Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-06-16
THE EXPLORING EXPEDITION.


Il The Vlncsnnes LETT Manila on the 2Is
OF January, Singapore on the 25h OF Febru
ary, Cape Town on the l7th of April, ant
81. Helena on the I'd OF May.
H The U. ). briggs PorpoIse aud Oregon sail
! ed from 81. Helena Oh the 24lh OF April fo
New York, via Rio de Jsneiro, and may bs
expected about the Both Of June.
i THE South SEA SURVEYING AND Ex
Flooring EXPEDITiUN.-Ihe exploring squad
ron sailed from The United States on The 1911
of August, le3S, aud has been ubent ioul
years; during which, time, we learn that th,
different vessels have sailed about four hun
dred thousand miles. The expedition ha'
thoroughly executed every part Of the duties
conhdcd 10 II by the government.
II The ports, hai bors Islands, reefs and shoals
nanicd III the list annexed have been visited
and examined or surveyed.
II The POSITIONS assigned Oh the charts tc
several reefs, slio Is und islaEds, have been
carefully looked for, run over, aud found t.
nave M existence III or near the places as
! signed tli N.
Several Of the principal groups md islands
IN the Pacil Ocean have been visited, eX.
aminrd aud surveyed (; friendly intercourse
aud protective commercial regulations esiab-
| lisled with the chiefs and natives aggrcs.
| SONS on our citizens aud commerce Iedres essed
| aud Justly merted punishment meted out ia
some fagran, cases Of unprovoked and cold
| bloodcd murder.
Il The discoveries in the Atlantic Ocean
| ADlartic contiuent-observa.lons for fixing
/ The Southern magnetic pole, &c. preceded
those Of the French and English expeditions.
Il The report which has been IN circulation,
of Capt. Ross having run over some portion
Of the land discovered by this expedition. is
'uuiounded. No land to the Easiward Of 100
degrees Of T.. longitude, was discovered, seen
or cluinied, by the American expedition, as
appears by Capt. Wllkcs's report to the Ma
w Department published in 1910, after the
return OF the squadron to New Zealand. If
this statement originated with Capt Ross,
based upon the particular chart Of the An
tarc,ic ice, and discoveries of land, with the
full explanatory letter which was furnished
hun by Capt Wilkes (prcvious to Capt. RS
antarctic cruise,) he Capt. X must have
taken that portion of land reported to have
been seen by Bethany IN 1879, which was
represented on II, us being in lG3 degrees to
l55 degrees Fast longitude or thereabout,
winch tie American expedition had never
seen or heard OF, until It's return to Sidney,
New South Wales, alter their discoveries IN
the Antarctic Ocean.
Capt. Ross, according to his report, has
never passed over or gone 50 far West as
100 degrees East in latitude 81 degrees
South consequently he could not have seem
the land discovered and claimed by the
American expedition, but seems to have run
over the position where land is reported TO
have been seen by his own counlrymun Bal |
Iamy.
The expedition, during its absence, has
also examined and surveyed a large portion
OF The Oregon territory, part Of Upper
California, including the Columbia and Sac
ranento rivers, with their various tributaries.
Several exploring parties from the squadron
have explored. examined, and fixed those
portions of tho Oregon territory least known.
map of the territory, embracing It's rivers,
sounds, harbors, coasts, forts, &c. has been II
prepared, which will furnish the government
with mass OF valuable information r, laiive
% our possessions on the North. west Coast,
md the whole OF Oregon. i
Experiments were made with the pcndu. II
um on "Mouna Loa," Oh the island of liza
wan, one Of the Sandwich Islands, q, height
,f 900 feet above the level Of the sea.
TopographIcal surveys and views were made
u some ot lis active and most extensive era.
trs. II
Experiments have been made with the
D"nduInm, magnetic apparatus, and various
jther instruments. on all occasi0ns-thc tenn
Ieraure OF the ocean at various depths as
;crtancd IN the different seas lraversed, and
ncieornlogicai and other observations kept
Up during the crulse. H
Charts Of all the surveys have been made, \
With views and sketches of hcadlands. towns
r villages. &c, with description Of oil that
ppcrlaIns to the localities, productions, Ian
-uage, customs and manners.
AT some Of Tie islands this duty has been
TENDED with much labor exposure and risk
! ie,--the treacLerous character of the
alIvcs rendering II absolutely necessary that
ne officers aud men should be armed, while
II duty, aud at ali times prepared against
heir murderous attacks. On several occa-
ions boats have been absent from the dlfie.
snt vessels OF the squadron on surveying
uty, (the greater portion af which has been 4 =,
eriofmed III boats, among islands, reefs,
&c. Tor period OF ten, twenty and thirty
ays, at one time on one o.. these occasiuns,
10 OF the officers were killed a, the FL, / ,
roup, while defending their boa,s' crew
ON an attack by the natives.
The scientific gentlemen have been active.
engaged IN their various departments, II
nd subject to all the exposures incident to
searches among dangerous and hostile
wages. MIR. Hale, the phIlologisi of the (
Spcdltlun, was left at the Columbia river
r the purpose Of prosecuting his labors I
nong the different tribes of tho Oregon
rrtory, and may be expected home, over.
nd, early in August.
Several islands not laid down in the charts
ave been discovered, on one of which the 1
iiIvcs offered worship, evidently believing
at their visitors had come from the sun. i
The Sooloo sea has also been examined, n
'vcraI islands found to have been erroneous
laid down upon the charts, and others not
I'd down at all. Protective commercial Il
guIallons established with The Sultan OIL
1ooo, aud a correct chart made Of feas.
e aud short route for passing through THESE
as toward China against tho n. l.. mon. C
,on. II 3,
The tender, Flying Fish, which had ac. ="
the squadron during the whole '
use, until reaching Singapore, was so "
och used up by hard service, that it was
'cmed lrprudent TO hazard the lives Of u
cn and officers IN her, for passage around il
C Cape at that season, without Considerable
lay for thorough and extensive rcpairs.- y
&c was therefore disposed Of at that port L
d. a a. a.. II.