Ensign Merrill — page 106: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“4 _ of any description, and seemed covered from end to end with a dense growth of trees interwoven with clinging vines and underbrush, rendering it impossible to see mors than a few Garda from the beach. Mark had no intention of landing, but he did not care to pass with- out ascertaining whether any of the junks were lurking on the other side, so, after running into soundings, a course was steered that would encircle the island within close view of the shore. | The entire circumference éonalas not have been more than ten or twelve miles, but it was almost noon before the Badger completed the circuit at her reduced speed. The maneuver revealed nothing of interest. There was but little change in the monotony of sandy beach and in- terminable line of forest. No creeks or watercourses of any kind could be discovered leading from the interior, and when the steamer arrived at her starting point again a course was laid for the others of the group. — “There are at least twenty-five’ more of the same kind,’’ the ensign explained to Ned in the chart-room, pointing them out on an admiralty map spread on the table. ‘‘But here is one called T’sin Chu, which seoms to be of considerable size.’? Taking a pair of compasses, he measured it carefully, and announced: “It is over sixty miles long and about forty in breadth, and, according to the footnotes at the bottom, COD a mountain of high elevation, probably voleanie.” ‘““Does it belongto the bitrisas covernment?’’ asked the middy. | SANG “LAND or oe ae on OT : The Gee was Contvely dente of hills or alevationaes Merrill picked up a book lying on a side shelf, srinted a by the English Bureau of Naval Information, and, turning over several pages, read: **T’sin Chu—principal island of the Chun Ki group, situated north-northeast of Formosa two hundred and Gomicbooks.co