Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-07

!
/ the navy If | leave Hong Kong for Cali
/ Iornia in an open whalebOat, and see how
! quickly I viii take you up would you
/ take the open sea for the passageEs he
asked. tOertainly not said. 4 would
/ watch for fair weather and leave Hong
Kong for FOrmOsa, "A distance OF about
30 miles; from FOrmosa 70 the Amacka-
/ rim8 Islands, in sight from Formosa
thence 30 the Majico Slma, in sight from
the latter; thence TO the LOOchoO Islands.
IN sight from the latter and about forty
miles distant. Starting from any one OF
I these islands, 1 would always be in sight
Of one or more Of the group until ! reach
ed another and then Cape Mona, on the
southwest end OF Japan, passing north Of
it, with the land in sight to my right un-
Ill / reached the nelghborhoOd OF Krusen-
stern's Channel between Japan and Co
rea. ! would then turn short of to the
northeast and cruise leisuraly up the ia
pan sea close in with the land until ]
reached the Island Of Matsmai, where
Hakodadi is situated. Thence to Kant
chatka, to the eastward of this island,
which would bring me on the Pacific
ocean, Or the route might be on its wes-
tern side in the Okotsk Sea. In both cases
it would be along the line Of the Kurile
Islands, lying close together and in sight
Of each other, and extending from the
north end Of Matsmai 10 Cape LOpatka,
the southernmOst point of Kamtchatka.
1t will be perceived that | have made a
very long trip without being out Of sight
of land over a few hours, excepting the
stretch OF 300 miles from Hong Kong TO
FormOsa. From Cape LOpatka | would
60 up the kamtchatKa COast until west
Of Behring's Island, which would then be
distant about l20 miles from this coast.
Sailing southwark and eastward Of this
island about LOO miles, ! would strike the
Aleutiau or Fox Islands, which | would
hug closely until reached the Alaskan
coast. At times there would be several
Of these islands in sight, and at no time
after reaching them would | be over
very few hours out OF sight Of any one OF
them, except in night time. and in case OF
f0gs or dark weather. These islands, as
a rule, are in close proximity. Reaching
the Alaskan coast, 1 would keen close in
with it until ] reached the group of is
lands on one Of which stands Sitka, and
would coast inside Of them next the main
land until reached the coast Of Oregon,
thence to California / never for an in
slant dreamed that this idle conversation,
as | at the time thought II to be, would
ever be matter OF controversy. ! simply
wished To- convey the idea that a person
IN AN open boat had every indication 10
show that there would be less risk attend
ing this trip than that attending the sin
gle-man aud-dOg-yOyages across the
Atlantic. It is natural to suppose
that one would watch the weather during
this Pacific voyage before leaving any
one point for another. ! acknowledged
that we had rough weather, and plenty of
II, when on board the little schooner Fen
more Cooper. but none Of it was so bad
as % scare me sufficiently to make me
abstain from the risk OF the above cruise
IN an open boat, when on making it ]
was b. be rewarded by having four stripes
on Uy cuff instead Of the one which a
navy 'lud' wore IN those DAYS. The big
gest bore l had 10 contend against in
that ship was having 70 live on salt horse
and hard tack. / know not that We en-
countered any tidal wave or bore for
We were under way, As a rule, and there
fore bad no means Of detecting it's exist
ence in that very deep water. And when
at anchor no extraordinary rise OF the sea
st'@ye it- usgal level was brought TO my
notice in any way, to my recollection.
Tie 'tide-rips' were not unireQuent, vet
not uni - hose encountered elsewhere.
One t4itiI is vetY sure, they never got the
schooner free from my control other when
/ mad the deck.
1.-The conversation with Mr.. Leland in
Cairo took place in 1872. In 1874 | met
Mr.. Leland in London. He asked me to
repeat the conversation, which ! did, and
he then desired my opinion on the matter
for publication. | told him if he publish
ed anything in this connection to be sure
to state that my object was TO show
that in my opinion the drifting of n
Junk ON the Pacific coast Of the Ameri-
can continent from the eastern shore Of
Asia, or the island above .named east OF II.
was something that most likely occurred
at the time referred to and might occur
again. That always did believe that the
Sandwich and Olaneitian and other ISL
ands in the Pacific were settled by peo-
pie from Japan, ana are indebted to IL for
having persons shipwrecked on their
shores. / never gave the subject any
special attention, but have simply thought
OF IL from observation.
PACIFIC OCEAN WEATHER.
"In reading Commander Glbson's letter
one would suppose that the weather WAS
invariably bad, and that no vessels ever
ventured to sea without fear and trem-
bling; that boree, and water rushing
around like maelstroms, and heavy gales
were OF such frequent occurrence that fair
weather and tranquil seas in those iati-
tudes were exceptions.
"As regards its being the most danger
ous sea 10 navigate, | do not agree with
Commander Gibson. Without arguing
the point, consider there is more danger
attending the navigation between the
United States and Northern Europe than
to be met anywhere else on the globe. The
wenther TO be encountered in the North
Pacific rs met with in all high latitudcs.
During the cruise Of the tenlmCre Cooper
we had dense fogs, but they are also dense
of the Banks of Newfoundland, and at
the latter place there are icebergs too.
or the Aleutian Islands we saw none. la
passing through narrow channels we
encountered nothing TO be compared %
what one meets IN going up the west coast
of Patagonia in Wellington channel, ana
Smythe's channel between the mainland
and the islands west OF It.. We had one
heavy gale at Atcha Island, which caused
rs 20 drag our anchors n considerable
distance, and we would have gone ashore,
but for tue keip or sea-weed. which be-
came entangled in our chains and anchors
ana around the sternpOst Of the ship H.
self as we dragged into II, A Chinese or
Japanese Junk would most likely have
persisted. The FenimOre Cooper was al
ways hard on her anchors, Tor when we
LETT her she was placed under the com.
mand Of Lieut.. john VI. Brooke, of Brooke
gun fame, who sailed 10 Japan in her, aud
when he was ashore the vessel, under
charge OF Lieut.. ThOrburn, commenced
70 drag IN u gale, when ThOrburn slipped
her cables and beachCd her and she be.
came a total wreck. ! do not wish % offer
aspro0f OF the probability that "A primitive
Chinese junk made nearly the same travel
[ 400 wears before auythiuw i'm cOuuog.