CHAPTER X.
Situation of Bonin Islands.—First Discovery of them.—Europeans have no claim as the Discoverers.—
Mixed Character of present Settlers.—External Appearance of Peel Island.—Geological Formation.—
Harbor of Port Lloyd.—Productions of the' Island, Animal and Vegetable.—Resort of Whalers.—
Condition of present Inhabitants.—Commodore causes the Island to be Explored.—Reports of Exploring
Parties.—Kanakas.—Examination of Stapleton Island, and Report thereon.—Survey of harbor of
Port Lloyd.—Land Purchased for a Coal Depot.—Departure from Bonin Islands on tho Return to
Lew Chew.—Disappointment Island.—Its true Position,—Borodinos.—Arrival at Napha.
HE Bonin Islands, lying in the J a panese
Sea, extend in a direction
nearly north and south, between the
latitudes of 26° 30' and 27° 45'
north, the centre line of the group
being in longitude about 142° 15;
east. The islands were visited by
Captain Beechey in 1827, and, with
the proverbial modesty and justice
of English surveyors, named by him,
as if they had been then first observed.
The northern cluster he
called Parry’s Group; the middle
cluster, consisting of three larger
islands, respectively Peel, Buckland,
and Stapleton; and the southern
cluster was named by him Bailey’s, utterly regardless of the fact thus stated
by himself: “ The southern cluster is that on which a whale ship, commanded
by a Mr. Coffin, anchored in 1823, who was first to communicate its
position to this country, and who bestowed his name upon the port. As the
cluster was, however, left without any distinguishing appellation, I named it
after Erancis Bailey, Esq., late President of the Astronomical Society.”*
To the principal port of Peel Island he gave the name of Port Lloyd.
This was a pretty liberal distribution of honors by an accidental visitor
* Findlay’s Directory of the Pacific Ocean.