and examine those of Billiton, and thence to the port of Singapore. From this last-named place they were to return to the United States by the way of the Cape of Good Hope.

Although the primary object of the Expedition was the promotion of the great interests of commerce and navigation, yet, to extend the bounds of science, a corps of scientific gentlemen, nine in number, were appointed and accompanied the Expedition, viz: 3 Naturalists, 2 Artists or Draughtsmen, 1 Mineralogist, 1 Philologist, 1 instrument-maker, and 1 assistant Taxidermist.

On the 28th of April, 1839, when near Cape Horn, the tender Sea-Gull, having on board two officers, Passed Midshipmen James W. E. Reid and Frederick A. Bacon, with a crew of 15 persons, was supposed to have been lost in a severe gale, as nothing was ever heard of them afterwards. On the 16th of January, 1840, land was discovered to the south of New Holland, which may be considered as the first discovery of the Antarctic continent. The vessels engaged in this discovery were in an extremely perilous condition amid fields of ice and towering icebergs, particularly the Peacock, which was for a time wedged in between large masses of ice, from which impending destruction she was most providentially delivered.

On the 24th of July, 1840, Lieutenant Underwood and Midshipman Henry, while engaged in surveying some of the small islands in the Feejee group, being on shore for the purpose of trading, were both killed by the natives. Captain Wilkes, in order to strike terror into these savages, and prevent such murders for the future, determined to chastise them. He accordingly invaded the island, burned their two villages, and killed about fifty men. This brought them to terms; they sued in the most abject manner for mercy, and promised never to injure the white men more.

From the Feejee Islands the squadron proceeded to the Sandwich Islands. On the 2d of December, 1840, the Peacock and the Flying-Fish left Oahu under the command of Captain Hudson, who was directed by Cap

tain Wilkes to steer for the Equator, so as to fall in with it in about 1600 W.; thence he was directed to visit various groups of islands in many directions; and finally, he was to proceed towards the north to Columbia river, on the coast of Oregon, and there await the arrival of the rest of the squadron. On the 18th of July, 1841, in attempting to enter Columbia river, having no pilot on board, the Peacock struck in shoal water and became a total wreck, but, by the skilful management of Captain Hudson, no lives were lost.

The Vincennes having arrived at Columbia river, Captain Wilkes shifted his pennant to the Porpoise, and with that vessel, the Flying-Fish, and the boats of the Peacock, proceeded to make a survey of the Columbia to its extreme navigable point. The Vincennes, under Lieutenant Commandant Ringgold, was sent to San Francisco, California, to make a survey of the Sacramento river. These objects having been attended to, the squadron, reinforced by the addition of the Oregon, departed from San Francisco, and after visiting various islands, arrived at Singapore in January, 1842. Here the tender Flying-Fish was found to be so much injured by arduous service, that she was deemed unseaworthy, and accordingly sold for $3,700. From this place the squadron sailed for the United States, and the Vincennes arrived at New York on the 10th of June, 1842.

135. Dorr Insurrection in Rhode Island.

The original Constitution of Rhode Island was derived from a charter obtained from the British Crown in 1663. Many modifications of its provisions were made by the Legislature, from time to time, to the period of the insurrection; but that part which confined the right of suffrage principally to the landholders remained unchanged. As Rhode Island became a manufacturing State, this was considered a grievance; but all efforts to extend the right of suffrage were resisted by the Legislature.

In January, 1841, the Legislature, upon the petition of the Suffrage party, consented to have a Convention called, for the purpose of forming a new State Constitution, in the following November. This, however, did not satisfy the Suffrage party. They held a volunteer Convention, April 17, and another on the 5th of July, at Providence, and issued a call for a delegate Convention to meet there in October, the month previous to the assembling of the legal Convention authorised by the State authority.

These different Conventions met; each formed a Constitution, and submitted it to the people for ratification. The Suffrage party, deeming it necessary to procure the votes of the majority of all those in whom their Constitution declared the political power justly to reside, kept the polls open for six days, and received proxies: (votes sent in by persons who were not able or willing personally to attend the polls). By this means they obtained in all, 13,944 votes; whereupon, computing the whole number of adult citizens at 23,142, they declared their Constitution adopted and established as the paramount law of the State. Owing to a number of causes, the Constitution submitted to the people by the Government or Charter party was rejected by a majority of 677 votes. Both parties chose their State officers, and the rival Legislatures assembled, Governor King at the head of the Charter party, and Thomas W. Dorr at the head of the other.

On the 16th of May, 1842, Dorr entered Providence escorted by a party of his friends, about 1,300 in number, of whom 300 were in arms. When arrived at his quarters, he issued his proclamation defying the power of those opposed to him, and expressing his determination to maintain his claims to the last extremity. About 2 o'clock on the morning of the 18th May, Dorr, at the head of his adherents, made an attempt to obtain possession of the State arsenal. Having drawn up his troops on the plain, and planted his cannon, he sent a flag of truce to the arsenal. Colonel Blodget, who was in command, asked, "For whom, and in whose name?" The

answer was: "For Governor Dorr, in the name of Col. Wheeler." He said he knew no such men, and if they attacked the arsenal it would be defended. When the flag returned, Dorr gave orders to fire; but his gun flashed three times. It is said that there was dissatisfaction in his ranks, and some of his men had dampened the powder. Whatever was the cause, it was a merciful dispensation, sparing probably the effusion of much human blood. Dorr then retired to his quarters, a house on a hill guarded by men armed with muskets and cannon. The military were now ordered out, with orders to arrest Dorr in the name of Governor King. The insurgents were intimidated, and after some persuasion the most of them dispersed. The house was searched, but Dorr could not be found. Most of the officers chosen by the Suffrage party resigning their situations, this dif ficulty ended without bloodshed.

On the 28th of June, 1842, another disturbance took place, caused by the disagreement between the Charter and Suffrage parties. The adherents of Dorr, about 700 in number, took possession of a hill in Chepachet, where they intrenched themselves with five pieces of cannon. Martial law was proclaimed throughout the State, and about 3,000 militia were ordered out to support the Government. The greater part of the insurgents left the camp in consequence of these preparations, and the hill was taken by the State troops without bloodshed. Dorr was eventually tried for treason, and sentenced to hard labor during life, June 25, 1844. By an act of amnesty from the Legislature, he was liberated from prison June 27, 1845.

136. Riots in Philadelphia in 1844.

On the afternoon of Friday, May 3, 1844, a political meeting of the "Native American party" was held in a vacant lot at the corner of Second and Master streets, Kensington, a quarter of the city where many Irish

Catholics resided. The meeting was soon interrupted by an assault of a large body of Irish, men and women, who rushed simultaneously towards the platform, which they speedily demolished, and compelled the whole body of Native Americans to flee under a shower of missiles, accompanied with shouts, hisses, and groans. This outrage produced much excitement throughout the city and county. On the following Monday, May 6, the Native American party reassembled at the same place in great numbers, for the avowed purpose of testing their right to meet, even in the midst of an Irish population, without molestation.

The American flag was raised over the platform, and two or three addresses delivered without interruption. A sudden shower of rain then dispersed the multitude. most of whom took refuge in a market-house in an adjoining street. Here the meeting was reorganized; but as soon as the speaker had taken the stand, a disturbance occurred, in which a pistol was fired, at the report of which the majority of the assembly dispersed. The Irish in the neighboring houses now rushed out to join in the fray. Fire-arms were discharged by them upon the assembly, and several were wounded, some mortally. The Native Americans were driven from the ground, but they soon rallied around the remnants of their flag, which had been torn in shreds by the Irish, and after a contest of about an hour, succeeded in driving them into their houses. The sheriff now appeared on the ground, and order was somewhat restored. In the evening, however, the rioting was renewed, and an attempt made to destroy a Catholic seminary in the vicinity; but the crowd was dispersed by a volley of musketry from the Irish. Five persons were shot, one of whom, a bystander, fell dead upon the spot.

On the next day, May 7, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, a great meeting of Native Americans was held in Independence Square, about one and a half miles from the scene of these outrages. The addresses made by the speakers on this occasion were the most of them of a peaceable character; but a large portion of the assembly