º south latitude, and then ran east till in 90º east, when we steered to the east-north-east, and crossed the tropic in 102º east, which was probably too far west. The south-east trade hung far to the eastward, and made it difficult to fetch Java Head, which had we not succeeded in doing at first, might have caused considerable delay, as the wind still blew out of the Straits of Sunda.
3.
Java to China, 600 leagues.
Sailed from Anjier Point, Java, on the 12th June, 1816.
Reached Gaspar Straits on the 17th June 1816 5 days.
Arrived off Macao, 8th July 21
—-
From Java to Macao in 3 weeks 5 days, or 26 days.
This passage was unusually bad, it being nearly a week before we reached Gaspar Straits, an ordinary run of one day: in the south part of the China sea the south-west monsoon was very light. An American brig, which sailed only one day before us from Anjier Point, carried the breeze along with her, and reached Macao twelve days before us.
4.
Ladrone Islands to the Yellow Sea, 520 leagues.
Sailed from the Ladrone Islands off Macao, on the 13th July 1816.
Rounded the promontory of Shantung and entered the
Yellow Sea, 25th July 12 days.
From thence to the anchorage off the Pei-ho
or Pekin River, 27th July 2
—-
Macao to Pekin River, in 2 weeks, or 14 days.
This voyage can be compared only with that of the Lion on the occasion of the former embassy. The Lion was nearly three weeks, exclusive of the time at anchor at Chusan. We had fine weather and steady south-west winds, with very heavy dews at night. When nearly abreast of the south point of Corea, the wind became variable from the south-east and southward. In the Yellow Sea we had easterly winds and no fogs.
5.
Pei-ho to Oei-hai-oei in the Yellow Sea, 90 leagues.
Sailed from the anchorage off the Pei-ho on the 11th August, 1816.
Arrived at Cheatow Bay, after having coasted from the
anchorage along the south side of the Gulf of
Pe-che-lee, 22d August 11 days.
From thence to the harbour of Oei-hai-oei, 23d August 1
—-
From Pekin River to harbour of Oei-hai-oei, 1 week
5 days, or 12 days.
In this cruise round the Gulf of Pe-che-lee we had constant easterly winds, which obliged us to tide the whole way. It blew a gale of wind on the 19th from the north-east, with a high short sea. With this exception, and a fresh breeze on the 3d and 6th, the weather was uniformly fine during our stay in the Yellow Sea, and we never experienced any fogs.
6.
Yellow Sea to Corea, 40 leagues.
Sailed from Oei-hai-oei, in China, on the 29th August, 1816.
Made the islands off the coast of Corea, 1st September 3 days.
Running along the coast of Corea till the 10th September 9
——
12 days.
On the coast of Corea the winds were mostly from the northward, and the weather uniformly fine, with heavy dews at night.
7.
Corea to Loo-choo, 240 leagues.
From the south-west end of Corea to the Great Loo-choo
Island, on the 14th September, 1816, 4 days.
From Corea to the Great Loo-choo Island we had northeasterly and northerly winds, with one gale from the northward.
8.
Loo-choo to China, 320 leagues.
From Loo-choo to Lintin, off Canton.
27th October to the 2d November, 1816 6 days.
As the north-east monsoon was blowing fresh, this quick passage was to be expected.
9.
China to Manilla, 200 leagues.
From Lemma Islands to Manilla. 2d February to the 5th February, 1817 3 days.
A good passage for this season of the year.
10.
Manilla to Penang, 600 leagues.
From Manilla to Prince of Wales’s Island. 21st February to 8th March, 1817 15 days.
In the north-east monsoon this is somewhat under the average passage.
11.
Penang to Bengal, 400 leagues.
From Prince of Wales’s Island to Saugor Roads, Bengal. 13th March to the 27th March, 1817 14 days.
The average at this season is twenty-one days, consequently this passage is very good. At this season of the year the north-east monsoon has entirely ceased in the centre of the Bay of Bengal; so that a ship which steers well out between the Nicobars and Andamans need not apprehend northerly winds; whereas in the north-eastern parts of the bay, the monsoon still blows faintly, with long intervals of calm. A merchant brig, reputed a good sailer, left Prince of Wales’s Island 6 days before us, and followed the inner route, while we went outside, and arrived 10 days before her at Calcutta.
12.
Calcutta to Madras, 300 leagues.
Sand Heads off Calcutta to Madras, against the south-west monsoon.
From 19th April to the 7th May, 1817 18-1/2 days.
Three weeks is said to be a good passage. We beat down as far as the latitude 11º north, and longitude 87º east, before we hauled across. We had fine weather all the way.
13.
Madras to Mauritius, 1140 leagues.
From Madras to the Mauritius.
1st June to the 1st July, 1817 30 days.
We were driven by the south-west monsoon as far as longitude 92º east, before crossing the equator; here we had a constant high swell. We were much baffled, and did not get the steady south-east trade till in 7º south, and longitude 88º east. The average passage is between five and six weeks at this season of the year.
14.
Mauritius to rounding the Cape, 800 leagues.
From Mauritius to making the land of Africa, about Algoa Bay.
8th July to the 22d July, 1817 14 days.
Thence to rounding the Cape on the 30th July 8
—-
Mauritius till round the Cape, 3 weeks 1 day, or 22 days.
The average from the Mauritius to rounding the Cape, is twenty-eight days; on this occasion we kept close in-shore: we had no current, and though in the depth of winter, the weather was invariably fine, and the water smooth. At night a breeze generally blew off shore. There was a heavy dew every night.
15.
Cape to St. Helena, 570 leagues.
From off the Cape to St. Helena on the 11th August 12 days.
Mauritius to the Cape (see above) 22 days.
—-
From Mauritius to St. Helena in 4 weeks 6 days, or 34 days.
Mauritius to St. Helena, 1370 leagues.
This is an excellent passage. It appears to be a great object in making a passage from India to England, to pass the Cape without going in; for it is often easy to round the Cape and go to St. Helena, when it is difficult and tedious either to go to Simon’s or Table Bay, and much delay is produced by the difficulty of getting out of the former anchorage.
16.
St. Helena to Ireland, 1800 leagues.
From St. Helena to Bantry Bay in Ireland.
Sailed from St. Helena on the 14th August, 1817.
Arrived off Bantry Bay, 14th October, 1817 61 days.
This passage was unusually long, owing to a succession of hard gales from north-east to south-east, which we encountered in latitude 47º north, longitude 13º west, beginning on the 27th of September, and continuing, with little intermission, till the 8th of October; after which period the weather became fine, but the wind hung constantly to the eastward, so as to render it difficult to fetch Ireland.
GEOLOGICAL MEMORANDUM; BEING A DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIMENS OF ROCKS COLLECTED AT MACAO AND THE LADRONE ISLANDS, AND ON THE SHORES OF THE YELLOW SEA, THE WEST COAST OF COREA, AND THE GREAT LOO-CHOO ISLAND.
Geological Memorandum
It is greatly to be regretted, that, during this voyage, our means of gaining information on this interesting subject were so limited. In China we were restrained, sometimes by the jealousy of the Chinese, and sometimes by an apprehension on our part of giving offence, or of exciting suspicion, by following up enquiries, the nature of which it was impossible to explain when interrogated by the inhabitants. On the coast of Corea, the still greater jealousy of the natives rendered it impossible to prosecute geological investigations beyond the beach. Both in China and on the coast of Corea our stay at each place was very short, and our time being often necessarily occupied by avocations foreign to such enquiries, many opportunities were lost merely for want of time. Even at the Great Loo-choo Island, where we remained much longer, our researches were confined to a coast which offered nothing interesting.
Having therefore nothing of a general or striking nature to offer to the scientific world on this subject, I shall merely give an account of the specimens collected at the various places which we touched at during this voyage, accompanied by brief explanations from memorandums made on the spot.
The geologist will be struck with the resemblance which the rocks in this remote quarter of the globe bear to those with which he has been familiarly acquainted.