Vice-Consul at Taiwanfoo, in the island of Formosa, and received orders to go, as soon as the Admiral would provide me with transport, and set up a Consulate there. As I had visited that port twice before, and was well acquainted with its want of harbour accommodations, I had no hope of succeeding in converting it into a centre of British trade. We failed to enter Taiwanfoo by sea, on our arrival off the port; and as it was absolutely necessary that I should make some stay in the capital to inaugurate British trade under the new and legal regime, I determined to disembark on the coast and march thither overland.
The city of Taiwanfoo is girt by a high battlemented wall some 6 miles in extent and quadrangular; it is, in fact, a small and poor imitation of the wall of Peking. Within are the houses of the chief citizens, mandarins, and several temples dedicated to the three religions of the empire, comprising Confucians, Buddhists, and Taouists. The open park-like spaces, with fine trees, green lanes, hedges and ditches, give a refreshing and rural aspect to many parts of the large straggling town. There was a sullenness and a stillness about the place which was peculiarly ominous, showing that what life the city once possessed was fast dying out, an event brought about by the shoaling of the small rivers that lead under the wall, which has compelled vessels to seek harbours elsewhere on the long line of coast. The dangers and difficulties of the Formosan coast, even with the aid of the best surveys, cannot be exaggerated. It is true comparatively few ships visit the coast with a view to trade, but vessels bound up and down the Chinese mainland have too often to lie over to Formosa. With the increasing traffic wrecks yearly multiply, and yet the Government takes no steps to survey the island. With the exception of a few special spots, we may say that the greater part of the coast is unknown. I have been assured by adventurous masters of vessels that there are good and safe harbours at the South Cape of Formosa, and probably some on the lower portion of the east coast. The advantages that these would afford, as places of refuge in stress of weather, to vessels availing themselves, during the north-east monsoon, of the Gulf Stream beyond Formosa cannot be too strongly advocated. During our stay at Taiwanfoo, owing to heavy rains, the river increased in volume, and, much to the delight of the authorities and citizens, forced a deeper channel through the bar. A continued succession of these volumes of water might, perhaps, for a time have opened the port for the reception of vessels of moderate burthen, but unfortunately a few weeks afterwards a change again took place, and robbed us of all our hopes by once more shallowing the bar. Licut. Holder, of the gunboat Cockchafer examined again and again the three entrances by way of river to the city,
