pulation
of Ceylon--Dr. Almquist's Excursion to the Interior of the Island.

Some days after our arrival at Yokohama the _Vega_ was removed to
the dock at Yokosuka, there to be protected by coppering against the
boring mussels of the warm seas, so injurious to the vessel's hull;
the opportunity being also taken advantage of by me to subject the
vessel to some trifling repairs and alterations in the fitting up,
which were desirable because during the remainder of our voyage we
were to sail not in a cold but in a tropical climate. The work took
somewhat longer time than was reckoned on, so that it was not until
the 21st September that the _Vega_ could leave the dock and return
to Yokohama. It had originally been my intention to remain in Japan
only so long as was necessary for the finishing of this work, during
which time opportunity could be given to the officers and crew of
the _Vega_ to rest after the labours and sufferings of the long
winter, to receive and answer letters from home, and to gather from
the newspapers the most important occurrences that had taken place
during our fourteen months' absence from the regions which are
affected by what takes place in the world. But as appears from the
foregoing narrative, the delay was longer than had been intended.
This indeed was caused in some degree by the difficulty of tearing
ourselves away after only a few days' stay from a people so
remarkable, so lovable, and so hospitable as the Japanese, and from
a land so magnificently endowed by nature. Besides, when the _Vega_
was again ready for sea, it was so near the time for the change of
the monsoon, that it was not advisable, and would not have been
attended with any saving of time, to sail immediately. For at that
season furious storms are wont to rage in these seas, and the wind
then prevailing is so unfavourable for sailing from Japan to the
southward, that a vessel with the weak steam-power of the _Vega_
cruising between Japan and Hong Kong in a head-wind might readily
have lost the days saved by an earner departure. On the other hand,
in the end of October and the beginning of November we could, during
our passage to Hong Kong, count on a fresh and always favourable
breeze. This took place too, so that, leaving Nagasaki on the 27th
October, we were able to anchor in the harbour of Hong Kong as early
as the 2nd November.

There was of course no prospect of being able to accomplish anything
for the benefit of