The Plough Boy Journals

The Journals and Associated Documents

The Plough Boy Anthology

19th Century American Whaling

Bonin Islands

Pitcairn's Island

Dictionaries & Glossaries

Ashley's Glossary of
Whaling Terms

Dana's Dictionary of
Sea Terms

THE BONIN ISLANDS.

      This small, but interesting and (from its situation) valuable, group of Islands, lies in lat. 27 deg. N., long. 146 deg. E., — within 500 miles of the city of Jedo in Japan, and contiguous to the great spermaceti-whaling ground, on which 200 sail of vessels cruize during the summer months.

      It appertains to Great Britain, having been first discovered by an English whaling-vessel in 1825, and formally taken possession of by Captain Beechey, of her Majesty's ship Blossom, in 1827. Fortunately there are no "native princes" to whom its government can be given up, for there are no traces that it has ever been inhabited previous to this discovery.

      Its size does not exceed 250 square miles, but its geographical situation — so near to Japan, that mysterious empire, of which the trade will one day be of immense value — makes it of much importance; and it it is admirably fitted to be the depot for the British whaling trade.

      Its climate is excellent; its soil rich and productive; and it has an excellent harbour, well fitted for the site of a commercial city.

      In 1830 it was colonized by two white men of the names of Mazarro and Millichamp; who having expressed to Mr. Charlton, the British Consul at the Sandwich Islands, their wish to settle on some uninhabited island, were recommended by him to go to this group, of the discovery of which he had recently been informed. They took with them a few islanders, some live stock, and seeds; and landing at Port Lloyd, hoisted an English flag, which had been given to them by Mr. Charlton.

      The little settlement has been repeatedly visited, since that period, by whaling vessels, and once by one of her Majesty's vessels from the Chinese squadron. Mr. Millichamp returned to England, and Mr. Mazarro, anxious to get additional settlers or labourers (the whole population being only about twenty), came to

the Sandwich Islands, in the autumn of 1842, in an English whaling vessel.

      He described his little settlement as flourishing; that he had abandance of hogs, goats, and a few cattle; that he raised Indian corn, and many vegetables; and that he had all kinds of tropical fruits. In fact, that he could supply fresh provisions and vegetables to forty vessels annually.

      Many natives of the Sandwich Islands would gladly have accompanied him, but the Government prevented their emigrating, without his making a heavy payment for each. This, of course, he could not do; and he took his passage back in an American whaler, intending to take natives from the Island of Ascension (lat. 8 deg. N., 159 deg. E.)

      Mr. Mazarro, who, in virtue of his first arrival, receives the appellation of Governor, finds the task of governing even this little colony no easy matter. He applied to me for assistance in this task, and thankfully received the following document: —

      "I hereby certify that Mr. Matteo Mazarro was one of the original leaders of the expedition fitted out from this port, under the protection of Richard Charlton, Esq., her Majesty's Consul, to colonize the Bonin Islands; and I would intimate to the masters of all whaling vessels, touching at that group, that the said Mazarro is a sober and discreet man, and recommend them to support him by all means in their power against the troublers of the peace of that distant settlement; recommending also to the settlers to receive Mr. Mazarro as their head, until some officer directly appointed by her Britannic Majesty is placed over them.

      "Given under my hand and seal of office, at the British Consulate, Woahoo, Sandwich Islands, this 27th day of December, 1842.

      A small body of enterprizing emigrants would find this group a most admirable place for settlement; indeed its colonization I consider to be a national object.