At daylight, on the 6th of September, we were off the “Lemma Islands,” having previously arrived in soundings on the 4th, and were frequently visited by Comprador boats seeking for employment. We took a pilot from one of them to direct us to “Cap, sing, Moon.” The Lemma Islands, like most of those about this part of the China coast, are bold, rugged, and but very scantily covered by vegetation; its geological structure is principally coarse granite, approaching to sienite, and quartz, which enters largely into their composition.[8] The inhabitants of these islands appear to be principally fishermen, and their boats animated the waters around to some distance, in great numbers: some were of very large size, being probably of sixty or seventy tons burden, and are inhabited by whole families; the clatter of women, squalling of children, and barking of dogs, could be heard in concert, when in beating to windward we came near any of them. These slenderly constructed but admirable boats, with their large mat sails, some having one, two, or three masts, sail with rapidity: they would often lower a small awkward punt, and bring some fish on board for sale. The women worked hard, and one would be often seen with an infant at her back, with others running after, seeking her protection, whilst she assisted in the various occupations of the ship, in tacking and hauling the ropes. They all had a dark, wretched appearance, from the exposure to weather and hardships of many descriptions. When the weather is stormy, the vessels bring up under lee of one of the numerous islands, grouped about the coast. I have often seen them assembled, from twenty to fifty, for the night, under the lee of one of them, on the shore close to which, some small miserable thatched huts, containing numbers of wretched inmates, and small patches of cultivated land were visible. On the 10th we were off Hong Kong Island. It is lofty, bold, and occasionally its barren appearance is diversified by the verdure of the ferns and other plants, which give some beauty to the huge piles of rocks, towering towards the heavens, in gently sloping as well as abrupt declivities. At one part a small cascade fell from the rocks above into the ocean abyss beneath, and other places bore the appearance of mountain torrents being formed during heavy rains.