Learned, however, from one of the officers of Her Majesty's brig "Contest," who had been stationed here some time, that the climate is delightful to those who are able to withstand the cold of the winters; that the features of the country have not been misstated, but are equal to any representation made; that game is at all times abundant, especially in autumn, when fine sport is to be obtained by those who handle "mantons" with even moderate skill; furthermore, the followers of quaint old Isaac, the ancient angler, need but a tithe of his art to tempt the piscatory tribe from their native element. But he did affirm that in midsummer, the mercury in the tube scarcely ever gets below 100° Fahrenheit, and the action of the sun's rays upon the stagnant water before-named, gives such an intimation to the nostrils of the state of the atmosphere, as to render the use of the eudiometer unnecessary.
Got under way from our moorings early in the morning of Monday the 19th, and dropped down with the tide; getting out of the Woo-Sung, anchored in the Yang-tse-Kiang, on the 20th, passed Saddle Island, and dismissing the pilot, headed for Amoy, at which port we were to look in on our return.
We had proceeded along pretty well until the morning of the 27th, when about three o'clock in the morning watch, as I was lying awake in my apartment, heard the officer of the deck give the order for tacking ship--"Ready about"--and after the boatswain's pipe to "Stations." "Ready, ready," when she received a shock, as from the concussion of a heavy sea, then another, and another, which soon convinced me that the ship was ashore. This was certainly unpleasant, as I had no doubt but that we were at that time twenty miles from land, and the idea of a coral reef in that position, was premonitory of a salt-water bath. Before the call of "All hands save ship," was given, I was upon deck, and found that she had grounded upon a bank on the northern coast of the island of Formosa, having been swept by an unusual current over thirty miles in the course of twelve hours, an event altogether unlooked for, and which would have baffled the skill of the most experienced navigator; our chart, upon examination, also proving to be incorrect. Luckily it was ebb tide when she went on, and after getting out all the boats, and lightening the ship by throwing overboard shot and starting water, she was got off, after having been aground about eight hours, and thumping terribly.
