The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-31
NEW ISLANDS IN THE PACIFIC.
Important DIscoverY-More Territory for
aha UmtGed States.

On the 9th of July, 1882 Captain N. @. Brooks,
OF the Hawaiian barque GAMBIA, while cruising
70 the West Northwest of the Sand wich Islands,
discovered group Of Islands and shoals In latl.
tude 28 deg. IL MN. North, and longitude III
deg. IL min. West from Greenwich, not hitherto
given on any chart. On making the discovery
Captain Brooks landed on one OF the Islands,
dug well, erected flagstaff, and took posses
SION of them in the name OF the United States,
leaving notice to that effect.
On the 18th of May, 1867 Allan McLane, Esq,
President of the Pacific Mail Ste lnship Com
pany, addressed letter to the Secretary of the
Navy, calling the attention of the Navy Depart
ment to "the great Importance in special
connection with the China NAL steamship line
OF obtaining, at the earliest practical moment,
full and re liable Information touching the cham
of small islands in the North Pacific Ocean,
stretching from the Hawaiian group in gene
raj West Northwesterly direction" Mr.. McLane
particularly mentioned one of these groups,
which he designated as Brooks Island, a posi-
bly, destined TO "prove of early port
ance as a coaling station" for that com
dany's China steamships and for United
States vessels cruising in those waters, aud
requested that full survey might be made OF
these Islands by a trustworthy vessel. On the
28th of May, 1867, the Department issued an
order, with the requisite instructions 10 Rear
Admiral II. X. Thatcher commanding the
North Pacific Squadron, to detail the Lacka.
wanna, or some other suitable vessel, to search
for the island above referred 10, and, having
found IL, to take possession of 1t in the name Of
the United States, and to make as accurate and
complete survey of it as praclica ole. Accord
ingly the LaCkawanna Captain William Rey.
nolds was sent on the expedition; and uuder
date of the 30th of September, 1867, Captain
Reynolds reported that he took formal posses
sion of Brooks Island and reefs tor the United
States on the 2Sth OF August previous The
report of the surveys made by Captain Reynolds
substantially confirms Captain Brooks original
statement. He describes the two islands desig-
mated as Brooks Island as being long and low,
and chiefly formed OF coral, shells, and sand.
The vegetation of the island consists entirely
of shrubs, herbs, and coarse grasses; none of
the shrubs are over three to five ieet in height.
On both islands several wells were dug, and
water found at depths of from four to seven
feet. Surgeon Kennedy tested the water taken
from these as far as the materials he had at
hand permitted. When first collected the speci.
mems were so full of sand and organic mpuri-
ties in state of pension that it was neces 5asy
to filter them. After filtration, tested by differ.
ent reagents, they were found to be hard, free
from organic impurities in solution. There was
every evidence that wells, properly sunk to a
good depth, would afford a good supply of
potable water Immense numbers OF sea birds
are constantly hoverng over and alighing upon
these islands. The lagoon is iull of fish, seal,
and turtle. The seal is the common halr seal,
and is not of much commerc al Importance.
The fish belong principally to the mullet, perch,
and mackerel families.
Captain Reynolds describes the harbor as
formed very much like that OF Honolulu. as
rather more roomy and as safe, bat with not
quite the same dep'h OF water on its bar, which,
however, appeared to be available tor vessels
drawing less than eighteen feet. During the
seventeen days that the LaCkawa renamed
at the islands, the lowest point which the ther-
mometer reached was 72, while the highest
was 80 degrees. The greatest rise and tall of
the tide observed during the neap tides was
eighteen inches, the 10 vest fifteen inches. The
circumference OF the reef enclosing the islands
is iorty-two miles, It's shape is irregular; its
diameter from north to south, nine and half
miles; from east to west sixteen miles. The
name OF Midway Islands" has been adopted
by the Navy Department for this group.