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Holder Borden, Captain Jobish Pell, of Fall River, 
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Massachusetts, sailed from Honolulu on 5 April 1844 with 800 barrels of 
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sperm oil and "J00 barrels of blackfisb oil. At three o'clock in the 
morning of 12 April she ran upon a sand bank west of the Sandwich Islands. 
Shortly afterward the stern swung around and struck upon a coral reef, from 
which the crew found it impossible to extricate her# There she ground on 
the rock until she bilged, and by morning there were four feet of water in ' 
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the hold. At daybreak the crew observed that they were upon an extensive 
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reef-of bare rocks, four or five miles from a low sandy island# The ship 
■ was stripped of everything Valuable; - 1400 barrels of oil, spars, rigging, 
anchors, chains, provisions, and the crew's possessions being successfully 
landed on the islands. (The Polynesian, 12 October 1844). 
^ Captain Pell reported that the island was found to be at 26°01' 
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north latitude and 174°55' west longitude, which is called Drake's Island 
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on Turner's map of the world. It was entirely encircled by a reef, with a 
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good entrance in one place leading to a Bafe anchorage about a half mile 
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from the island, in three or more fathoms of water. The reef, which extended 
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for about 20 miles Southeast to south-southwest on the windward side, had 
breakers which were frequently mast-head high, but the leeward side waB 
comparatively calm. 
The island was about three miles in circumference and thirty feet at 
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its greatest elevation. A swampy lagoon covered with grass, into which the 
highest tides occasionally flowed, was found in the interior. The only 
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plants were beach grass and a few flowering shrubs. Provisions were ample, 
as seals, turtles, wild ducks, and other fowl were plentiful. The ducks 
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