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Nantucket Inquirer

March 22, 1828

      Voyage of Exploration. — We have lately seen a letter from the Hon. John Reed, Member of Congress, addressed to a gentleman of this town, on the subject of the contemplated voyage of discovery in the South Seas; by which it appears that the proposed enterprise meets thus far with a favourable reception at the seat of government. — Two gentlemen were mentioned as highly qualified to be useful in its prosecution — Mr. Reynolds, well known as a scientific man, and Lieut. A. B. Pinkham, whose nautical skill and acquaintance in different parts of the Pacific Ocean, would justify the selection of him to take charge of the expedition.

      When the fast extent of the Pacific Ocean is taken into consideration, the face of which is diversified with thousands of islands, the subject of exploration immediately swells into a theme of great national interest and importance. But there are other considerations which seem to demand, almost imperatively, the aid of government in this expedition — we mean the casual discoveries made by navigators not professedly cruising for that purpose; and the strong presumption that many ships and many valuable lives have been lost in consequence of the imperfect knowledge of islands and reefs in that vast expanse of water, or a total ignorance of their existance or situation. If there were no other considerations but the two just mentioned, we think they would form sufficient inducement to dispose every member of Congress to countenance an enterprise which would probably result both to the interest and honour of the nation. It is well known that navigators in the whaling business or merchant service have objects very different from those of discovery and science; and when they make discoveries, they have neither time nor means to execute hydrographical surveys. Consequently the accounts of new islands casually discovered and but imperfectly explored, cannot be depended on as accurate; so that the benefits to be derived from such sources will always be limited. And as the great object of legislation is to protect the lives and property of the people, perhaps no national undertaking would promote that object on so wide and nobale a principle, and at the same time so honourable and advantageous to the country, as the prosecution of a voyage of exploration in the South Seas. A voyabe of this description, liberally supported, and conducted with skill and knowledge,would render greater security to the navigation of those seas, not only by correcting the errors that are laid down on many charts, but by adding to the present stock of nautical science and geographical intelligence, all the information and discoveries that might result from it.

      Premiums of ensurance we believe are twice as high on vessels destined to the Pacific Ocean, as they are on such as navigate the waters of the Atlantic; still, if the knowledge of the Pacific were as perfect as it is of the Atlantic, the ensurance ought not to be higher, for it is well known that the Pacific is not so subject to tempests as the Atlantic.

      In the present number of the Inquirer, we publish as perfect a list of Islands that have been discovered within a few years, as we could obtain; and it is natural to infer that the number yet undiscovered is probably much greater than is generally supposed. It is believed that a catalogue of so great a number of newly discovered Islands, laid before Congress, would be the strongest argument in favour of a scientific expedition, and the most powerful appeal to the patriotism of that distinguished body of men, to whom is entrusted the welfare of the nation. It is but just to observe that through the assiduity of Mr. Jenks, late proprietor and Editor of the Inquirer, most of the intelligence imbodied in this paper, as at different periods been published; and we re-publish the discoveries of Capt. James J. Coffin, which we first laid before the public in Nov. last; and those of Capt. Joshua Coffin, 2nd, which appeared in the Inquirer of Dec. 8th, with such other information as has been collected by gentlemen of this town, desirous to promote so important an enterprise; and also further discoveries made by Capt. James J. Coffin, in the Japan sea, not heretofore published.

Newly Discovered Islands. — Captain James J. Coffin, of this place, late of the British ship Transit, has politely furnished us with his private Journal, from which we gather the following facts:

      On the 12th of Sept. 1824, Captain Coffin discovered a group of islands not laid down on his charts. He found the group to consist of six islands, besides a number of large rocks and reefs. In honour of Messrs. Fisher, Kidd and Fisher, of Bristol, England, in whose employ Capt. Coffin sailed, he gave to the largest island, which is four leagues in length, the name of Fishers' Island; the second in size he named Kidd Island; the third, being the most southern of the group, he called South Island; and the fourth, from the abundance of pigeons found on it, he named Pigeon Island. — About four miles ENE. of South Island, lie two round islands, to which Capt. C. gave no names. Fisher's Island lies from SSE. to NNW. and Kidd Island, the most western of the group, lies SE. from the north west part of Fisher's Island. Between the two last mentioned islands, is a beautiful clear bay, two miles wide, and five miles up to the head. Captain Coffin sailed up the bay about four miles, where he found a fine small bay, where he anchored his ship in fifteen fathoms of water. To this bay, Captain C. very properly gave the name of Coffin's Harbour. This harbour is sheltered from all winds except from WSW. and has no current or swell. In three days Capt. C. took on board of the ship fifty tuns of water, of the purest quality, and a sufficient supply of wood, both these essential articles being very abundant, and more easily procured than at any other place Capt. C. was at. Turtle and pigeons were so plenty that any number could be obtained; and Capt. C. was under the necessity of limiting the number to be daily taken, to prevent profusion and waste. The waters in the bay are stored with a variety of excellent fish and plenty of lobsters; and the cabbage tree is among the productions of the island, so that any desirable quantity was easily obtained. Captain Coffin did not discover any quadruped, reptile or insect, of any kind of nature, not even an ant. The islands are covered with large and beautiful forest trees, but not a single mark, even of a knife, could be traced upon one of them; nor did it appear that the footsteps of man had ever been impressed upon any of these islands. For ships employed in the whale fishery, or bound from Canton to Port Jackson, or the North West coast of America, they will furnish a valuable place of refreshment. They are about south of Sandown Point, on the coast of Japan, and the distance may be sailed in four days. The bay where Captain Coffin anchored is in latitude 26 30 N. long. 141 E.

New Islands. Capt. Joshua Coffin, 2nd of the ship Ganges, of this place, in his last cruise in the Pacific Ocean, discovered four islands not laid down on his charts. The first, which he named Gardners' Island, in honour of the owners, is in lat. 4° 30' S, long. 174° 22' W. The land of this island was low and well wooded. The second, which he called Coffin's Island, is in lat. 31° 13' S, long. 178° 54'15" W. About 12 miles W. by N. from this island, is a very dangerous reef. The two others which Capt. C. discovered, he named Ganges Islands. One lies in lat. 10° 25' S. long. 160° 45' W. the other is in lat 10° S. long. 161° W. They were inhabited, and the natives came along side with canoes loaded with cocoa nuts, &c. One of the natives sole a hatchet from the Ganges, and after he got into his canoe, and having manifested an unwillingness to return it, Capt. C. discharged a pistol at some distance over the heads of the natives in their canoes, when they all fell as instantly as if they had received an electric shock; and after lying apparently lifeless for a short time, they all started up, seized their paddles, and rowed off with an astonishing velocity. The natives probably had no knowledge of fire arms.

      Islands and Reefs. In August, 1825 while cruising in the sea of Japan, Capt. James J. Coffin, of the Br. ship Transit, discovered, in lat. 27° N. lon. 141° 10' E. a high island, well wooded, from the west side of which he procured good water and turtle. Six leagues north of it, Capt. C. discovered a high lump of an island, and many small ones near it; — with reefs extending from one island to the other, and as far as to lat. 28° N. These islands and reefs were not laid down on Capt. Coffin's charts.

      The following discoveries were made by Capt. Elias Ceely, of ship Beverly, of Boston, while on a whaling voyage, in 1822; and published in 1824, in the Boston Patriot, Nantucket Inquirer, and probably other papers.

Entrance Reef. — Saw a reef of rocks lying 6 miles WNW. from the Island of Ya de San Miguel, that makes the North entrance of the Straits of St. Barbara, on the Coast of New Albion; some parts of the reef as hight as the vessel's hull out of water.

      Beverly Island. — Nov. 25th 1822. — Whilst cruising for whales on the Coast of California, saw an Island bearing E. distance 3 leagues. Latitude of the Island, 18 23, N. and longitude 115,00 W. suppose the Island to be about 15 miles in circumference; the height of a middling size, and appeared to be green in some places, with hills and valleys; saw a number of small rocks close to it, that had the appearance of sails.

      Appearance of the Island bearing E., distance 3 leagues — on the left, high land, sloping toward the sea, and toward the center of the island; on the right two lofty mountains, with pointed summits, like the bunches on a camel's back.

      The memorial of the subscribers, citizens of the town of Nantucket, respectfully represents, that the intercourse maintained between different parts of the nation and the islands and countries of the Pacific ocean has become a matter of public interest, and deserving the protecting care of the national legislature. The skinning business, and the trade carried on between the Pacific islands and coasts of China, as is known to your honorable body, have afforded rich returns, and increased the wealth of our common country. Besides this employment of national industry and enterprise, they would represent that there are engaged in the whale fishery, from various parts of the country, upward of 40,000 tons of shipping, requiring a capital of 3,000,000 dollars, and the services of more than 3,000 seamen. Whether viewed as a nursery of bold and hardy seamen, or as an employment of capital in one of the most productive modes, or as furnishing an article of indispensable necessity to human comfort, it seems to your petitioners to be an object especially deserving the public care. The increased extent of the voyages now pursued by the trading and whaling ships, into seas but little explored, and to parts of the world before unknown, has increased the cares, the dangers, and the losses of our merchants and mariners. Within a few years their cruises have extended from the coasts of Peru and Chili to the northwest coast, New Zealand and the isles of Japan — This increase of risk has been attended by an increase of loss. Several vessels have been wrecked on islands and reefs not laid down on any chart; and the matter acquires a painful interest, from the fact that many ships have gone into those seas, and no soul has survived to tell their fate. Your petitioners consider it a matter of earnest importance that those seas should be explored — that they should be surveyed in an accurate and authentic manner, and the position of new islands and reefs, and shoals, definitely ascertained — The advancement of science, and not their private interest only, but the general interests of the nation, seem to them imperiously to demand it. They therefore pray that an expedition may be fitted out, under the sanction of the government, to explore and survey the islands and coasts of the Pacific seas — And as in duty bound, will ever pray.

      Nantucket, Feb. 4,, 1828.

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