The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-10
WASHINGTON: FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER TO- 1852

unusual strength and cupability. | have therefore
recently added to the number Of vessels sppropri-
ated to the command the line OF. battle ship Yer,
mont, the corvette Macedonian, and the steamer
Allegheny. These ships, together with the soop
| OF war Vandalia, originally intended to be as
signed to the squadron, and with the ships now on
that station, the steamer Susquehanna, and thu
siooPs-ot war Saratoga and Piymouth-a portion
OF which are now near to the term of their cruise
will constitute command adapted, we may sup
pose, to any emergency which the delicate ma
ture OF the trust committed to the Commodore
may present. 1t is probable that the exhibition oil
| the whole force, which will be under the command
| OF Commodore Perry during the first year, vii
produce such an impression upon government INC
people who are accustomed to measure their re
| spect by the array Of power which accompanies
| the demand OF II, ms may enable him to dispense
with the vessels whose term of service ia DRAWING
near TO close, and that they may be returned &c
the United States without any material prolonga
| ton Of their cruise.
liberal allowance has been made to the squad
| ron for all the contingencies which the peculiar
nature OF the enterprise may create. The com.
| mandlng oflcer is furnished with ample means oi
defence and protection on laad as we'll as sea
with the means, also, of procuring despatch yes
seis' when necessary, transports for provision and
| ioel, and Tor such other employment may be re.
CURED. Special depots of coal have been estab-
| lished at various points, and abundant supplies
provided. He has, in addition to the instructions
usually given to the squadron on this station been
directed to avail himself of such opportunities as
| may fall in his way to make as accurate surveys
| as his means may allow of the coasts and seas he
may visit, and to preserve the results for future
| publication for the benefit of commerce.
| Somewhat allied in character and importance to
these projected operations of the Japan squadron is
the expedition now prepared for the exploration
and survey Of the China seas, the Northern Paci-
nc, and Behring's straits. The naval appropria-
ton bill of the last session of Congress put at the
| disposal of this Department one hundred and
twenty five thousand dollars "for the building or
purchase Of suitable vessels and for prosecuting
| survey and reconnaissance for naval and CONNER
cial purposes Of such parts of Behring's straits OF
the North Pacific ocean, and the China seas as are
| irequented by American whaleships and by trad.
Ing vessels in their routes between the United
States and China"
Very earnestly concurring with Congress in the
Importance Of this exploration and survey, I have
ioet no time In the arrangement and preparation
OF what hope will prove itself to be most efec-
1--WE and useful expedition. As the act of Congress
mas conhded to the discretion Of this Department
the selection of the vessels which may be found ne
cessary Tor tce prosecution of this enterprise the
equipment and distribution of the force it may re
quire, and the organization of every matter of de
tail connected with it, limited only by the amount
OF the appropriation, have thought should best
accomplish the object proposed and crafty the ex-
Pectation OF the country by giving to the expedi
ton the benefit of such naval resources as the De-
partnent could command, rather than confine il
to such Limited supply as would have resulted from
either building or purchasing vessels and providing
ior the other details of this service OF the fund
entrusted to the Department With this fund SO
applied the Department would have been con.
strained to organize the expedition upon scale
~h ,Sa ! conceive to be altogether inadequate
70 the nature OF the labor required, and which in
DEED would have been almost certain TO end in the
failure to accomplish such results az Congress had
contemplated. Looking to the amount which it
provide for the special contingencies of such an
expedition, it would have been impracticable to
procure, by the application Of the remaining por
tlon OF the appropriation, more than steamer OF
and rhono n 49,
constitute the force to be used in the undertaking.
1t is doubtful if even this equipment could have
been obtained by such appropriation of the fund.-
The absolute necessity OF altering Strengthening,
and arranging any vessel which might be pur,
chased, 60 as ~ adapt it to the character Of the
service required, and give reasonable assurance of
safety anu success, would have drawn SO largely
upon the appropriation to reduce the outfit TO
limit quite incompatible with the object expected
to be attained.
This croisc of exploration and survey, destined
TO equal employment in the tropics and the arctic
regions, and required to traverse the broad ex
panse OF the Pacific amongst dangerous and I'M
known shoals, and in search of islands and rocks
misplaced upon our charts, and therefore the more
periious TO the navigator, will find enough, and
more than enough, Of labor to occupy it during
the next three years lite toilsomc duties exacting
cerseess vigilance and all the skill of seamanehip
VIII be inevitably enhanced by the disease incident
70 varying climates and exposure to the peculiar
casualties TO boat navigation and contests with the
savage islanders Of the it is destined to ex.
piore i have therefore deemed it indispensable
That at least one large vessel should be always at
hand to afford change of quarters to tnose who
may be disabled, and to supply reliefs of fresh
men to take the place Of those who may be broken
down y sickness or accident 1t is impossible to
maintain The health OF the crews of the small YES.
ses in go long service without the comf forts which
such change may afford. These surveys also re-
qulre an extra supply of men beyond the usual
being constant occasion for detachmcn ts in boats
to conduct the operation of measuring and deter
mining the position and bearings of the shoals and
Islands which 1t is the purpose of the enterprise to
ascertain.
In consideration of all these conditions, and
many others of kindred. nature, | have deter
mined to give to this little squadron every facility
which the resources at my comma nd have enabled
me to supply. have accordingly put the Vim
cennes, one Of our stanchest and best soops Of
war, in the lead Of the expedition have added
to this the propeller John Hancock, which, being
iound to have an engine of the strongest construc
ton, needed only some alterations in her size and
frame and the addition Of new boilers to make her
IN every respect most efficient contribution to The
force required. She has, with this view, been
placed in the hands Of the naval constructor, who
ID now assiduously at work, and am happy TO re-
port with all desirable success, in fitting her out
with every accommodation which her future ope-
rat1ons may demand Besides these two vessels
The brig Porpoise has been detailed for the expcdi
ton, and put in condition for all the exigencies of
her employment small pilot boat, adapted to
speedy navigation and shallow waters will be
added TO the squadron. These vessels, fully man
ned and equipped and furnished with oil the ne
cessarics appropriate to the hazardous nature of
their cruise, constitute the material elements of
the expedition.
To promote the scientific objects contemplated
by the reconnaissance, have supplied the squad.
ron with an astronomer and photographer Of
known ability and accomplishment, a nd also with
naturalist and botanist, who charged with the
duty OF collecting and preserving specimens of
such natural productions may be interesting to
science and commerce. =.
The squadron lie placed under the command of
an officer already distinguished by his participa.
ton In a former Exploring Expedition, and well
known for the valuable contributions he has made
to the photographed survey of our western
Ringgold, whose professional
accomplishment and devotion to the service emf.
nently qualify him for the duty committed TO him.
He will be able, hope, to take his departure in a
lew weeks, and will sail directly TO the Pacific
doubling Cape Horn and proceeding by the Sand
wicb Islands TO Behring's Straits, where he may be
to arrive at the opening OF the season for
operations In that quarter. 1t is designed TO en- |
ploy the expedition during each year in the recon
noissance OF these high ATTITUDES from June until |
October, this being the only in which the |
surveys may be prosecuted in those regions The |
portions of each year will be devoted TO |
the prosecution OF survey and exploration in the |
lower attitudes, along the coast of Japan, the China