The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-07-27
NIidG:ebrOOk Islands.

In our San Francisco letter will he found n
reference to these Islands, which were visited by
Capt. y. e. Brooks, in the bark Gambia, in
1859. This vessel was dispatched on a voyage of
discovery by the late Capt. Il. +. Snow, and
during the cruise Capt. Brooks visited and sur
veyed most of the shoals and chain of Islands ex-
tending to the northwest Of this group, including
French Frigate Shoals, Laysan Island, Lisianrki
Island, the Pearl and Hcrmcs Group, and some
othcrs. lie discovered also two new Islands. in
latitude 2S7 To-, longitude III IL, which he
named Middlebrook or Gambia Islands. They are
described in his report, published in this paper
August Is, lSGO, from which We quote the fol-
ing:
On the 9TH Of July | fell in with an extensive reef
about 80 or 40 miles in circumference not Laid 'own
0n any of my charts. Inside the reef are two iinds,
which 1 called MiidebrOok Islands. They are from
u TO . miles in length, and = to y miles i'll breadth.
The reef can lie approached from any point. No
dangers exist outside the line Of breakers. The reef
i open for 3 miles on the west side. There Is good
anchorage outside, in from 9 to Is fithoms water.
Inside the reef is n beautiful lagoon, with from ! to
IL fIthoms water to within half a mile Of the ;. W,
blight Of the eastern island. The islands are 3 n miles
apart, and can lie seen a clear day from the mast
head 10 miles, one being about 10 feet high. They
are covered with myriads of fowls and eggs and but
little vegetation. / dug a well ON the largest, erected
n flag siah, and left notice Of possession Also LEFT a
party IN possession, consisting OF q hnmsch1tka dog.
On the y. ". and :. ". sides, inside the breakers,
Is n natural sea wall 4 feet high, perfectly level, and
extending for > miles. The reef on the east side
makes within quarter Of a mile Of the land, D miles TO
the north and = miles to the west. On the small isl
and | found timhcrs which had formed a raft.
In the same month Judge Borden, United
States Commissioner. issued n notice dated Au-
gust -. lSG0. and published also in this PAPER,
in which possession of these and other Islands
WIS claimed hy Capt. Snow, according to Act of
Congress. In this official notice the location is
given definitely. viz:
The group Of Islands, shoals and reefs known az
Pacific Ocean. IN lat. "a : ~ ", long. 175 : - W,
or ihereabOuis, and a group of islands, reefs and
shoals situated in lat. - : 10 ", long. ~ : IL W,
or Whereabouts, which We're not laid down On any
chart in the possession Of Capt. Brooks, and which
were namel by him MidjlebrOok's Islands and Shoals.
From a chart Of the reef and Islands drawn ny
Capt. Brooks, and now in the possession of Mrs.
Snow, il appears that the harbor is a large and
very good one. five or six miles in extent, nearly
surrounded with a coral reef. and with two good
and deep entrances. The Islands. which lie in
this lagoon. are from two to five miles long. and
being located in a high latitude-2So l6'-and
nearly midway between San Francisco and Ioko-
hama, afford most unque.tiOnably n good site for
n coal depot. Trey are not inhabited. and have
no trees of any kind, though probably cocoanuts
and other trees viii readily grow there, if once
planted.
At the time We were discussing the China