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Discoveries & Rediscoveries
(1695-1824)
The first American to visit Pohnpei, Thomas
Read, arrived on the Alliance in 1787. Sticking to tradition, he also named Pohnpei and
Ahnd Atoll—this time it was "Morris" and "Alliance" after his captain and ship, respectively. The nearby atolls also had visitors, spanning from the late
1700s to the mid 1800s.
Sapwuahfik (Ngatik) was found in 1773 by a Spanish vessel,
Nuestra Señora de la Consolacion. A British captain, Musgrave, claimed discovery of
Pingelap in 1793, and an American ship, Lydia, came across
Nukuoro in 1801. Kapingamarangi was discovered by another American ship eight years later. The British
Marquis of Wellington recorded discovery of
Mwoakilloa (Mokil) in 1815, and the American Rambler found
Oroluk in 1824. The inhabitants of these newly
"discovered" islands met their clumsy discoverers with a
variety of emotions--everything from perplexity to anger. The 19th
century brought an increasing number of adventurers and scientists from many parts of the world to the
Eastern Caroline Islands.
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 Russian captain,
Otto von Kotzebue, explored the Marshall Islands extensively in 1815.
In 1824, Duperry, the French captain of the
Coquille, made brief visits to Kosrae, east of Pohnpei, and the atolls of Pingelap and
Mwoakilloa. Duperry went on to explore Chuuk and the western atolls. Four years later,
Dumont d’Urville, once one of Duperry’s officers, continued in his footsteps, charting Chuuk and visiting Nukuoro,
Yap, and Palau.
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