LETTERS OF A FRIEND TO THE NAVY. 47 



which he is exceedingly magnified, especially in one from Captain 

 T. Ap. C. Jones, since appointed commander of the squadron, 

 who considers him the originator of the voyage ; and to whom, 

 with reference to this expedition, he addresses this language i 

 " Who can bring so much valuable knowledge, derived from va- 

 rious sources, some of ivhich you alone have been permitted to 

 draw from as you could ? I mean not to flatter when I say, not 

 another who is a citizen of the United States." So that Commo- 

 dore Jones looks up to Mr. as possessing so much valuable 



knowledge upon the subject of the exploring expedition, that he 

 has no equal among the citizens of the United States. How far 

 this superior knowledge is to influence Commodore Jones in di- 

 recting the movements of the exploring squadron remains to be 

 seen. 



Mr. , in his address, page seventy-four, says, " the amount 



of this power is a question upon which there can be but little dif- 

 ference of opinion among those thoroughly acquainted with the 

 subject ; the best informed are unanimous in their opinion that 

 there should be a well-appointed frigate and five other vessels ; 

 twice that number would find enough, and more than they could 

 do." 



Here is the origin of the plan of six ships for this expedition, 

 and one of them a frigate. Such a force as never yet went upon 

 such an expedition. 



Such was the force required by Mr. ; such is the force 



Commodore Jones now requires, and without which he considers 

 the expedition cannot be complete or effective. But what are the 

 words of the act authorizing the expedition ? 



" That the President of the United States be, and he hereby is, 

 authorized to send out a surveying and exploring expedition to the 

 Pacific Ocean and the South Seas, and for that purpose to employ 

 a sloop-of-ivar, and to purchase or provide such other smaller 

 vessels as may be necessary and proper to render the expedition 

 efficient and useful," &c. 



It was to the representations of Commodore Jones that less 

 force than one frigate of the second class, two barks, a store-ship, 

 and a schooner, would not answer the purposes of the expedition, 

 that President Jackson consented to the employment of so large a 

 force. It is idle to pretend that the plan of five vessels originated 



