The result of their opinions, he was happy to find, coincided with his own, which was to survey the coast of Asia, commencing at the island of Sachalin, situated in lat. 52°. N., in the southern part of the sea of Lama; and ending at the Nan-king river, in Lat. 30°. N. His intention was also to survey the adjacent islands, viz. the Kurilles, and those of Jesso and Japan, left unfinished in Captain Cook’s last voyage. He considered that such a survey would be very acceptable to geographers; for the limits of Asia and America would then be known as far as navigation was practicable, and a knowledge of the Northern Pacific Ocean would be completed. He therefore determined to spend his time in that pursuit till Christmas, then to go to Canton for stores and provisions, and to continue the survey early in the ensuing year. A log of his proceedings from the time he left England until his arrival at Macao, after surveying the land of Jesso, the Kurille isles, and those of Japan, is contained in the first six chapters of a quarto volume published by him in 1804. At Macao, Captain Broughton purchased a small schooner to assist him in his survey, which he found to be the identical vessel built by some of the ill-fated Bounty’s people, during their involuntary exile in the South Seas, and which had been brought from Otaheite to Samarang, by Captain Edwards, of the Pandora. This proved a most fortunate circumstance for the officers and crew of the Providence, as that ship was wrecked near Ty-pin-san, an island lying between Formosa and the Great Loo-Choo, when about to prosecute the object of her researches. The following is Captain Broughton’s account of that disastrous event:
“About 7-30 P.M. (May 17, 1797), white water was seen a-head and upon each bow, and reported to the officer of the watch, Lieutenant James G. Vashon; and almost directly after, the ship struck upon a reef of coral rocks. Having felt the shock, which was not violent, I instantly went upon deck, and by the way met Mr. Vashon coming to acquaint me with the disaster. The officers and men were upon deck in a moment, and the sails directly braced a-back. It appeared to me the helm was a-weather, and the ship’s head about E.N.E.[1], sails all full. Had the helm been put a-lee on seeing the danger, I think we should have escaped it.
- ↑ When Captain Broughton left the deck a few minutes before, she was lying up N.E.½N. with the larboard tacks on board, and going at the rate of 4½ knots per hour.
