1909 - "Asiatic Pilot" - Description of Ulleungdo and Liancourt Rocks

Below is a description of "Matsu Shima" (Ulleungdo) and "Hornet islands (Liancourt Rocks) from the 1909 edition of "Asiatic Pilot: East cost of Siberia, Sakhalin Island and Korea" (Page 189).
One thing I found interesting about the article was this: "A rock or islet lies off Seal Point, the southern extreme of the island." This interests me because a "rock or islet" appeared at that position on some old maps of Ulleungdo, but there no longer appears to be anything there today. I wonder if it was destroyed or removed for some reason.

ISLANDS IN THE JAPAN SEA

    Matsu Shima (Dagelet Island) is a collection of sharp conical hills, clothed with wood, crowned by an imposing peak, 4,000 feet high, in the center, in Lat. 37° 30' N., Long. 130° 53' E. The island is 18 miles in circumference and semicircular in shape.

    There are several rocks or islets along the coasts of Matsu Shima, principally, however, on the northern and eastern sides, some reaching an elevation of 400 to 500 feet. A rock, with a depth of 2 to 3 feet, lies on the northeastern side of Matsu Shima, with Boussole rock, near its eastern extreme, bearing 200° about 2 3/4 miles. With the exception of this rock, they are all, like the island, steep-to, and the lead affords no warning; but none of them are more than 1/4 mile from the cliffs, except Boussole rock, the largest, which is 1,400 yards from the northeast coast. Hole rock, on the northern shore, is remarkable from having a natural archway through it, while nearly abreast it on the shore is a smooth but steep sugar-loaf hill, apparently of bare granite, about 800 feet high. A rock or islet lies off Seal Point, the southern extreme of the island.

    The sides of the island are so steep in most places that soundings from a boat could only be obtained, almost at the base of the cliffs. Landing may be effected in fine weather on the small shingly beaches which occur at intervals, but the greater part of the island is inaccessible. Anchorage is charted southward of Boussole rock.

    During the spring and summer months some Koreans reside on the island; their principal occupation is to collect and dry large quantities of shellfish.

    Hornet islands (Liancourt rocks) are described as being two barren rocky islets, covered with guano, which makes them appear white; they are about a mile in extent northwest and southeast, \ mile apart, and apparently joined together by a reef. The western islet, elevated about 410 feet above the sea, has a sugar-loaf form; the easternmost is much lower and flat topped. The water appeared deep close-to, but these rocks are sometimes dangerous at night from their position, being near the track of vessels steering up the sea of Japan for Hakodate.

    Position—According to a survey made in 1908 by the Japanese Government, the eastern islet is situated in Lat. 37° 14' 18" N., Long. 131° 52' 22" E.