The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-07-29
NEW YORK HERALD FRIDAY JULY 49, 1s5a-TRIPLE SHEET

omake his escape out of the cells but the officer in
attendance was little too smart for him. He will
make his appearance at the bar of the Police C0u t
this moming-which will in all likelihood be fol-
lowed by trip to New York at the expense of the
State. The capture reflects great credit on those
4 engaged.
The New Reef Discovered by tho sloop of
War 0ernassSswn.
| TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
| WASHINGTON, July Q, 1859.
Tho fact Of tho United States sloOp owar Germantown
having been nearly lost reef In the neghborhood Of
the Loo Choo Islands, the 9th Of March last and some
remarks Of your correspondent board the Mississippi
in relation thereto call for the information which,
fortunately, it s In my power to give, for tho benefit
Of navigators and our commercial interests in that
| quarter.
is stated that the Germantown struck upon corAi
reef known Kkai ama laid down any chart, at
the eastward Of the Loo Choo GLANDS, and nearly four
miles from the landn Subsequently, your correspondent
amends this staement:"r The Germantown was sailing by
| an Mglhh chart which did not have tho reef laid
| down on it, also learn that IL Ia laid down on our
own charts" But In another part Of the letter he
remarks that .The passages round these (Loo Choo)
islands dangerous from tho very fact that our
| government has not had them property surveyed"
There probably reconnaissance Of any magnitude
Of maritime exploration, complete that made Of his
region by the United States North Pacific Surveying
Squadron, under Commander John Rodgers 1856. In
the month OF January Of that FIRST reconno
tered by that officer, his ship the Vincennes, sugy
The work a. this time deserves special mention for
ta skill evjnced, and for equal professional galantry
Early In the previous fall the little squadron dashed bold
y out from Hong Kong upon the Geld Of its iabors over
which bad swept and continued to sweep succession Of
yphoons, unprecedented for number and violence The
worthless Of these revolving avoided by the dr.
erent vessels who accomplished their various tasks
and returned safely 70 EoDg Kong with aas one excep
hon rhe brig porpoise, Lieutenant Commanding Wm.
King Bridge, wss is presumed, caught in such pc
son As wus the frgae Sabine las. fall and Wen; do gn
with all board But voice veslige has told us Of
her fate We only know she aud is not While
the TrtoDs snail continue 10 blow their fierce conchs
melancholy wan for the Nelson's who die amid the thun-
GERS OF saDguinary Trpagre let softer lamen for
hose Who in the loud hurricane in the
Eboa fall upon noble field Of duty mboring for their
fellow meD-seeking danger that 1t may be Stunned by
others The world wep long for La Peroues-et tears OF
generous admiration and be given the memory
Of the gallant Bridge and hts associated
The reconnaissance 10 January carried through
nearly underwriting gales In April aud May Of the
year (S66) these sess from the main Island OF Loo Choo
to KnsiD, the southefnmost Of the larger Japanese
islands, were again sur Myed; this time in more
| favorable weather, andasoy the whole squadron,
consisting Of the sloop Of war vucennes, Coamsnder
Rodgers tns steamer Hancock Lieutenant Commanding
Henry stevens, and TIE schooner Fsniuore Cooper,
Lieutenant Commanding VIM. Gibson The work
leved 10 be ss thorough as practical navigation de-
mand for many years,
the Loo Cho0 Islands, Near the West India Islands" would
be about as defnnc But from the KiKsi-simA,
correctly applied to the reef instead Of the by
We can readily infer the LEGALITY.
The reef upon which the Germantown struck in lti
tute $50. l2Au. N, Longitude l2sd t2m. 40s G &,
and lee q W. distant i've miles from the southwest
end Of the sl~na Of K,ka This island,
Elk by too y, haif miles, s summit 800 feet high,
tbe nor,h ens Of Oasina-s large and important
island, which propose TO describe more particularly.
ship f l.. Jenny Of Fairhaven, n letter 70 Mr. John
kehew OF New Bedford dated July 26 1858, who sounded
cennes' reimnary chart which potted in April,
1885, and copies Of which have been freely given rne
chart resune from toe subsequent and fuller OF
| this region Is just being completed
Ousima is The nortnernmost Of the islands usually
called Loo Chooan though the Archipelago continuous
from Lao Cboo proper " Japan and division arDi-
trary, politically we'll geographically. Although
Looh0o and iIs Immediately adjacent ISLANDS Chiua
trade by unks with the porw of both China and Japsn,
| the latter seems to mold suzeraipiy the whole
group 0usma has been called Otherwise Bungalow, so-
cum and Preble leland 1t extends (ncluding ell
eands which appear from distance 10 be With t)
from Is Deg TO % deg so min. N ht. and from 100 deg
about forty miles, narrowing 70 the northwsrd It is
fertile and very beautiful abounds in perfec, harbor
capable OF holding the fleets of the world and which from
the central position Of the island OF the coast Of
Asia cannot but be important; these, regards
northern extremity Of the island is the bay OF Fukan,
which has inner harbor, land locked and like
raj deck yard Between tho main OF Ousma and Kuons.
sima 10 the south ward 10 a strait OF moderate width
thirteen miles long, with lateral harb0rs like chapels OF
church. which called after the unfortunate Porpose
The schooner Fenm0Je Cooper passed and passed
through this strait, an the following extract from
port Of Lieutenant Commanding Gibson will describe 1t,
tho three qualities for which these islanders dis
tiDgushed. their polisecess, their simplicity aud their
Jealousy Az do the Japanese the better classes
or Two swords inss o. rank, their attendants
carry spears with penhont state occasions But they
though your correspondent says, somewhat smusngy,
'Had the ship (tne GermsntowD) been abandoned aad
her company landed, the chance OF escape from the
scalppg knife Of the half savages OF these islands wosd
| have been very uncertain "
The Fenimore Cooper had anchored near the western
entrance Of Porpoise strait Her comm ander reports-
SIN the evening in company wiia Leu.enants File
brown and KinneD aud Dr.. Nicho visited tue village
abreas, Of beach spi cad mats for
reception with tea SAX, and pioes The drese Of the
people was Loo Cbooap, our entertainers wearing the
silver hair pin. At srst they objected to our
entering the village but by party strayed of
without personsi bindrance Every house seemed de-
serted Conchs that been blown annunciauon Of
children TO fly into the bushes Finally of the silver
pms invited US into his residence there presented with
more tea and pipes and, At leaving, wih dozen eggs
The following morning. having previously sngled from
the schooner and two shore stations, SO. underway
and beat through the Sound. thunder shower th!s
morning interrupted for the first time the beautiful
weather We had hitherto experienced but cleared off
brightly Our course through the Sound like an in
trusion into fairy land. There ali the Of
romantic summer scenery-mountsiDe, bills and valleys
either wildly wooded cultivation, with pro-
mODosores ard baye, gray cliffs and green slopes and
here and there picturesque set The contours of
heights and the curves Of The shore equally wAvy
ana GRACEFUL and not lsast in beauty the blue
water-one long shining reach. sweeping into deep
recefkes Cd either size that Nature seemed 10 have been
| play in modcilJpg barbors.
"rhe mountain timber in principally pine Besides tn
universal rice wheat ana Indian corn tobacco
and many garden vegetables 10 cultivation large rssp
berry, OF sweet favor was in great proTusion."
Sailing north ard through ths srchipeag the scenery
RAPIDLY changes from the lovely corRhDe shores Loo
Chco the picturesque trap lofty burning
mountains Of japan. beyona 0usma II Ia superb 70 have
these volcanic island mountains pass, we're,
view grouped yet solitary each with osallic bluffs
wooded accvtee and lofty crater rising Of the