Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-04-04
From the Baltimore American.

EXPLORING Expedition TO THE SOUTH SEAS.
n, xt to the combinations OF the terrible game
of war, there is nothing which men contem-
plate with more eager intrrcs' than the adven-
lures of voyages and discovers. This spirit
Of curiosity, hardly less than mat Of gain, has
by degrees made the greater PARK OF the world
acquainted with the Other, and vastly extended
thu sphere Of knowledge as well as traffic. ln
the present state Of science, particularly ot nau-
teal science, and amidst the 'epose which the
civilized part Of the world enjoys at this mos
ment, il is kind Of ref cIon on it that even
doubt should ,es on he existence 81 othercoun-
tries vet undiscovered The curiou, well as
the scientific, must be DESTROYS to see com
plcte map made out Of that htt!r g'obS las an
astronomer must consider iL on which w have
now been living We know not Tow many lhon-
sand years, which We have but lately disc covered
to be round; anG Of al; whose divisions we are
at this day uniformed Even f seal skins and
whale oil were no; likely 20 become more "bun-
dant by the projected expedition spoken OF "a
bove, we shnulo ne GLAD TO sre itundertaken, IN
order to add one link TO This chain Of complete
geographical knowledge.
MIR. Reynolds, however, has wisely added the
spur OF probable gain TO these more liberal
views; and in his letter to The chairman Of the
views uf the extent, charac er and I'd anlages
IF our commerce IN tie Pacific OCear, 20 ex,
tend which among other things, is ,he Object
Of his expedition. From conversation, reading,
aud ohser. alton, he has collected many parts
culars relative TO this trade, viii n ex ends To
various articies-lo whale Gil, se4~ntter, and
seal skins, sandal wood, ivory, land animal fnis.
and feathers. At the commencement Of the
Revolt tionary war, the whale Fl ,hery, to which
we shall limit our notice just now, was marty
confined 10 Nan uCket. and m,dt annual re-
turn of thirty thousand bsrrcIs Of oil, and a
hundred and sixty tons OF sperinateti candles.
Atpresent, i: amounts tn a hundred and thrty-
FIVE thousand barrels Of oil, anu eight hundred
aud thirly-seven tons OF spsTmac.ti candles, a
ysar-a vast increase. As The demand for oil
in, reasss, while the fishery decreases III the
seas now frequen,eG for tina purpose other Isl
ands AID shoals should be explored for the por-
poise and sea elephant, While ojher fisheries, as
the salmon and cod. nigh, be en!argea in high
ATTITUDES. The consumption Of h,h increases
with the supply. Fifteen wear, ago 1t astonish
ed the legislature Of Massachusetts, t.'at there
were twenty thousand barrels Of mackerel pic
kied every season. Last year upwards Of ole
hundred and ninety seven thousand barrels were
inspected; The price was not diminished, and
the demand was eniarging. BY this article
alone, deducling all expenses, half million OF
dollars is thus ished from the bottom Of the
ocean. Could ma, ket for these fish be opened
in South America, ,he inhabitants would soon
change the vegetable diet Of their fas, days for
fish. This is proved by the fact, that Spain and
L Tally, with the Yves, Inches. have been the great
consumers Of our fish. AS early as l744, thirs
ty-two thousand quintals of Goldfish were sent