The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-04-14

American naval commanders appear to be pecu-
liarly unfortunate-to use a mild :erm-in their
guano explorations in this ocean. Had the Secretary
of the Navy of the United States heard the comments
of n number of g old whaling SHIPPERS" the other
day, on the return of the Modern Times from her
goose-chase to French, Frigate Shoals, he would I'M
~doubtedly have been impressed with the idea that. in
their opinion, at least, " Uncle Sans" officers, with
their fuss and gold lace, were more for ornament
than use. The old race of sailors-the Decaturs,
Bainbridges and Hulls-seem to have died off or are
put on the shelf, and in their places is n lot OF silk
stocking, sweet-scented, white-gloved gentry, who
know more about the angles of n billiard-table, or the
mysteries of a quadrille, than of the practical details
of seamanship.'' We don't say that such language
is strictly correct as applied to all American naval Off
GERS, but it cannot be denied that good cause for
fault finding does not require to he hunted for, but
is patent to every one in two or three cases which we
will instance.
We will recapitulate here the principal facts in this
connection
Imprimis-The famous expedition of Commodore
Nervine, in the frigate independence. Leaving Ho-
nolulu in the month of February, 1856, instead of
sailing direct for Jarvis Island, he ran down to New
Nantucket-far to leeward. Here, after discovering,
through a telescope, that there was some :" bird-lime"
on the island, and that it was impracticable to land
which has since been disproved by hundreds OF whale
ship masters and others-he then attempts to beat
his ship up to jarvis Island against prevailing winds
and currents. Failing, of course, IN this, he gives
IN the object of his cruise and goes quietly home to
enjoy his laurels. Next comes Captain c. b. Davis,
who. landing on Jarvis Island, reports-in humble
imitation of his superior-that there is no guano
there that the landing is very dangerous and
earnestly dissuades large ships from anchoring there.
last in this trio of naval worthless comes Lieutenant
J.. NJ. Brooke, of the Fenimore Cooper, who, after
living in Honolulu harbor some six weeks, for the
purpose, it is said, of determining its position with
his seventeen chronometers, takes a cruise one day
TO the northward and surveys French Frigate Shoals.
These he finds to be laid down on the charts thirty
miles to the eastward of their true position. He finds
also a deposit of guano on the principal island-a
mere rock-and, inAamed with the sc discovery" and
with glowing ideas of a mine of wealth IN future. he
returns to Honolulu. Arriving here on the 4th OF
February, he lays quietly in the harbor-prooaoiy
still defining its position-until the 10Th of March,
when he makes known, through the public newspa-
pers-what. Not that French Frigate Shoals are
enormously laid down on the charts not that, it
being in the direct track of the large number Of ships
belonging to his country, which Mt this season leave
the islands on their perilous northern cruise-they
should be warned that 1T IS actually thirty miles
eastward of its supposed position. Oh, no; but
simply that Lieutenant John NJ. Brooke, Of the u. 5.
surveying schooner Fenimore Cooper. taking advan-
tage of the facilities enjoyed by him of the command
of a United States vessel, takes possession, in his own
name, and for his own benefit, of certain deposits Of
guano, etc. Well. the fine American ship South
Seaman, sails hence on the 10th Of March. on the
very day on which Lieut.. B. came out with his guano
manifesto, and three days after is lost on the same
shoals which the naval officer claims. Now, had
Lieut.. B., Immediately on his arrival here, published
a statement to the effect that the shoals were laid
down wrong. and given the proper figures. is it not
fair to suppose that the ship would have steered clear
OF them ! The proper information may have been
forwarded to the Secretary Of the Navy, but that
supposes a system of :. circumlocution that We did
not imagine to exist in the American service.
The great flourish. too. about claiming guano.
turns out ridiculously = failure. Captain Overton,