Miscellanies, 387 
for so terrible an earthquake over so vast an extent of country? The 
coincidence of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes is not remarkable, 
but that several hundred miles of territory, with all its mountains and 
rivers should be thrust up and thrown into undulating motions at the 
same moment of time, accompanied by sounds from the depths of the 
earth, like the rolling of thunder, are phenomena which cannot be 
accounted for on any other supposition than that of vast subterranean 
lines of communication between volcanic mountains.” 
14. Progress of the U. 8S. Exploring Expedition.—The following 
letter from the Commander of the Expedition was received by the 
Navy —— about the close of January, 1840. 
Ship Vincennes, Matavai Bay, Island of Tahiti, Sept. 15, 1839. 
Sir—I on the honor to report my arrival at this anchorage, after 
a passage of sixty days from Callao; having been employed in exam- 
ining and surveying many of the islands to the northward and east- 
ward; and take leave to submit the following report of the operations 
of the exploring squadron, under my command, since my apes dated 
at Callao on the first of July last. 
We sailed from Callao on the 13th of July, after completing our 
supplies of stores and outfits, having been much expedited by the fa- 
cilities and kind attentions of Capt. McKeever, in command of the 
United States ship Falmouth. 
We steered a westerly course through the trade wind, with fine 
weather. On our track we passed over the location assigned to an 
island, as laid down in Arrowsmith’s chart, but saw nothing of it, or 
any appearance of land in the vicinity. 
On our route, daily observations were made of the deep sea tem- 
perature and dip. We made the island Clermont de Tonnin on the 
13th of August, of which we completed a survey, and ascertained the 
longitude of its southeast point to be 136° 21' 12” W. nd — 18° 
32 49" S 
From han we proceeded to Serle Island, the diaieeed! from Cler- 
mont de Tonnin being twenty seven miles. Here, again, we made a 
careful survey of the island, finding its southeast point in longitude 
137° 4’ 10” W. and latitude 18° 21’ 10" 5S 
We saw nothing of Minerva Island. 
We then proceeded to the northward toward the Disappointment 
group of Byron, and in our way fell in with: Hondon Island, (which 
Was uninhabited,) and found its southeast point in longitude 138° 47’ 
36” W., latitude 14° 55 40” S. 
ies thence to Wyhite, one of the Disappointment group, the 
northwest point of which we found in 141° 17 24” W. longitude, and 
