Journal of a cruise of the United States schooner Dolphin, among the islands of the Pacific Ocean; and a visit to the Mulgrave Islands, in pursuit of the mutineers of the whaleship GlobePaulding, Hiram
History
Journal of a cruise of the United States schooner Dolphin, among the islands of the Pacific Ocean; and a visit to the Mulgrave Islands, in pursuit of the mutineers of the whaleship Globe
Paulding, Hiram
Oceania -- Description and travel
The mutineers pursued the ship, as soon as they discovered she was
underway, but, finding that she outsailed them, they soon gave up the
chase, and returned to the shore. The nautical instruments of every
description had been taken on shore by order of the mutineers, so
that the people on board of the Globe were left to traverse a vast
ocean, studded with islands, and rocks, and reefs, where currents are
frequent, strong, and variable, without any other guide by which to
direct their course than the stars and prevailing winds. The
Mulgrave Islands are situated in north latitude six degrees, east
longitude one hundred and seventy. three degrees; and although the
passage of the Globe was very long, she arrived safely at Valparaiso,
where the crew informed the American Consul of the events that had
transpired. It was unfortunately at a period when our commerce, on
the coast of the Pacific, required for its protection all the naval
force we had at the time on that station, and no measures were taken
to bring the offenders to answer for their crimes, until some months
after the Globe had returned to the United States. Information of
the occurrence having been communicated to the secretary of the navy,
he, in 1825, directed Commodore Hull, then commanding our squadron in
the Pacific Ocean, to despatch the United States schooner Dolphin, in
search of such of the mutineers as had been left at the Mulgraves.
Besides the importance of bringing the guilty to punishment, for the
sake of example,--humanity for the suffering condition of the
innocent, that had been left by those who escaped, dictated that
something should be done for their relief. Accordingly on the 18th
of August, 1825, the Dolphin sailed from Chorillos, on the coast of
Peru, under the command of Lieutenant Percival, who was directed,
preparatory to his departure from the coast, to stop at some
convenient place for such refreshments as might be necessary for the
cruise. On the day following, we stood into the harbour of Casma,
and anchored, when we fired several guns, as signals, to acquaint the
people in the interior of the arrival of a stranger that wanted their
aid. It was not long before we had the satisfaction of seeing a
number of people, who had made their appearance in obedience to the
signal. A few moments' conversation with them, satisfied us that our
wants could not be supplied here. Wood might have been obtained, but
the water was neither good, nor convenient to be got at, and all
other things that we were in want of, could only be procured at the
most extravagant prices.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account