“Sea of Glory: America’s Voyage of Discovery, The U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842”, by Nathaniel Philbrick

 

480 pages, Penguin Books, ISBN-13: 978-0142004838

Sea of Glory: America’s Voyage of Discovery, The U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 is Nathaniel Philbrick’s history of the American surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands, which began on August 18^th, 1838 when the squadron departed Norfolk, Virginia, and ended officially on June 10^th, 1842, when the USS Vincennes arrived back in New York. Sadly, it has largely been forgotten, which Philbrick is to be congratulated for writing this fine history of one of America’s earliest scientific achievements. Led by one Charles Wilkes, a lowly naval Lieutenant (and not a Captain, you note) with little hope of promotion in the Jacksonian navy, the squadron of six ships carried US Naval personnel and a score of scientists across the globe, collecting data on the earth along with samples of flora and fauna from a diverse array of environments, from Antarctica (indeed, discovering that snow-trapped continent before anyone else, despite what the damn French may say), to Fiji, Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest. The U.S. Ex Ex (as it was known shorthand) was as follows:

• USS Vincennes: 780 ton sloop-of-war
• USS Peacock: 650 ton sloop-of-war
• USS Relief: 468 ton full-rigged supply ship
• USS Porpoise: 230 ton brig
• USS Sea Gull: 110 ton schooner
• USS Flying Fish: 100 ton schooner
• USS Oregon: 250 ton brig

While the scientists of the expedition took measurements and collected samples, charted the shores of Antarctica for the first time, solved the mystery of the formation of coral atolls, climbed the volcanoes Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa and charted the area surrounding the Columbia River to help the United States solve an ongoing border dispute with the United Kingdom, there was disharmony a’brewing amongst the crew. There is no question that Wilkes’ considerable cartographic skills made him an excellent choice to command the Ex Ex; what also cannot be denied is that his seamanship left much to be desired and, after promoting himself to Commodore without authorization from the Department of the Navy, his other, less-then-agreeable attributes emerged, such as his prickliness, micromanaging command style and strict – not to say inhuman – disciplinary philosophy that would all lead to his being so hated by his junior officers and crew that he would face a series of Courts Martial upon the Ex Ex return to the United States.

While Philbrick focuses on Wilkes and his many many conflicts with his officers and crew for much of his book, it is the voyage itself that forms the bulk of this highly entertaining and informative tale. But it cannot be denied that the series of human conflicts that developed during the voyage give the story its suspense. As the Ex Ex wound its way around the world, it gave ample opportunity for Wilkes to demonstrate his serious character defects, rendering him in this telling as a martinet of the worse kind – as if Captains Bligh and Queeg had had a demented love child. The portrait Philbrick paints is of a hard-working would-be scientist longing to make his name by heading a grand voyage of discovery, a man all-too desperate for renown. Once the mission sets sail he becomes autocratic and cruel to his men, as Wilkes consciously decided to adopt the manner of a prima donna, taking offense at real or imagined behavior and imposing severe punishments in thoughtless and ill-considered moments.

By the end of the voyage, even Wilkes’ closest allies had turned against him, which was truly unfortunate, because the drama and endless bickering between the expedition’s members drew attention away from the voyage’s many real accomplishments, effectively erasing the Ex Ex from memory. You read this book knowing that there is going to be a prosecution but because this is such an obscure bit of nautical history few will know what the outcome will be and what will become of all these gallant men. Further, you will wonder why this expedition and all of its considerable accomplishments is so unknown (hell, many of the charts prepared by this expedition were still being used by the Navy during WWII a century later). This is a uniquely entertaining history and well worth reading.