You will pay particular attention to all your observations, and make a full examination of any thing you may fall in with. On your arrival at Matavai Bay, you will lose no time in obtaining sights for your chronometers on shore, on Venus Point. You will proceed from this port to Oahu, Sandwich Islands, taking in your route the American Group of islands, in latitude 16° 10' N., longitude 134° 50′ W. These islands have been unsuccessfully looked for by Captain Beechey, in this position; you will therefore make the latitude in longitude 130° W., to the eastward of their supposed situation, and run along it until you reach 140° W. :-thence direct to Oahu. On your arrival there, you will leave in charge of the United States Consul, P. A. Brismade, Esq., all of the articles on board of the Relief belonging to the Exploring Expedition, excepting eight months' provisions for your crew, and sundry articles of provisions and stores to be landed at Sydney, New South Wales, agreeably to the lists enclosed herewith. You will take from the consul receipts for the provisions which you may land for me at Sydney; you will require him, also, to have two-thirds of the flour (reserving the kiln-dried) you deliver him, baked and ready for the squadron early in the spring. After remaining at Oahu fifteen days, you will proceed direct to Sydney, New South Wales, passing through the different archipelagoes as you may deem most expedient, and as the winds will permit. On your arrival at Sydney, you will leave in charge of J. H. Williams, United States Consul there, all the provisions and stores named in the list herewith marked "for Sydney," taking receipts for them, which you will leave enclosed for me, and request him to have one hundred barrels of the flour (reserving the kiln-dried) baked into hard bread, for the squadron, as soon as convenient. After landing all the articles at Sydney, you will take on board sufficient ballast, and proceed, via Cape Horn, to the United States, stopping at Rio de Janeiro if you require any provisions, stores, or slop clothing, which you will obtain by requisitions on the navy storekeeper there. You will not remain at Rio de Janeiro over ten days, and will proceed to Norfolk or New York, the latter if the season will permit, to enable you to dispose of the specimens, in regard to which you have separate orders enclosed, and to which I request your particular attention. You will take charge of, and send to the Navy Department, the logbooks of the squadron sent home by you. You will, during the cruise, take on board the Relief, and ship, all distressed American seamen whom you may meet with. On your arrival in the United States, you will show these orders to the commander of the station, and report by letter through him, to the Honourable the Secretary of the Navy, enclosing him a copy of them, as he has been requested to direct the payment of your officers and crew by the purser of the station, to whom you will deliver the rolls and accounts, with a statement of the money and slops advanced by you, that the same may be checked, taking receipts for the same, as offsets to the amount furnished you here in money and slop clothing. You will keep a correct muster-roll of your officers and crew, noting any changes. You will require from the officers all their journals, specimens, &c... agreeably to the instructions of the Navy Department; all of which you will box up and deposit at the Navy Department. I enclose letters for the Consuls at the Sandwich Islands, and Sydney. Any expenses they may incur on the stores will be refunded on my arrival. Should the Consul and Vice-Consul at Sydney be absent, you will call on Messrs. Edwards and Hunt. If possible, you will anchor in the inner harbour at Oahu. You will leave for me, with the Consul at Sydney, a report of your cruise from this place to Sydney; and you will on your arrival at home, forward to the Honourable the Secretary of the Navy, under cover to me, a report of the proceedings of the Relief from Sydney to the United States, addressed to me at Washington. I am, &c., CHARLES WILKES, Commanding Exploring Expedition. LIEUT. COM. A. K. LONG, Relief. XLI. U. S. Ship Vincennes, At Sea, July 16th, 1839. WITH a view of avoiding any misapprehension in regard to the duties of the artists attached to the Exploring Expedition, and that their services and time may be as usefully engaged as possible, I deem it proper to state, that they will not confine themselves exclusively to any particular branch, without directions from me, but will divide their duties among the different departments in such a manner as may be deemed most conducive to the interest and benefit of the whole. Very respectfully, &c., CHARLES WILKES, Commanding Exploring Expedition. ORDERS FOR OBSERVATIONS, ETC. THE following arrangements with regard to observations will be daily attended to on board the different vessels of the squadron, under the directions of their respective commanders: returns will be made to me weekly. 1st. The lieutenant, passed midshipman, and midshipman, of the first watch will assist the master in the forenoon observations for time and azimuth. 2d. Those of the mid-watch will take the meridian altitude. 3d. Those of the morning watch will assist in the afternoon obser vations. 4th. The officers who have no night-watch will be called upon for measuring distances during the night. 5th. The master will be informed in time, when opportunities occur for making observations for amplitude, in the morning and evening. 6th. The results of each officer, signed by him, will be sent to the commander daily, and entered by his clerk in a book of observations, who will note the time when required. When you suppose your vessel at her designated distance, you wil' hoist your ensign for firing, which will be answered as soon as seen. It is believed that when the Vincennes' masthead subtends an angle of 25', you will be three miles from her. After the signal is made to take stations, you will pursue that course which will lead you to it as soon as possible. Immediately after the signal being made to measure azimuths, observations will be taken between the sun and vessels, during the taking of which observations, the ship's ensign will be hoisted at the peak. You will, after we heave-to for the night, try the dipping-needles and deep-sea temperature. You will calculate the time, so as to be near the flag-ship at nightfall, and any signals that are made will be repeated to the vessel farthest off. In case of appearance of bad weather, you will at once draw to close order of sailing unless otherwise directed. It is desirable that all calculations should be made before the day closes. The current should be tried daily, either morning or evening. I am, &c., CAPTAIN WM. L. HUDSON, U. S. Ship Peacock. CHARLES WILKES, Commanding Exploring Expedition. U. S. Ship Vincennes, At Sea, August 8th, 1839. CAPTAIN HUDSON will assign watches to the scientific gentlemen and officers who are usually excused from watch, on the nights of the 8th, 9th, and 10th of August. One quarter of the heavens will be assigned to each person, who will note at once, on paper, any meteors that may appear, viz., their size; with or without train; their height; the points of appearance and disappearance; and the time of flight. Although it may seem difficult to accomplish all of this on a meteor, yet it is possible and even easy, viz., by noting the star of the constellation near which it appears and disappears; counting until its disappearance; the arc may be accurately ascertained by a sextant; and the bearing of the two stars, its true direction; the counting compared with a chronometer will be the true time; and yet one has time to examine its length of train, brilliancy, &c. Respectfully, CHARLES WILKES, Commanding Exploring Expedition. Similar instructions to Lieutenants-Commandant Ringgold and Pinkney. U. S. Ship Vincennes, At Sea, August 8th, 1839. In order more effectually to observe the periodical meteors which may be repeated, on the nights of the 8th, 9th, and 10th of August, the following officers will keep watch on those nights, and assist the officers of the watch in making observations. With the 1st watch, Mr. Couthouy and Mr. Elliott. The officer of the watch will assign a quarter of the heavens to each person in his watch, who will note at once on paper, any meteors that may be visible, viz., their size; with or without train; their height; the points of appearance and disappearance; and the time of flight. Although it may seem difficult to accomplish all this on a meteor, yet it is possible, and even easy, viz., by noting the star of the constellation near which it appears and disappears; counting until its disappearance; the arc may be accurately measured by a sextant; the bearing of the two stars gives the direction; and the counting compared with a chronometer gives the true time; and yet one has time to examine its length of train, brilliancy, &c. CHARLES WILKES, Commanding Exploring Expedition. MODE OF SURVEYING THE CORAL ISLANDS. As the surveys of islands are frequently spoken of in the body of the work, I have deemed it proper to give in this place a concise explanation of the method employed for this purpose, and applied particularly to the low coral islands, together with an example to serve as an illustration of the mode in which it was carried into effect. In consequence of the time that could be allotted to such examinations being limited, it became desirable that such a course should be pursued in our surveys as should unite to the utmost expedition the greatest attainable accuracy. A method, which it is trusted united these requisites, was, therefore, devised and communicated to the officers of the squadron in the shape of a syllabus. In this I pointed out the mode of operating, and it was recommended to their study, in order that all might become familiar with its details. The basis of this method rested upon the measure of distances by sound. For this we had ready means by firing guns alternately from the different |