Friday, December 4th.—­The harbour is picturesque, with mountains rising abruptly from the water to the height of 1800 feet, clothed with dense verdure from water’s edge to top, many of the trees being of large size.  The soil is very rich, but there is little cultivated land, the mountain-sides being too steep.  The French have constructed two or three huts on the northern shore, and a couple of rude jetties, or landing places of loose stone.  Landed on one of these to get sight for the chronometers.  Found a Frenchman overseeing three or four Chinese seamen chopping wood and thatching a hut.  The French make slaves, both here and on the mainland, of prisoners of war.  The island is under the government of an Enseign de Vaisseau.

The Commander of the Junk is a Midshipman, so that we have gotten among high dignitaries.  Landed at noon, at an inviting little sand-beach on the south shore, to get latitude—­8 deg. 39’ 10”.  Found the ruined hut of a Frenchman, with his grave close by, and his name carved on the bark of a tree on the beach.  A picturesque burial spot, amid eternal shades, with the lullaby of the ocean.

Saturday, December 5th.—­Amused this morning, watching some sedate old baboons sitting on the sand-beach opposite, and apparently observing the ship very attentively.  Large numbers of these caricatures of humanity inhabit these islands; yesterday, when a boat landed, great numbers of young ones were seen gamboling about; but one of the old ones having called out to them, they soon all disappeared in the thick wood.  Returned the visit of the Frenchman.  He is on board a miserable country craft, of about 40 tons burthen.  Sent a boat to the village on the east side to call on the Governor, and see if we could get some fruit and vegetables.  Boat returned at nightfall.  The village is a mere military port, the native inhabitants, except a few prisoners or slaves, having fled to the mountains, and no supplies were to be had.  The Governor’s residence is a thatched hut, as are all the other houses, with no industry or taste displayed in their structure.  A few patches of cultivation were visible—­rice, fruit, and cotton—­the latter looking rather unpromising.  The destroyers of their rice were the monkeys.  There are several varieties of fine large pigeons here, and in abundance.  They are beautiful in feather and fat.  A common variety has a green back and golden tail.  This must be a paradise for monkeys, so abundant is their food in the forests, almost every tree bearing a fruit or nut of some sort.  These French officers had heard and believed that we sunk or burned every ship we took, with all on board, and received the Paymaster rather coolly at first, but became quite cordial when they observed we were Christians, and did not commit this wholesale murder.

Sunday, December 6th.—­Another lonely Sabbath-day—­lonely, though in the midst of one hundred and fifty people.  Away, away from home, by half the circumference of the globe!  One of the most frequent and unpleasant of my experiences since I entered the China Sea, is an oppressive sense of great distance from home, and the utter strangeness of everything around me, almost as though I had entered another planet.