Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-26
iSonrual aItb Courier.
Saturday Morning, August 2c. 1882.
Historical.
NEW HAVEN, Aug. 9, 19e

NEW HAVEN, Aug. 25, 1882.
 A prominent townsman says In your issue of today your correspondent 'T." re- fers to the Historical society and it's gems very pleasantly, and speaks of the picture of ''Ebenezer Townsend" as representing the man who owned the ship Neptune, and of Captain Daniel Green as circumnavigating | the globe in the Neptune, in 179S, for the 1 first time of any New Haven ship.
 I think he is wrong in both cases, for the l Neptune was owned by dozen or more peo- pie with Mir. Townsend, and Captain Green circumnavigated the globe in 179O himself in New Haven vessel, to be sure-which I think actually was the first timo it was cir cumnavigated by any American vessel. Greer's voyage in 179S has never been written, supposed not to be, till within the last two months when the daughters of the late Captain E. A. Mix were hunting for evidence of an old French claim of their grandfather, Ebcn Townsend, they came ! across the history of Captain Greens famous voyage in l79s, written by their grandfather, Eben Townsend, who, it will be recollected, | was the supercargo of the ship Neptune un- 1 der Captain Green.
 
 of Boston fitted up large ship soon after the Revolutionary war to catch sea elephant oil and hair seal at the Faullland Islands. I The ship got into 8 place where there was ! fur seal and no hair seal, so they only took ! 13,O 900 skins as an experiment and brought home It was not known what they were, and they were sold 1n New York for fifty ! cents each and sent to China, where they bxought SIP each
 lhls set an enterprising New Haven ner- chant to thinking, and in 179O he fitted out two vessels for the fur seal fishery, which actually were the first sealers fitted out by anybody. Captain Daniel Green commanded one and Captain Woodward the other. Cap. | tain Woodward brought his load of skins I home, but Captain Green took his load l 4roNnd Cape Horn to China and returned by tho Cape of Good Hope, thus circumnavigat- I lng the globe in 179O, and being the first to ! go around the world from here, as hs was ! the first sealer from any country.
 ! AS Captain Green came from Boston here | to take charge of the first sealer, 1t may be, and probably is, true that he was one of those who were on Lady Haley's ship from | Boston.
 If you have iany information stating that ! 179O was not the first sealing voyage, or that ! on that voyage Captain Daniel Green was not
 the first one from this country who circum ! navigated the globe, l should like to know it.
 can find none.
 The account of Greens voyage writ ten by his supercargo, EbeL \ townsend, is extremely interesting ! The Smithsonian Institute ct present has ! the voyage as we'll as other voyages, and is I writing up the sealing voyages.
 ! Anyone who has old log books of sealing I voyages should send them to the Historica ! society of New Haven or to the Smithsonian ! society, Washington D. c.
 ! Speaking Of the Historical society, it is an
 invaluable society. Think of it. Saving ul l he material for history and relics of the past
 &c,, &c. Why, sirs, in 100 or POO years I from now it will be looked upon wonder full It is grand old institution.