The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-07-31

wealth thus acquired leaves all the resources oil Tue
country untouched DR.. franklin cheered the fishermen
Of his day with the apophhegm that whosoeve took fish
out OF The always found piece OF River in his mouth
and our experience has confirmed It's truth, although IT 10
now rejected by the commercial writers OF England.
We are the second in rank among commercial nations
Our superiority many fesus from our greater
skill IN ship building, and greater dexerily IN nav
CATION, and greater irugality These elements
were developed in the fisheries and especially in The
northern fishery. We think that inferior to no
nation in naval warfare. The who have won
brilliant victories the ocean and the lakes
were trained and disciplined in this the severes OF all
marine service and naval historians agree that II
constituted the elementary school OF all our nautical
or for the decline OF the whale fishery
MIR. President. have tried TO win the favor OF the
Senate toward the national whale fishery for purpose
Ocholsk and Anadir. south Of Behring Straits and 10
that part OF the Arctic lying north OF them. lD
lsas. Captain Roys. in the whale ship SUPERIOR passed
through those and through The straits Drawing the
penis OF unknown way and inhospltable climate.
lie filled his ship in few weeks. and the news OF bis
success went abroad. In 1S40 fleet OF 154 sa went
up 10 This new fishing ground in 1850. fleet OF l44
and in 1851 fleet of l45 The vessels manned with
80 persons each and their value, including that OF the
average annual caTSoes procured there's is equal to nine
mllions--and thus exceeds by two millions the
highest annual import from China But these fleets are
bese by not only such dangers OF their calling as Gus
tomary on well-explored fishing grounds, bu,
also by the multiplied dangers OF shpwreck resulting
from the want OF accurate Typographical knowledge-the
only charts OF these being imperfect and unsasfac
tory. While many and deporable losses were sustained
by the fleets OF l549-50 we have already information OF
the loss OF eleven vessels, thirteenth part OF the
whole fleet of 1851 many OF which disasters might have
been avoided had there been CHARTS accurately indicating
the shoals and headlands, and also places OF sheltered
anchorage them These facts represented TO by
the merchants and underwriters, and
confirmed by Lieutenant Maury, who presldes IN this
department of science in the navy well in the la
bors and studies of the National Observatory. We want
them not bountes protection, even an accurate
survey but simply exploration and reconnaissance OF
these which have recently become the theatre OF
profitable adventure and brave achievement OF our whale
hunters This service can be performed by officers and
crews now belonging to The navy IN two or three vessels
which already belong may be added TO it, and would
continue at most only throughout two three years
Happily the measure involves nothing new unlrled, or
uncommon say nothing OF our recent search lor the
lamened Sir John Franklin, nor of great exploring
expedition under Captain Wilkes, we are already
gagged in riangulaung coast survey OF the Atlantic
shore Charts. lighthouses, aud beacons, show The
pilot his way, not that and among lis islands,
but along all our rivers and even upon our inland lakes
The absence OF similar guides and beacons in the waters
now In question results from the fact that the Pacific
coast has but recently fallen under our sway and
Behring's Straits and the they connect have not
I'll now been frequently navigated by the seamen OF any
nation Certainly somebody must do thus service But
who will The whaers cannot No foreign nation
w for nope is interested. The constitutional power
and responsibility with the federal government, and
Its adequate.
California is this fishing ground. Her enerprsing
citizens already engaged IN this pursuit and hence
forward the whale hunters OF Nantucket must compete
with rival possessing the advantage of nearness TO
the of their labots California therefore, Joins
Massachusetts in this reasonable demand
MIR. President the small exploring fleet thus proposed
would be obliged to qut the northern early in Sep
tember and could not return TO them until the succeeding
June propose that it should spend that long in
performing service not dssmar under mlder skies, in
that part OF the Pacific and it's adjoining which
is usually traversed by vessels sailing from New York
and San Francisco to China and the Indies. Remember
SIR, If you please that not only has no Asiac Prince
merchant or navigator explored this OF all the
oceans-the broadesl and most crowded and crowned
with slandsbut that they have forbidden iha, explora
ton by European navgators, who have performed what
has been done al the peril and often at The Of
imprisonment and death. We have made no accurate
survey, for have only just arrived and taken
stand on the Pacific coast We are new on that ocean
nay. only Of yesterday upon this continent
aud yet maps and charts 10 the seaarng
that any other and Just necessary
every monuments and guides are 10 him who
uavefses deserts OF sand wastes of rackess
Lieutenant Maury informs US that every navigator OF
those waters is painfully impressed with OF
rounding dangers they exist. and yet the only charts
that have been made fail TO Indicate what forms
what places they will appear So imperfect IS our opo
graphical information, that large island called Ousima
supposed 10 be ticky inhabited and highly cultivated,
lies IN the fair way TO China, and yet vessel has
touched gone around IT. IL would repay tenfold The
cos, OF the whole exploration II we should hnd that
island good harbor and friendly people Horberghs
charts OF these passages the best But these Of
old daies and although they have been corrected from
lime 10 time, yet they are very imperfect The shoals
IN the Ihina sea- the oil Japan, and The Straits OF
GaspaI, are represented to by Davgaors as being
formed OF coral, mixture OF animal and vegetable
ganZaton, and therefore increasing rapidly magnitude
as they approach to the surface OF the waters Ii n
particularly necessary to explore and note the shoals
and islands lying between the coast OF Palawan on
the China sea and that OF Cochin China, and also
The shoals in the vicinity OF West London, Prince of
Wales and Paulo Sapata islands The perils exist
ing there oblige ships going up and coming down
through those seas against the monsoons TO beat at
disadvantage, while exploration would probably dis
close eddes and currents which would allow OF straight
courses where now no dare pursue them Clements
Strait and the Caamata Passage filled with the same
dangers. Again. the great outlet from the China into
the Pacific by the Bahee and passages be-
tween The islands Of Luconia and the coast OF China and
foTmosa, need to be surveyed, although the islands
generally well designated the maps. Then proceeding
norhwady, regard to the safety Of the whaleman de-
mands that the islands between the coasts of China and
japan, and from them 10 the Loo Cboo islands, and
10 the Russian possessions. and along them eastwardy
to bebung Straits should be surveyed The last attempt
70 periom that duty was made by small Russian feet,
which was captured and destroyed, while its officers and
crew were imprisoned by the Japanese. Lastly. we
advance easiwardly in the very track pursued by
shoals imperieelly defined, and especially the BONN
islands while prudence requires careful
also OF the Fox islands, which, although lying hal
norhwardiy oil the passage, might, if well known, afford
shelter ~ case OF ncemen weather This reconnaissance
IN temperate latitude is demanded BY the merchants,
underwriters, and navgaors in all Atlantic well
IN two Pacihc ports, and the argument for it rests
on the same foundation with that which supports the
proposition for the norhwardly exploration. Sir,
the mails and certain class of passengers will be
RED by u.s. by The English steamers from California
Aud the Chinese port is Shanghai And yet for want OF
such survey this you cannot choose or establish
coaling station, although the length of The voyage is
Qev thpuaani