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The National Geographic Magazine 



and, secondly, in larger detail, some of 

 the assigned positions of reported isl- 

 ands, reefs, or shoals, said to have been 

 observed within the questionable area, 

 together with the sailing tracks of the 

 several vessels, not less than six, which 

 from time to time during the past eighty 

 years have been sent to explore the 

 doubtful region. It is true that of all 

 these reported islands, reefs, or shoals 

 no one has ever yet been found by any 

 of the vessels sent to seek them; but it 

 is also true that a very large part of the 

 questionable area from which the un- 

 certain reports of observed islands have 

 come has never yet been seen or visited 

 by any of the exploring vessels sent out 

 for such purpose, whose sailing tracks 

 are shown on the accompanying maps. 



The earliest of these expeditions ap- 

 pears to have been that of H. M. ship 

 Blossom, in 1827, under the command of 

 Capt. F. W. Beechey, who in his narra- 

 tive (vol. 2, p. 88) gives a short account 

 of an unsuccessful search for reported 

 islands near the Blossom's route, and es- 

 pecially in the region of 16 north lati- 

 tude and i30°-i33° west longitude. He 

 mentions Henderson's and Cooper's Isl- 

 ands by name, and has " New Island," 

 in about latitude 17 north and longi- 

 tude 136 west, on his track chart. His 

 search was too limited to settle the ques- 

 tion conclusively, but he says he saw 

 none of the usual signs of land. His 

 track chart shows that he made his ex- 

 amination between January n and 28, 

 1827. No soundings are noted thereon. 

 In a footnote, page 88, he adds that he 

 has heard that an island of moderate 

 height has been seen by the Sultan, an 

 American whaler, in latitude 15 30' 

 north and longitude 134 west. 



Ten years later, in 1837, Capt. Sir 

 Edward Belcher, who had served in the 

 above-mentioned expedition of the Blos- 

 som, revisited the region in command of 

 H. M. ship Sulphur with the consort 

 Starling. In his narrative of this voy- 

 age (vol. 1, p. 50) he furnishes a de- 



tailed track chart of their search within 

 the area between 15 to 18 north lati- 

 tude and 129 to 1 39 west longitude. 



Careful attention is paid to showing 

 the area visible in daylight and the space 

 covered by night. All soundings, taken 

 two-hourly, with as much line as the 

 velocity of the vessel would admit, are 

 noted at 50 to 65 fathoms, without 

 bottom. 



The following notes of his itinerary 

 are drawn from Belcher's narrative : 



' ' June 20-2 1 . — The Starling was now 

 directed to pursue a course so as to enter 

 on the 130 meridian in latitude 17 

 north. I bore up to preserve a parallel 

 course to her, and enter at 16 30' north, 

 at which point another cluster of doubt- 

 ful islands was reported to exist, as well 

 as a continuous batch given us by the 

 whalers in 1826 and 1827, as far as 

 1 35 , and which we then sought in the 

 Blossom, without success. As the Star- 

 ling would preserve a W. b. S. and the 

 Sulphur a W. b. N. course through that 

 region, avoiding the Blossom's track, 

 they ought to have been found if they 

 existed. 



' 'June 22. — Wind light, medusae more 

 plentiful, and a few sticks floating, ex- 

 cited our hopes of finding land ; but 

 the current having been determined to 

 set S. 86° W., this would bring them 

 from Clarion Island. 



" June it\. — Breeze variable, water 

 smooth, tropic birds (Photon cetherius) 

 and frigate pelican {Pelecanus aquilus) 

 also observed. As these latter birds do 

 not go far from land, I am disposed to 

 believe some one of these reports to be 

 well founded, but the position errone- 

 ously determined. 



ll Ju?ie 25. — . . . Should chance 

 lead me in this direction again I shall 

 certainly cross the meridian of today 

 fifteen miles farther south. 



"June 26. — Wind same, fewer birds 

 but no symptoms of land. 



"June 27. — On the 27th entered the 

 limits assigned to whalers' discoveries. 



