Von Siebold, in his history of the discoveries in the Japan seas, says the Bonin islands were first put down on a map published by the Dutch hydrographer, Ortelius, in 1570, and are reported as having been discovered in 1543, by Bernardo de Torres, who named them Malonbrigo de los Hermanos. They were visited in 1595 by Captain Linschaten, of the Dutch East India Company, and are on the map by Hondries in 1634. A few years after they were visited by Captains Quast and Tasman of the same company, who were in search of the Gen and Ken, or Gold and Silver islands. These navigators determined their position with admirable accuracy. Mention is made of them by Vris and Schaef, of the Dutch East India Company in 1643. In 1650 on the map of Jansomous, and in 1680 by Van Kenlen. By later authorities they are omitted, and reappear on charts in the following century as discovered by the Spanish Admiral Cabrera Bueno, and are called Islas del Arzobispo. The Japanese history in the book San-kok-tou-ran-to-sito, mentions these islands as discovered between 1592 and 1595. In 1675 a Japan exploring expedition, specially authorized by the emperor, sailed from Simoda, then an imperial and customhouse port, for the Bonin islands. They were named by the Japanese the Munin Sima, and reported as fit to be settled, and the importance of doing so was urged. The Japanese counted more than eighty small rock islands. In 1826 they were visited by an American whaler, Captain Coffin; in 1827, by the Russian admiral, Lutke; and in 1828, by Capt. Beechy of the English navy. The inhabitants at Port Lloyd, on Peel island, are about forty in number; on the Bailey or Coffin group, there are living two families. Nearly all these people are runaway sailors from whale-ships, who have obtained wives from the Kanakas of the Sandwich islands, and so far as their nationality is concerned, the Americans predominate. The oldest settler at Port Lloyd is Nathaniel Savary, who acts as mayor of the place, and carries out their self-made laws and regulations with the assistance of two elders elected by a majority. As long as the Dutch held their fort Zeelandia, on Formosa, its position and possession gave them great advantages in the eyes of the Japanese, but its capture, after a prolonged siege, by the Chinese pirate chief Coshinga, had a very injurious effect with the Japanese, diminishing their prestige and weakening belief in their naval supremacy. It is quite desirable to know the future prospects of the Bonin islands. The adventitious aid of their possession would prove of great advantage in a trade with Japan, being only a distance of two days’ steaming from Yedo.