APPENDIX. 409 



crew of one of the boats of the Plymouth, at the Bonin islands, has been given in the first 

 volume of this report. To remedy this omission as far as practicable, an extract from a dupli- 

 cate despatch recently received from Captain Kelly is here inserted. And it is due to the 

 memory of Lieutenant Matthews to state, that he was an officer of high and honorable standing, 

 and of great professional merit ; his comrades in the boat were also men of excellent character. 



Extract. "I have also the unpleasant duty to perform of reporting the loss of the second 

 cutter, with Lieutenant Matthews and fourteen men, thirteen of whom belonged to this ship, 

 the other was a man who had been left sick on the island by an American whale ship. The 

 circumstances attending the melancholy event are as follows : 



" On the morning of the 25th of October last, Lieutenant Matthews requested permission to 

 take the second cutter and proceed to North island for the purpose of fishing and shooting wild 

 pigeons, stating that he would return by dinner time; he left about 8 A. M., and stood off 

 under sail about two miles from the island to speak an English schooner then in the offing. 

 The captain of the schooner reported, that while entering the harbor he saw the boat very near 

 North island ; so that I imagine she must have been returning to the ship when he encountered 

 the typhoon. 



"The gale was terrific, commencing at the N.? and ending at the N.W. You may judge of 

 the strength of the wind when I inform you that this ship, with four anchors down, lower yards 

 and topmast struck, dragged completely across the harbor, with the water as smooth as a mill 

 pond. 



"On the 27th I despatched Sailingmaster H. N. T. Arnold in search of the cutter, supposing 

 she had been stove on landing, and that the crew were on one of the islands, and only waiting 

 to be relieved. 



"After two days' ineffectual search, he returned. I herewith enclose you his report. 



"The whaleship Bowditch, Captain Waldron, was lying in the harbor at the time; his boats 

 went out daily in search of the hump-back whale ; he, Captain Waldron, directed his boat's 

 crew to examine closely all the islands ; but to no effect ; not a vestige of the boat or her crew 

 could be discovered. 



"On the 29th I got underway and stood to the northward and westward, in hopes of meeting 

 with some of the oars or masts, but without success. I then stood to the southward, fearing 

 some accident had befallen the surveying party ; but, thank God, they were all safe ; though 

 Lieutenant Balch reported they were very near being lost." 



52 s 



