[Illustration: Track _of His Majesty's Ship_ ALCESTE _and_ LYRA _Sloop along the Western Coast of the PENINSULA of_ COREA by _Captain Basil Hall R.N._] [Sidenote: The ships leave China.] [Sidenote: Make the coast of Corea.] [Sidenote: Sir James Hall's group.] [Sidenote: Anchorage on the south side of an island.] His Majesty's ships Alceste and Lyra, after quitting the port of Oei-hai-oei, which is in latitude 37º 30' 40" north, and longitude 122º 16' east, on the north coast of Shantung Promontory, stood to the northward and eastward till in latitude 38º north, and then ran to the eastward. On the morning of the 1st of September, 1816, we saw the land, bearing about east. By sights with chronometer on the meridian of these islands, we ascertained that the west end of the northern one lies in 124º 44-1/2' east. The latitude of the south end of the eastern island was ascertained by meridian altitude of the sun to be 37º 44-1/2' north. There is a rocky white islet off the west end of the middle island. We had from twenty to thirty fathoms on rounding the south-west end of the islands, but on the south side of the southern one there is a bight with seven fathoms, black sand in the centre: here we anchored. There is good anchorage all over the bay, which is sheltered from all winds except between west south-west and south-east, being open to the southward. There are two villages here. From the top of the highest peak on this island, which is about seven or eight hundred feet high, we could discern the main land of Corea, high and rugged, stretching north north-west and south south-east, distant from eight to ten leagues. Along the coast abreast of us there were seen many islands. The channel between the middle island of the group and the one we were upon appeared clear and broad; but the northern and middle islands seemed connected by a reef which shews above water at several places. [Sidenote: Character of the inhabitants.] The inhabitants were suspicious and unfriendly: we saw some cattle and many fowls, but neither money nor any thing else that we had could induce them to part with either. [Sidenote: Lose sight of the coast.] In the evening we weighed and stood to the southward; next morning there was no land in sight. At noon we were in longitude 124º 47' 52" east, and latitude 36º 44-1/2' north, no land in sight. We hauled in shore to the eastward, and anchored in the night in deep water. [Sidenote: Group of five islands.] [Sidenote: Bearings.]