Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-07
WHO DISCOVERED AMERICA?
The LaureIs of Columbus PlXcked At
by Heather Ohinee.

Mr.. Edward =. Vining has written a
book to show that America WIS not first
discovered by Columbus in 1892 but that
~'Awui Shan, with a party of Buddhist
monks, discovered America in the fifth
century" The book and statements sug-
gested by il to the effect that Baron de
Guignes in 1860 gave details Of the voyage
of the Chinese along the coast Of KANT
chatka. the Aleutian Islands and Alaska
has drawn from Commander William
Gibson, of the navy, a communication 10
the New York Times, in which the prac-
ticabilitY OF such voyage in junk is de-
MED, and the opinion expressed by Col.
Beverly Kennon, of Norfolk, Va, IN q
letter to Col. Leland, TO the effect that the
voyage attributed TO the Chinese could
easily be made in an open boat" is con
troyerted. Commander Gibson cOrrects
Mr.. Leland's error in representing the
Fenmore Cooper, the vessel in which Col.
Kennon had some experience of the parts
of the Pacific under question, as being en-
gagged in the coast survey.
The FenimOre Cooper, he saws was the
smallest of a squadron Of five vessels that
sailed from the United States in the sum
mer of 1858 under command Of Acting
Commodore Cadwallader ltinggold, form
ing what was called ''The North Pacific,
China Seas and Behring Strait surveying
and Exploring Expedition" After con
siderable other surveying IN Aslatc
waters the vessels separated off Kant
chatka early in the summer Of 1870, the
steamer John Hancock to survey the OK
hOtsk sea, the flagship Vlncennes to pro-
coed through BehriDg Strait 10 the Arctic,
and the tenimOTe Cooper to make re-
connoisauce or running survey Of the
whole Aleutian archipelago
'The last named VESSEL adds Com
mander Gibson. "Was commanded by mo.
and Mr.. kennon was my Lieutenant"
Col. kennOn's experience Of the North
Pacific coasts having been appealed 10 by
Mr.. Leland IN recent publication 10
demonstrate the practibility OF the route
in question. Commander Gibson, after al
ludng TO the fact that the islands Of the
Aleutian chain are 10 clear weather in
sight Of each other, and 'to the mind OF
landsman' might seem 20 constitute "a
sort OF stepping stones 20 cross by pro
ceeds 10 say. "But am surprised that
so fine "a seaman as hr. Kennon should
have apparently fallen into this error.
Does he not remember that these
islands are tlmberless, we'll nigh bar
rem, furnishing no supplies other
than fresh waters Does be not
know that here is the most dangerous
navigation in the world: Has he forgot
ten the t0gs, phenomenal in their sudden
Ness and density; the tide bOres. which
OVERRIDE the ordinary saa level ike walls
OF white water, aud would boil round Us
and pick us up and send US flying along
As heipie,sly as a stone from a sling; the
currents OF four or five knots an hour
capt. Cook said ten }, which would whirl
Us through narrow channels bristlinE
with rocks and reefs, the quick handling
Ot the vessel alone suatching Us from de-
Strucuuu many "a time on many dark
niEht, tbe frequent severe gales, aud that
terrible one in which. though riding with
al anchors down In a deep bay that
should have sheltered Us, We dragged for
DAYS. hour alter hour. foot by foot, into
The jaws Of death, the gale abatng Just 10
time. As our stern lifted on the very sea
HAT broke laundering on The rocks. the
saugs that frothed 10 deyour usy Every
Cbiress Junk that ever was built would
have persisted ia that storm"
COL. BEVERLY KENNoN's STATEMENT.
Col Beverly Keunon. of Norfolk, Va.
formerly OF the United States navy, the
Confederate States navy. and latterly at
the Egyptian army. where be was made
Colonel Of coast defenses, and now en-
ployed in Baltimore a. Inspector 90 ocean,
steam and other ships for several In
Eurance companies. was called upOn
IN regard 10 the matter in dispute by
representative of the Sun, to whom he
said - never was on the coast survey
OF the United states, which statement |
hope viii satisfy Commander William
Gibson, with whom, by the way. ] was
associated in the survey of the North
Pacific, China seas and Behring strait
exploring expeditions during the Years
1888 10 1856, inclusive. This. however,
certainly placed me on duty ON the for
eign survey. The matter 70 which Com
mander William Gibson refers as having
been published by Mr.. Leland had been
entirely forgotten by me until day or
TWO since, when the matter was brOached
casually by "a friend aud then the whole
subject was revived in my memory.
When / was in the Egyptian army the
Mr.. Leland referred TO, having learned
that | had spent several years in the
aboye-named seas on a duty which should
make me pretty We'll posted as 10 their
geographical position and all else in that
connection, opened conversation with
me on the subject. We had not been in
troduced.
ANCIENT MARINERS.
''The conversation took place in Shep-
herds Hotel, Cairo, Egypt. Mr.. Leland
said To me: Il have read the translation
Of some old Chinese or Japanese manu-
scripts. / do not remember which, in
which 1t is stated that one Of those people
lay claim 20 the landing on the western
shores Of America of some Japanese az
far back as during the fourth on fifth cen
Jury OF "A little latter In closing he said:
DO you think the thing possibleY re-
piled IL has been claimed that some
Danes or N0rwegians or Swedes had lefl
proofs in the New England States that
they had been there before Columbus set
sail on his first voyage Of discovery. We
do not know that % be the case, and Vet
we believe IL. Without running into a
long argument on the subject il should
be considered that II such footing had
been made by those people, they made 10 by
crossing over an ocean where the weather,
~ rule, Is far more severe than the
weather 49,, as rule, in the Pacific, or the
lattef's name is a misnOmer. II these
Danes on -wedes did make such passage
they either did 50 on the usual line tray-
eled between those points or, starting
from Iceland, they landed at Greenland
next IN Labrador, crossing the mouth OF
The ST. Lawrence, struck Newfoundland
or thereabOute, ana from those points
fetched up in Nankeeland. In the former
case there Was a sire ten Of several thou.
sand miles, and in the latter case there
were several stretches Of several hundred
miles each.
JAPANESE CASTAwAYs.
"COmmauder Gibson should rQmpu her