The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1860-01-10
THE DAY BOOK.
Fromhe ". Y. Daily Nees.
Cruise of the United States SlOOp-
Of-War VandaLia.

Of war Vandalia.
Tioenty-Sin Months IN the South Pacific
Sights among the IyLands-Manner and
Customs Of the Natives.
The Vandalia went in commission on the
18th of November, 1859, at Pertsm outh, N.
IL and sailed from that port on the LIST of
December. She arrived at Rio Janeiro Jan.
l, 1858, making the passage ia 81 days, one
OF the shortest on record. Sailed from Rio
Jan. IL, and arrived at Valparaiso the Odd
of February, Sailed from that port for
Callao on the 10th of March calling at CAL
dera, lpuique, africa and Chincha Islands;
arrived at Panama 25th of April, from
Callao having sailed Ia 900 miles, and visit
ed seven ports in less than five months. AT
ter staying 60 days at that port we sailed
for the Island of Naka-hira, Marquesas
Group, where we arrived in 80 days. At
this Island we found the natives, from the
strict discipline administered to them by the
FreEch, reduced to a tate OF tractability, in
great measur. differing from the manners
and customs of their savage ancestors. Many
of the men were statooed from head to feet,
giving them horrible appearances; and the
women tattoo their lips in lines running from
the inside to the outside; this is peculiar to
the women OF this Group.
On the day after our arrival at these is
lands, a small schooner arrived in port ON
board of which was Captain Knowles, Mr..
Bartlett, first mate, and three men, who re-
ported the wreck of the clipper ship Wild
Wave on the island of Ocne in the South
Pacific Ocean, and that they had left most
of the crew and passengers on the island.
We Immediately made preparations to go to
their relief, and sailed on the following
morning for Tahiti, where spent day re-
plenShing our stores and watering ship We
made good passage to Demo. On our ar
rival at this island we CONNIE need making
prepar ations to bring off the shipwreck-
ed passengers and crew Of the Wild Wave
Volunteers were asked for to man our boats,
and without exception the crew stepped for
ward, and could with difficulty be restrain
ed. The best swimmers and most athletic
men were selected. Mr.. Bartlett piloted the
boats through the surf, which was running
high over the reel, and after six hours Of
great eXertions we succeeded in getting all
those left from the Wild Wave safe on board,
and then sailed for Pitcairn Island, where
Captain Knowles had left three men. They
were averse to leaving the island, having
been there four months, and having become
very much attached to it, preterring it as
place ofresidence above all others. After
much persuasion they were induced to come
on board; we then sailed for Tahiti, where we
arrived on the Sth Sept.
We visited the Island Raiatea, in the same
group, where we settled some American
claims against the natives. We then visited
Perry island, Cooks group, Porotonga,
Tongotaboo, Friendly group, where we sea
tied large Americans claims and severely
punished the natives of Cooza Island, who
had killed and eaten two Americans. On
our passage to San Francisco from Ovalow,
we hove to off Rotches and Perne Islands
The inhabitants OF both these islands came
oil in their sampans, the people of the latter
were completely naked. A peculiar feature
In the inhabitants of these islands is tn at if
you offer them anything and they take it, il
1T does not suit their fancy, they will imma-
diately drop it seemingly unconscious of
having had 1t in their possession.
We arrived at San Francisco on the Sd
Dec. 1868, where we remained thirty-seven
days. Making slight repairs we then visited
Guaymas, in Mexico, and adjusted some A
merican claims at that place Thence we
sailed for Acapulco, calling at Mazatlan,
Manzanillo, and Realejo, in Nicaragua. We
1859, having been little over nine months
among the Islands. We adjusted claims to
the amount OF nearly seventy thousand dol
lars. We sailed from Panama for the U.
States on the 3lst OF August via Valparaiso.
1t will take about thirty -three thousand dol
lars to pay the crew of the Yandalia.
Our average sailing per day has been l23
miles; hourly sailing, six miles. We have
saluted thirty. eight times; firing $40 guns,
with an expenditure of 1000 pounds O.
powder. The maximum aud minimum tenn
perature Of the air has been 100 degrees 8
minutes; range OF barometer Is deg. so min.
to 30 deg. rs min. We crossed the line, or
Equator, five times. We have been from
long. rs deg. o. min. w. to TIA deg % MN.
B.: westerly lat. Al deg. 40 min. N. to Sc
deg. 80 min. s.
We had very heavy shock of an earth
quake on the 25th of December, on our pass
age home.