page_title: William F. Lynch
section_title: Middle East Operations
hierarchical_section_title: William F. Lynch / Middle East Operations
caption_attribution_description: English: A sketch of the Ottoman de facto ruler of Galilee, Aqil Agha, by William Francis Lynch
context_page_description: Captain William Francis Lynch, was a naval officer who served first in the United States Navy and later in the Confederate States Navy.
context_section_description: Lynch had his first command, the Poinsett, from 3 March to 30 December 1839. The ship sailed on behalf of the United States Naval Hydrographic Office. In 1847, he proceeded to the Jordan River, transporting overland, by camels, a copper and a galvanized iron boat. A total of 16 men were a part of the trip, including John Y. Mason. Each boat was "assembled" and then placed on a carriage. His expedition ended with the exploration of the River Jordan and the Dead Sea.
  Using the triangulation method, Lynch's expedition was the first to determine that the Dead Sea was below sea level, something that the scientific community had inferred but not previously determined conclusively, though several other expeditions by Europeans had attempted to do so.  The American expedition's measurement showed the Dead Sea to be 1312.7 ft. (400 metres) below sea level.
  He published his travels in 1849, Narrative of the United States' Expedition to the River Jordan and the Dead Sea.
  In 1849 he was commissioned commander and in 1850 was promoted to captain. In 1852, he requested permission to explore the interior of Africa for purposes of possible colonization. In his exploration in west central Africa, he caught a fever, and was forced to return to the United States. Lynch believed that explorers who "remove the obstruction to Commerce, Civilization and Christianity will become the benefactors of mankind."
caption: Aqil Agha, drawn by Lynch
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