Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-07-13

DisCOvefy OF tHs - .,sr Us = a 90 :
More about the New Islanu IN '"e
North Pacific
The San Francisco kilograms, a few
DAYS ago, mentioned the fact OF the dis
coyery of an island, heretofore I'M
Known. in the North Pacific, together
with the remains of vessel, that must
must have been lost half a century
since. The California papers by the
Ocean Queer, brings us full particulars
and it is a most interesting story, we
quote in full
From BIessrs. Coleman's Circular. &ay ..
On Sunday afternoon the schooner
Caroline Mills returned to tins port
rr,,o am expaditiOn undertaken last
Fauuarv. In the hope Of recovering
7,,rtioT of the Iading of the bark Lii
- which was wrecked on Wakes
island IN the North Pacific, IN March,
1856 and IN which Madame Anna
Bishop was at the time a passenger
on arriving at the scene of the wreck,
49, fonnd the I.belle still holding to-
rrether, but In such position that IL
was impossible to approach her. she
Law TO the windwaTd Of the island, and
the reef was SO heavy IN her vicinity as
fo render the task of recovering any
norton of her cargo almost mpossi-
BILE.
She had struck on a coral reef, and
the successive tides and storms had
forced her almost bodily on to it. The
grinding Of the waves had knocked her
bottom ont. and as the reef ran plumb
down rs sheer as a wall, and no sound
mos could be got mt fifty or eighty ia
tb0,ns az cOurse, It was useleB to ex-
meet tbst any considerable portion OF
tbe quicksilver. which formed the most
2 valuable mart of her lading, could be
?. scued. A few TASKS we're found, and
some chain cable aud other iron, but
the expedition was not pecunlary sue
oass The weather was very rough
yVbcn the Mills arrived at the island,
and after LAYING on and off for several
,Iovs end finding no abatement or
Dr0sDecE OF abatement, of the sea, the
master. CAPTAIN NickOls, decided to
abapdon The wreck, more especially
os If became evident that 1T would
snee5iIv break up under the action OF
tie rollers. Topping his boom, there
fore. he made sail, and stood out to
sea. Not having made a fortune by the
Tibelle. and being 10th to return to
MORT empty handed, the skipper now
cast about for something to do, and
somewhere 10 90. He remembered
tbat an island called CORVALLIS Island
was laid down on the chart, and
fbouo,hf he would hunt it mp. He did
% aaffiaFVifU anH
making the discovery at the same
time, that it was some fOrty-tive miles
from the spot laid down on the chart !
In so large an ocean, this error may |
seem slight to landsman, who may |
possibly Think that 1T matters little
where these insignificant dots are loca- |
ted, so that the full complement are
given by the marine surveyors. 1t |
does not require an error Of forty miles |
IN the position of a rock. however, to |
wreck a passenger ship ana send a |
thousand or more souls into eternity az |
FIVE minutes rOtice, and it is difficult |
to account for the mistake in this in |
stance. Leaving this point to be set |
tied between Captain Nichols and the
craftsman of the chart, we will follow |
him further. Finding nothing on
CORVALLIS Island, he made sail for
another OF these coral rocks, known as
Sydilla, or Gaspar Rica Island, situa-
ted In longitude 100 deg. min. east,
and lat. IA deg. 40 min. north. On
landing upon this island, which Is
formed entirely of coral, and is only
about eight feet above the level of the
sea. CAPTAIN Nichols was surprised to
find the beach stTewn over with the
wreck OF a vessel of considerable size,
aud q closer investigation IN no degree
diminished his astOnishment, for 1T be-
came. evident that the wreck had been
cast away at least a generation ago. -
The fragments scattered here and there
were OF teak, and the copper rudder
bands, and some sheets from the hull,
we're picked up. Judging from the
size of the timbers, the pieces of which
lying around were all in excellent pres
eTvatiOn. Captain Nichols supposes
that the vessel was one of between
four and five hundred TONS On pro
ceeding further up the beach, place
was found where the shipwrecked
crew had evidently camped, and some
faded and rotton saileloth showed that
they had made tent for themselves
out of the sails. Here the first clue to
the identity of tine lost vessel was
found, in the shape of quarter board
bearing the name Cantor" deeply
carved on it.
Near to this was the armorial shield,
which had surmOunted the stern, and
this has been recognized by an old
sailor at Honolulu as being identical