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ON

THE SUBJECT

OF A

SURVEYING AND EXPLORING EXPEDITION

TO THE

PACIFIC OCEAN AND SOUTH SEAS.

DELIVERED

IN THE HALL OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE EVENING OF APRIL 3, 1836.

BY J. N. REYNOLDS.

WITH

CORRESPONDENCE AND DOCUMENTS.

"The assembly to which I address myself, is too enlightened not to be fully sensible,
how much a flourishing state of the arts and sciences contributes to national prosperity
and reputation."-Washington's Message to Congress, Dec. 7th, 1796.

NEW YORK.

PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS.

1836.

Q

115 .055. R46

"HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, April 2d, 1836.

"Mr. Pearce, of Rhode Island, from the Committee on Commerce, reported the following resolution :

:

“Resolved, That the use of this Hall be granted to J. N. Reynolds, Esq., on Saturday evening next, for the purpose of delivering an address, on the subject of an Expedition, or Voyage of Discovery, to the South Sea and Pacific Ocean.

"The Resolution was agreed to."

Dir.
Decher
9-14-50
41889

PREFACE.

On the 3d of April, I delivered the following discourse, on the Σ subject embraced in the Resolution of the 2d; and, from a wish

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to make my views as extensively known to the public as possible,
have concluded to do it, through the medium of the public press.
To the remarks then offered, I have made a few additions, such
as naturally grew out of the progress of the measures taken in
congress, and
among the scientific throughout the country. I
have received several letters from distinguished individuals, having
a direct and luminous bearing on the great objects of the enter-
prise, which I deem it my duty to make public. In some of
them, my friends have spoken with warmth and partiality of me,
and
my humble labors, which it may seem like vanity in me to
publish; but I have no right to garble their letters, and, therefore,
must give them entire. I can, however, assure my readers, that
the exertions of ten years, in a cause of magnitude and of a pub-
lic character, now shaded with fears, and now cheered by hopes,
have taken away much of the susceptibility of feeling, which
generally follows praise or blame. The address, correspondence,

and documents, contained in the following pages, may, perhaps, be regarded as the argument, history, and projé, of the intended expedition, and, in this view, may be of some interest to the public, at the present time. I am aware that more might have been said, and better said, on this subject; and I shall, therefore, be happy in finding that the reader has added new arguments to mine, to give an impulse and character to a great national undertaking. J. N. R.

New York, Oct. 10, 1836.

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