The New York herald., 1850-04-29

From the Phila N American, April III
very interesting discovery of large island,
made, in November last, by Capt. VIM McMchasi,
Of the ship Montauk. while on her voyage from
Sydney, New South Wales to Shanghae, in China.
1t lies between the Loo Choo Islands and Japan,
presented in the ordinary Admiralty charts as
three distinct and small islets, termed, respec-
lively, Harbor, Bungalow, and Crown Islands,
of which the two first named have very nearly
from Greenwich; while Bungalow is in u deg.
~ min, and Harbor Island in 2S deg. 40 min. N.
latitude Crown Island being placed more at the
south and west, The land was first seen at a dis
mid day, the observed latitude was 2.54 the lon
gitude 1852 II bore, at this time, N. N. W., and
was supposed to be Bungalow Island, as laid down
on the chart Next day the ship steering N. W.,
land bearing from w. to N. w. by W., apparently
large island. Ran westward, 36 miles, on the
18th parallel, no land being here laid down but
found the land bearing W. by s., extending contin-
uously to n n +. by f.; STILL to all appear
ance, large island, high in the centre, with
low ends, as far could be ascertaned.-
AT AZ T. NJ, the position of the ship being in
2SOO lat and l29.is long, the land bore from n.
N. l.. +. to w. by s, no opening or passage vi
sibe. The ship was hove TO for the night; /; and
next morning Thursday, at A. NJ, the land bear
ing as before stood west south fory-eight miles;
when the latitude, by observation, was "a ij, AMI
the longitude l9. Steered the same course fifty
one miles, when the land bore ~; thence west
ward forty-two miles, 10 Sulphur Island, which was
seen AT 30 minutes past one, next morning. al the
N. N W., being the only land properly laid down
in the chart. Crown Island--or, more properly.
the southern termination of the great island-wls
passed late on Thursday night.
II was, OF course, the eastern front of the islam
which was seen by Captain M'MIchael; and, so far
as he was able TO observe, il extended from q 35
to, nearly, y 40 \. lat, and from I'D O5 TO I3D lS
E. long; throughout which limits he coasted it,
ON arh htpQf ton md ffas
miles Of the shore. Ii is high in the middle and at
the north end where the appearance is Of coast
Of cliffs, with number of small islands close along
shore; the south end being low, with reef all
around. In this southern portion there is the ap-
pearance of an openng-as of the fdncied channel
between the parts mistaken for Crown and Bunga-
low islands; but no such channel exists. Smoke
was seen in several places and, at night many
lights, as from fishing boats, A ship bound to
the north and west of Loo Choo, according to
Captain MN, should not 10 the north of
"a degrees 30 min n. latitude, which parallel
VIII take her clear OF all lands or, otherwise,
she should get 10 the north of the island, which
does not probably extend beyond . deg. I5 min.
The discovery OF Capt. McMichael is highly
interesting, If not an entirely new one such
land that seen by him being known to geo.
graphers, or being represented in any maps or
charts. Malte Brun, in his :" Universal Geography"
quotes the old missionary Gaubil for an account of
group OF islands between Loo Choo and Japan,
known TO the Chinese, and termed the Oofoo
group, the principal island being large one, barring
that name among the natives, though called by the
Chinese themselves Tatao. Its position is not as
signed; and, as laid down, conjecturally, in Matte
Bruins atlas, il is nearly two degrees n. and by w.
from McMichaers island. The most recent chart
of these regions which we have been able to find is
lmrays "Chart of the North Pacific" published
last year IN London. In this chart we have Hirbor
and Bungalow islands laid down, but not Crown
island. Westward, however, of the two first named
the chart representative know not on what authority
"a considerable island under the name of Oasi5a
-Gt figures a small iset in some of the previous
charts, as in that published by Dorc in ls}3)-ex-
tending from 2s.l to 2S3S n lat. and from 1905
10 l2935 f. long, averaging, therefore, nearly
degree west of McAlichacrs land. The North.
ern extremity of Ouslma very nearly comedies
with that of the new discovery; its southern ter
mnation, however, Is n min. further north; and
its position being almost due NV, il is at a dis
tance OF nearly sixty geographical miles from the
southern point of McMichael's island. II is barely
possible that Ousma may be portion OF the latter,
seen by some vessel approaching from the west,
the positions not very carefully ascerailed Ia
other way can il be identified with the Disco
very. Captain McNlichael had fine clear weather;
his observations, continued for three days, were
excellent ones; and his chronometer in first rate
order, as was verified, short time afterwards, on
his arrival at Shanghse.
n n,..p r