Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-09-19

Along The foaining deep. s.
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HiG HLY INTERESTING DISCOVERY.
fFRoM THE NEW YORK CoLuMBIAN.l
by The favor of DIR. Mitchill we are enabled
70 lay betsre our readers the following very in
tereSting letter from j. Robinson, Esq The
magnitude OF the discovery will not fail 10 ar
rest the attention of every one aud the sArprize
is, that sach an extent of land hi the ocean
ana so SITUATED, should not before have been
generaiiy Known. IL is said, however. 10 have
been discovered some years since by some A.
merican wllalers, and tie knowledge concealed
Tor mercantile purposes.
Valparaiso, jan % 1920.
SIR: L avail myself of au opportunity to
write by the way of England, tonoiify you of a
recent important discovery of landi in the South
Seas.
In the month of February, Of the last wear
Captain Smith, master OF the British mpr chant
ofiSanjine Williams, on passage from Buenos
Ayyes 10 this port round Cape Horn, in lati-
tnde 81 40 south, discovered land. When lie
arrived mere, he reported what he had seem
Out most persons were incrednous Mortified
ny tiis scepticism, upOn his return passage 10
MOnteVideo, he sailed TO tie southwark 10 as
certain whether he had been deceived or not ::
nat meeting bad weather, and eucOuutering
ice, lac was Obliged to deSiSt aud prosecute his
voyage: yet, wlhoa, abandoning his original
lnteniioi, or losiD. his Sanguine belief in the
existence of land in that neshborhood. La
hoHievidfO, lie prepared his vessel rather bet
Ter than common, aud proceeded second time
tound the Cape towards Valparaiso, aud on the
18th of October VAS eTat!tied by a second sirht
OF the sama iamd he had seen before, The
water was thaa hi III C0lored and he sounded
IN sky me ihtiUns, black and white sand aud
shells. iHo SGuudugs gradually decreased toe
twenty-five fathums and less, but coaTser. and
OF an oozy, gree6ish colour as he approached
i,e shore.
Capt. Smith was obliseCito stand OF and on.
by heavy swell, nniii the i7Ih uit. when he
landed IN latitude 6i A. south and 81 10 west
longitude, Dy observation aud an excellent
chrOnumeteT.
Here he saw many seals. sea lions, whales,
ana sea fowls-all perfectly fearless and mac
quauied with danger.
hisland he calls continent, and gave il the
name OF Nep Soath Britain, upon which he
hUlsteh The British Hug.
On he north coast of this land there is
clI@Ih or line of islands, f,on two TO ten miles
dlstaht from lie main 10 which he gave tile
HaiAe OF PeRgRiR Islands Between these ISL
%niS aud The maiH land, there is q kind OF
channel, from tF0 TO ten miles wide with some
rufr4nt-asd in one place an appearance of
breakers, produced probably by narrow pas
sage ana 5unken rocks. The passage there is
moi more than mile vide. bUI Carl. 5. did not
explore il.
Captain Smith ccasted to the west and west
by Sonlh, sometimes inside OF The Islands, at
others between them and the main, 10 the Iati-
thde of 63 SS south longitude q west; tile
wind thea blowing from the southwest he took
hiS departure and Steered from the land n. W.
ny w when 1t bore south and west, as far as
.dn
every appearance OF ils extending further
lie describes the whole Of this land both the
main and the islands, as bsing very high even
abOfe tue c!ouds, aud the SUBMITS as having
Deen covered with snow, aud with generally
sterile, barreR aspect, but with some ipdica.
lions OF vegetation, shtubbeIy, and wood in
The vallies and apertures of the hills and
mountains and likewise with rivers and creeks
lie stretched along this coast three hundred
miles, with generally cool pleasant weather,
but not haviHg been properly provided with
boats. lie did not attempt TO re-land, nOtwillI-
slandIug lie saw tine, bays ana sandy beaches.
captain Smith saw many fish Of all colours
and sizes, and different denominations The
nlostFemaika blc resembled Me Goldfish of Cape
Nightly Bank, and the Isle Juan Fernandez
1hs whales were like those of Hudson Bay
aud Davis Straits. Besides these, he saw a
species OF white whale aud black fish,
The sonndings. or rather the matter drawn
up with the lead, at each cast, are preserved
L have seen them, and likewise a drausht OF
the land, by good hand. Captain Sheriff the
commander of the Audromache and other
British naval forces in these seas will dis patch
vessel IN iew days TO survey this land and
report upon IT,.
Thinking this discovery may be interesting
to you, sir, iUasmnch as IL may he the means OF
throwing new light upon geography, nhviga-
lion, and The theory Of The EARTH, 1 take Inc
iOerl" 10 communicate the information. in the
hope that the facts will be gratifying TO the
L!ccnm and ustiul TO society in general.
Permit me to hint, that il il probable many
great discoveries are vet 10 be made in this
hemisphere, and that mHch has escaped the
most curious observers III the Pacific Ocean,
Should the government OF the United States
equip aud commission vessel with suitable
persons tor a voyage of discovery to this quar-.
ter of the world, think that the government
and nation would be amply rewarded by The
acquisition OF knowledge in addition 10 the
conscious satisfaction, arising from Ia wing pat.
TOBised and promoted lauddb!e iDtclIiaeuce
adventure, and enterprise.
Perhaps new sources of wealth, happiness,
Pcwersfa revenue, would he disci,. ed, and
science itself he henehtted thereby The land
lately discovered lies IN the track OF vessels
bound into and ont OF tie Pacific Ocean
With respect | have tie honor TO be, sir, youT
j. ROBINSON.
10 the Hon. SAMUEL J.. RIircinLL. l.. l.. ID.
President OF The Lyceum of Nat. History, N.
York, &c sc. &c.
From the journal Of Science, for July 1870.
Account ot He formation Of tic Isiand nj Sabri-
ma, ut the Isiomd of st. Diichael
On Thursday morning, the 18Th of Jane,
1911, IT about halt past one O'Clock, strong
shock OF an earthquake was felt al the CITY
Of Ponia Delgada, and for nearly eight hours
the shocks continued with more or less yio-
lenCe, with intervals Of from fifteen to ty.en-
~ minutes between each shock. aud more par-
ticnlarly ~ the west end Of the island, where
a number CT cottages we're thrown down, and
other more substantial Buildings we're consid.
erably injured. On Friday morning "A sub
marine VOlc8IO burst forth about mile from
the shore, 20 the n ~, w. = W. Of the picO
das CamariUliaS, which threw up stones and
SAID 10 a cOR3iderablc height, but IL subsidized
~ the afternoon Of tie same day. On Satur-
day the 1911, Tic volcano burst forth again in
tive same place. thOGgh not with so mich vio-
iehce the shocks OF The earthquake were al
50 more n3iid, bat considerable damage had
ALREADY been done ia tic districts rf n, pefss