NAVY, DNITED STATES. 



nia, lately tho field of operations of tlio 

 .iln-t tin- Mexican republic, one 

 or in .-ii coti-tantly cruis- 



inir or in port, as our interests seemed to re- 

 quire. 



'.awanna lias been employed rno-t 



of tin- time ill the vicinity of the Sandwich 



!:i May --he vi-ited ihe Freiicli Frigate 



Shoals, and brought to Honolulu twenty 



of t!, and crew of the !>aniel Wood, 



whale-ship whieli liad 



\vre. -1. ! -iitly she lias been engaged in 



: 'ning and surveying tlie islands, reefs, and 

 reported dangers which lie northwesterly from 

 3 iiidwich group toward Japan. The ac- 

 quisition of UiN-ian America, tho increasing 

 commerce with Japan and China, and the ris- 

 ing importance of the States on the Pacific, 

 will in future call for more extensive operations 

 on the part of this squadron, and for a more 

 thorough exploration and survey of the North 

 Pacilic Ocean. 



The (><>ipee, Captain Einmons, conveyed the 

 commissioners to Russian America, and on Sep- 

 tember -7th, (Jem-nil Rousseau and Captain 

 iiourotl' (the Russian commissioner) left 

 San Francisco tor Sitka. 



The Jamestown, stationed at Panama, was 



in the spring ordered north, as many of her 



were. |> rostrated with fever, and several 



hail died. The crew of the Resaca, which suc- 



i her, became similarly affected, and in 



August both vessels sailed from San Francisco 



The South Pacific squadron, under the com- 

 mand of Hear- Admiral John A. Dahlgrcn, con- 

 sists of the following vessels: 



PowhaUn (flag-ship).... 17 



Tuaearora 10 



Dakota 7 



Gam. 



"Wntcrce 10 



Nyack 6 



Fredonia (store-ship). 



The only change made during the year was 

 tho detachment of the store-ship Farallones. 



The continuation of the war between Spain 

 and tho republics of Chili and Pern has in 

 some measure limited the operations of this 

 squadron, and rendered it expedient that, as a 

 fleet of observation, it should remain chiefly on 

 the coast and in the j)orts of tho republics. 

 Rear- Admiral Dahlgren has cooperated with 

 Reared miral Thatcher in preserving the safety 

 of transit over the Isthmus. The limits of the 

 squadron extend westward to Australia, and 

 furnish a vast field for naval exploration and 

 cruising, which might usefully be occupied to 

 promote commercial interests, were the vessels 

 no 1 required in particular localities. 



The Tuscarora has been engaged for a por- 

 tion of the year in visiting Tahiti and some 

 others of the Society Islands. At the Feeiee 

 I -lands Captain Stanley cooperated with the 

 onsiil, in measures to secure the payment 

 ards made in 1855 and 1858 to certain 

 citi/.ens of the United States, for injuries and 

 uued from acts of the natives. 



In May and Juno apprehensions were enter- 

 VOL. vn. 34 



! of a chil war in tho republic of Colom- 

 bia. At Panama the foreign merchant* coin- 

 plained of in-Tra-ed and unlawful taxati-: 

 a public meeting was held by the consult* and 

 commanders i,f ve eN-of-war, at which a re- 

 monstrance against the alleged illegal proceed- 

 ings was adopt.-!. After some correspo: : 

 a compromise was ,-11',^ ted, the. merchant-* at 

 Panama and Colon (Aspinwall) agreeing to pay 

 their regular tax three month- in advance, 

 without increase. Commander Bradford, of 

 the Resaca, was at Panama during these diffi- 

 culties; and the coiiiinander-.-in-chi.-f of the 

 North and South Pacific squadrons, as 'well an 

 licar-Admiral Palmer, on the Atlantic coast, 

 were directed to have a suitable naval force in 

 that vicinity to protect our interest *, and to at- 

 tend to the safety and security ot passengers 

 and merchandise crossing the Isthmus, but not 

 to interfere in a manner to involve the United 

 States or to violate neutrality. A civil revolu- 

 tion, effected happily without much internal 

 commotion or foreign complication, put an end 

 to the disturbance. 



In addition to the various fleets maintained 

 in foreign waters, a number of vessels have 

 been employed in special service. The steam- 

 frigate Susquehanna, sent to convey our minis- 

 ter, Lieutenant-General Sherman, to Vera Cruz, 

 returned without landing him, in consequence 

 of the unsettled condition of affairs in Mexico. 

 One or more naval vessels were continued at 

 that port until the surrender of Vera Cruz, and 

 the departure of the foreign troops in tho ser- 

 vice of the late Emperor Maximilian. 



The United States steamer Don. Commander 

 Ralph Chandler, acting upon information re- 

 ceived from Captain W. II. Russell, of the mer- 

 chant-ship Cultivator, discovered and explored 

 a dangerous shoal not laid down in the charts 

 about twenty miles westward of George's Shoal, 

 and directly in the track of vessels bound to 

 and from Europe. The survey was published 

 in June at the Hydrographic Office. 



The Sacramento, Captain Collins, visited tho 

 Island of Madeira, the Canary Islands, the Cape 

 de Verde Islands, Monrovia; Cape Palmas, 

 Axim ; St. George del Mina, Dutch Guiana ; 

 Accra, Jella Coffy, Prince's Island. Island of 

 St. Thomas; St. Paul de Loando, St. Philip 

 de Bengnela, Elephant Bay, Little Fish Bay, 

 Saldanha Bay, Cape Town, Mauritius, Point de 

 Galle, and Trincomalee, Ceylon, Pondicherry, 

 Coromandel Coast, and Madras. At Monrovia, 

 Captain Collins, at the request of President 

 Warner, of Liberia, called a council of the head 

 men of certain unfriendly tribes in the vicinity, 

 and endeavored to persuade them by concc- 

 sions and conciliation to make a lasting peace. 

 While performing this important and interest- 

 ing cruise the Sacramento was wrecked, June 

 l!>th, in the Bay of P.engal, on the reefs off the 

 mouth of the Kothapalem, a branch of the 

 Godavery River, Madras district, and proved a 

 total loss. The officers and crew saved them- 

 selves by means of rafts and boats, and happily 



