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The Life, Travels and Global Impact of Captain William Robert Broughton
By
Quentin Vaterlaus
HST 498
April 27th, 2012
Dr. Retha Warnicke
I. IntroductionA. Source IntroB. Thesis / Summary
II. Birth, Family and Joining the Royal NavyA. Birth and FamilyB. Royal Navy BeginningsC. Broughton’s movement through the Royal NavyD. Brief History of Broughton’s Travels – including shipwreck and death
III. Hazards at SeaA. Daily Issues – Wind, Maggots and SicknessB. Deaths on deck and on landC. Fixing and drying ships outside of port
IV. Asian HydrographyA. JapanB. KoreaC. Sakhalin
V. Broughton’s Interpretation and Evaluation of foreignersA. HawaiiansB. Japanese
VI. ConclusionA. SummaryB. Aftermath and ripplesC. Personal Interpretation
1
William Robert Broughton was fortunate enough to travel the world
at the end of the eighteenth century by order of the British government. He was also
unfortunate enough to have grounded his vessel and he was court-marshaled for the
same infraction. Throughout his travels, Broughton documented many of his daily
endeavors in his Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific 1795 – 1798 . Broughton
had his work published in 1804 to bring the English up to par with the French,
whose own Jean-François de Galaup de la Pérouse had travelled the very same
waters a decade earlier.1 His writings describe the drive he had to push the English
idea of dominating the world; his soil analysis of each location based upon which
English plants would grow and how well are evidence of this. In addition,
Broughton took it upon himself to map much of the Japanese coastlines, especially
the elusive western coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Broughton’s work and its affect on the
world are greater than what they appear to be at first glance.
Broughton’s travels included a voyage to America during the American War
for Independence. He was also the commander of the HMS Chatham when he was
sent with Captain George Vancouver to the northwestern coast of North America. He
later was sent on his own voyage to the Pacific and the eastern coasts of Asia. In
order to understand and visualize Broughton’s analyses of the foreign cultures he
encountered, knowing his upbringing and military life is essential. Additionally,
Broughton’s example of the extremes to which a crew must endure, including the
wreck of his own vessel, showed how much a sailor must endure to accomplish his
task. Finally, Broughton met many people on his travels and judged them like an
1 Barry Gough, “Introduction” found in William Robert Broughton, Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific 1795-1798 edited by Andrew David, (London: Ashgate, 2010), xxii.
2
Englishman would; he frequently called them savages and animals and treated them
unequally. Broughton also understood that these people were not as advanced as
the English yet he was marveled by some of their ingenuity. 2 Broughton’s primary
goal, in his mind, was accomplished: he investigated, analyzed and reported back on
new lands so that the English could pursue economical and nautical domination.
William Robert Broughton was born on March 22, 1762. It is unknown if he
was born in England or Germany, but it is clear that he was the son of Charles
Broughton and Elizabeth Young Broughton. Charles had followed in the footsteps of
his father and grandfather and was a wealthy merchant who sold goods in Hamburg,
Germany. Charles’ father and grandfather, both named Charles Broughton as well,
were members of the Merchant Adventurers.3 Their family descended from a long
line of Broughtons, one that gained a baronetcy during the reign of Charles II.
William Robert Broughton’s line from the first Broughton baronet does not include
the title. Nevertheless, their family monetary supply appeared to be rather
plentiful.4
Broughton lived in central England, with reports of him across the counties
of Cheshire and Middlesex5. His family had roots throughout central England, from
Broughton Castle in the south—which no longer belonged to their family but was
part of their origins nonetheless—to Broughton Hall in the north. When his great-
2 William Robert Broughton, A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean...Performed in His Majesty’s Sloop “Providence” and her Tender, in the Years 1795-1798, (1804; repr., London: Da Capo Press, 1967), 183 (hereafter cited as “Voyage in HMS Providence”).3 Darryl Lundy, ed, The Peerage: A Genealogical Survey of the Peerage of Britain as well as the Royal Families of Europe, www.thepeerage.com (accessed March 10, 2012).4 Gough, xxvi.5 Institute of Historical Research, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Middlesex, edited by William Page, vol. 2, 9 vols, (London: Oxford University Press, 1969), 203.
3
uncle obtained the baronetcy of Delves, the Broughton family expanded its footprint
with Doddington Park and Doddington Hall in the west and eastern parts of central
England, respectively. William Broughton appears to have travelled much in his
youth and spent quite a while with the gentry of both Cheshire and Middlesex. The
Church maintains records of his brother, Brian Broughton, as having been baptized
in Hammersmith, a suburb of London. In addition to this, his distant cousin Jemima,
daughter of the sixth Baronet of Broughton, was born at Broughton Hall. The two
have a history that involves Doddington Hall after William’s return.6 These support
the theory that William Broughton was raised in central England.
William Robert Broughton decided at a young age to digress from his
familial heritage of merchants and enter the navy. With his family’s money and their
moderate influence, Broughton volunteered for the navy and his first order was
aboard a small yacht. Due to his volunteering and his family’s monetary influence,
Broughton was destined for the quarterdeck. His first major vessel, where he was
rated as an able midshipman, was the HMS Falcon in 1774. During this time,
Broughton travelled to the rebellious New England colonies and was taken prisoner
in 1775. After being released, he was assigned to work under John Knight, soon to
be Captain John Knight, to whom he paid close attention and learned much in the
ways of cartography. Broughton soon had the opportunity to work under Captain
Peter Rainier, during which he was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1782, Captain
Knight a second time and then as Commander of the HMS Chatham under Captain
6 Gough, xxvi and liii; Lundy, www.thepeerage.com.
4
Vancouver. This voyage with Vancouver would lead Broughton around the world
twice between 1793 and 1798.7
The Chatham was a storeship that was used to keep and provide resources
for Vancouver’s expedition to the Northwestern North American coastlines. In
addition to this, Vancouver was to meet with the Spanish concerning the conflicts
over Nootka Sound. Afterwards, he was to map the Western coast of South America.
Broughton, being an excellent cartographer, was first sent up the Columbia River,
approximately one hundred miles, surveyed the area and forwarded his drawings
and knowledge to Vancouver upon his return.8 Here, Broughton mastered his craft
and began his own hydrographic legend.
Unfortunately, Broughton and Vancouver were unable to sway the Spanish
concerning Nootka Sound; therefore, Broughton was sent back to England to report
on the situation. He travelled with the Spanish to Mexico, crossed to the Gulf of
Mexico, boarded a ship bound for Spain, and following his arrival in Spain, he
travelled North to England. Here, he relayed the information and, upon Vancouver’s
recommendation, was promoted to Master and Commander of the HMS Providence.
His new assignment was to meet up with Vancouver and complete the surveillance
of the western coast of South America. It was odd to have the Providence sail alone
—most voyages include two or more vessels—but Broughton and the crew
ventured on nevertheless. Upon reaching Hawai’i, Broughton discovered that
Vancouver had either completed his task or was on his way to complete it.
7 Gough, xxvii; Nicholas Tracy, Who's Who in Nelson's Navy (London: Chatham Publishing, 2006), 62-3; The U.S. Naval Department, Naval Documents of The American Revolution edited by William Bell Clark, vol. 1, (Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1964), 1114.8 Gough, xxvii [still awaiting source that Gough used to verify – in ASU storage stacks]
5
Consequently, Broughton, verifying this news when he travelled North to Nootka
Sound, had the choice of his next assignment. Along with his lieutenants, Broughton
made the decision to investigate and chart the little-known waters North of Japan
and West of both Japan and Korea. From this point on, their goal would change from
rallying with Vancouver to expanding England’s knowledge of the Asiatic coasts.9
As Broughton began his work in Asia, the season and the winds were not on
his side; so he travelled to Macau for the winter. During a large wind gust,
Broughton fell on deck and fractured his arm.10 During their visit at Macau,
Broughton remained on the ship due to his arm and heard of a vessel for sale. He
thought it silly to continue his dangerous work on only one vessel; therefore, when
he had gained further use of his arm, Broughton purchased the small schooner for
£1,500 sterling—approximately £125,000 in 2010.11 He later penned a letter to the
Admiralty concerning the vessel and the name he had given to it, the Prince William
Henry.12 This ship ended up being more important than Broughton expected.
While Broughton was below deck on the Providence marking his maps,
“white water was seen a-head and upon each bow, and reported to the officer of the
watch... and almost directly after, the ship struck upon a reef of coral rocks.”13 The
Providence had run into the coral reef just north of the island of present day
Miyako-Jima. The crew was able to move to the small schooner and also had the
ability to save Broughton’s maps and works already completed. No life was lost
9 William Robert Broughton, Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific 1795-1798, edited by Andrew David (London: Ashgate, 2010), 50 (hereafter cited as “Voyage”); Gough, xxxv-xxxviii; Tracy, 63-6410 Broughton, Voyage, 90-2.11 Broughton, Voyage, 107-8.12 Broughton, Voyage, 215-6.13 Broughton, Voyage in HMS Providence, 195.
6
during the sinking of the Providence, but it was now extremely uncomfortable on the
Prince William Henry. Approximately 110 men were now onboard a vessel of 87
tons—opposed to the 406 ton Providence—and some were even dragged behind in
the lifeboats.14 They returned to Macau and sent off or discharged the entire crew,
except for thirty-five men. These men, along with Broughton, were to complete the
task of surveying Korea and western Japan before returning to England.
Between May 19-22, 1798, Broughton was called before a court martial and
had to defend himself. He was acquitted of the charges, as his lieutenant had not
kept a proper watch, as Broughton had instructed15. After his acquittal and his
return to England, with a post-date of January 20, 1797, Broughton was awarded the
rank of Captain. 16 He soon began to compile his writings on his explorations for
publishing. During this time, he married his distant cousin Jemima Broughton at
Doddington Hall and together they had four children; three girls and one boy 17. His
son, also named William, followed his father into the navy. Broughton returned to
service in the Royal Navy after the publishing of his book, not returning home for
any extended period of time until 1818, when he retired and moved to Florence. He
is said to have died suddenly of heart problems and possibly coronary artery
disease.18 He died on March 12, 1821 and was buried at the English Burial Ground
at Leghorn. He was given an honourable obituary in The Gentleman’s Magazine, an
14 Broughton, Voyage, 131.15 Gough, li.16 Tracy, 63.17 George William Collen, Debrett's Baronetage of England: Revised, Corrected and Continued (London: William Pickering, 1840), 77-8; Lundy, www.thepeerage.com; Sylvanus Urban, "Captain William Robert Broughton – Obituary" The Gentleman's Magazine: and Historical Chronicle 91, no. 1 (June 1821): 376-718 Tracy, 64.
7
honour in itself.19 Broughton’s legacy lives on in the twenty-first century in the form
of Broughton’s Bluff, Broughton Islands, Broughton Archipelago, Broughton Lagoon
and even Broughton’s Club, a bar located within the British Embassy in Seoul, South
Korea.20
Broughton’s travels across the high seas were a prime example of the types
of issues that the sailors in the Royal Navy had to endure. Broughton described
several times throughout his work the death of sailors, the plagues on their food and
the constant possibility of scurvy. The crew of the Providence, in addition to dealing
with these problems, had to repair a hole in their ship while on the journey along
the Northwest Coast of North America. Furthermore, they had to deal with the
indigenous people who could change their attitudes from day to day and posed a
threat to the crew and the ship. The irony here is that those same indigenous
peoples were needed to sustain the crews and help keep them from scurvy and food
infestations21. Through all of this, Broughton painted a picture of the labour of love
that was service in the Royal Navy.
The Providence and her crew were unlike many others on expeditions of
discovery. They were sent alone and, therefore, had to maintain their own cargo,
stove and other necessities for sailing. Broughton and his crew often had to search
through the food supply to ensure the other storage containers were not
contaminating the food or vice versa. He specifically noted that in Hawai’i, with
clear weather and time to obtain more stores as needed, the crew parsed through
19 Urban, 376-7.20 Hyun Ye-rim, Visit to the British Embassy, May 3, 2007, http://annals.yonsei.ac.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=433 (accessed 2012 13-March).21 Several references in Broughton, Voyage, 17, 25-26, 55, 129, and others.
8
the bread “to destroy as many of the weevils by fire... as lay in our power. Still we
cou[l]d only destroy a part & many remain[e]d to our mortification for our daily
consumption.”22 Apparently, the weevils were an unappreciated source of protein.
During both stays of the Providence and Prince William Henry in Macau,
Broughton again evaluated the health of his men. By the end of 1796, only one man
had been killed due to sickness. Broughton noted that even though they had been
away from England for two years, they were without the “appearance of the Scurvy”
and the “Ships Crew were in perfect health.”23 Broughton again stated, before the
solitary launch of the Prince William Henry, that his crew of thirty-five men was in
“good health” and they departed to finish their quest.24 It is interesting to note that
Broughton, prior to the initial launch of the Providence, procured several medicines
to counter scurvy, yet there were no cases reported on either the Providence or the
Prince William Henry.25 Unfortunately, other sicknesses did occur on board and
were met with dread. Broughton noted specifically one occurrence of dysentery
that afflicted nearly every member of the crew. It was unknown if the plague was
due to the water they “took on board in the Typa” or for other reasons. Broughton
claimd it was due to “the prevalence of the easterly winds and foggy weather, which
concurred materially to have affect the health of our people, who were universally
afflicted with the dysentery.”26 Either way, no one on board was happy.
Although no man was stricken with scurvy, the expedition was not without
its deaths. As previously mentioned, at least one man was killed by an unnamed
22 Broughton, Voyage, 25.23 Broughton, Voyage, 107.24 Broughton, Voyage, 137.25 Gough, xxxi.26 Broughton, Voyage in HMS Providence, 176.
9
sickness—apart from having a fever27. Several others died due to hazards of the
reckless sea; Broughton himself had broken his arm in a violent wind gust. The first
death came to Hugh MacDonald merely four months after embarking on the high
seas. MacDonald had fallen from the mast riggings, hit the deck and was “killed on
the spot.”28 Almost a year after that first death, another man, Patrick Sherry, fell
“upon the Quarter Deck & was found dead upon the Spot.”29 Another accident beset
the crew of the Providence when Hans Oldson fell from a tree and passed a few days
later from infection.30 Even though the crew fought off disease, the mighty sea and
the coral reef that sank their vessel, they could not overcome the harsh mistress
known as gravity.
Gravity was not Broughton’s primary concern, however. Indigenous people
were a constant threat and curiosity of the Providence. Broughton, in need of
supplies and curious to know more about the Hawaiians, went to shore to procure
goods and information. During his stay, he spent time walking and talking with the
local people and “had not the smallest fear respecting [his] own safety.”31 The very
next day, when he sent his officers and armed men to shore to obtain additional
supplies for their trip to Japan, a scuffle broke out, leaving two marines dead and the
officers fleeing back to the Providence on their small boat. Broughton soon gave the
order of vengeance: destroy everything. They sent a small party on shore, which set
fire to their entire village and all of their canoes. While they did this, others
collected the bodies of the deceased marines and gathered other belongings. An
27 Broughton, Voyage, 7.28 Broughton, Voyage, 10-11.29 Broughton, Voyage, 48.30 Broughton, Voyage, 78.31 Broughton, Voyage, 59.
10
inspection of the bodies revealed one marine was stabbed several times,
presumably with his own bayonet, while the other was knocked unconscious by a
blow to the head and drowned.32 Broughton did not note the number of deaths his
men inflicted on the natives, however, it appears that the destruction was
retribution enough. Interestingly, Broughton seemed rather disturbed by this
encounter, as he said “Of all the Murders which have been committed at these
Islands this seems to be the most unprovoked as it was to me unexpected.”33
The ship’s unforgiving deck and the unpredictable natives both added to the
hardships that seamen were required to endure. Alternatively, the first major issue
that all vessels had to overcome was the water itself. Broughton and the crew of the
Providence had a major issue to handle first: water was leaking into the ship. He
noted the water was becoming unbearable when they first passed near Hawai’i. His
crew would not get a chance to inspect the leak until they reached Nootka Sound, so
they relied on pumping the water out for several months. While at Nootka,
Broughton ordered the arduous task of taking the 406-ton ship out of the water to
repair it. Upon review, the carpenters found that the original manufacturers had
used iron bolts to secure parts of the copper sheathing.34 This was unfortunate—
the combination of iron, copper and sea water creates a chemical reaction that
causes the copper to corrode the iron—and left several holes in the copper that
allowed water in.35 In addition to the manufacturer cutting costs, the Providence was
a victim of either poor craftsmanship or a forgetful carpenter. After discovering the
32 Broughton, Voyage, 59-61.33 Broughton, Voyage, 60.34 Broughton, Voyage, 41.35 Harry A. Morton, The Wind Commands: Sailors and Sailing Ships in the Pacific (Vancouver: The University of British Columbia Press, 1975), 209.
11
corroded iron, the crew was able to locate the reason for the leak into the boat: an
empty auger hole.36 This, combined with the holes in the copper, caused unsettling
amounts of salt water to pour into the Providence and required nearly immediate
repair by Broughton and his men. After repairs, they dried the ship with controlled
fires and, with the help of the HMS Lady Washington, righted the vessel and brought
her back into the water.37 Apart from grounding on the reef later on the voyage, the
Providence did not have additional leakages.
Broughton’s published work tells how much men had to endure during their
explorations abroad. All members on board were subject to the whims of the sea
and many lost their lives for carelessness or random accidents. Broughton was also
part of a strange uprising by the Hawaiian people against his own men; an uprising
that he met with force and fire. Finally, Broughton showed the English literate how
a Royal Naval Man handled a leak while away from port: by the removal of his vessel
from the ocean and repairing it on shore. He truly was the adventurous type.
His adventures did not stop there. Broughton fulfilled his plan to survey the
eastern coast of Asia. While on this mission, he scouted the western coasts of
mainland Japan, the entire island of Hokkaido, Japan, the coasts of Korea, and
investigated Sakhalin, an island north of Japan that is extremely close to the Russian
coasts at certain points. Through all his exploration, Broughton continued to
document his experiences and he created an accurate map of the areas he surveyed
—except for one flaw that would haunt the English fleet years after Broughton’s
death.
36 Broughton, Voyage, 41.37 Broughton, Voyage, 41-2.
12
Hokkaido is the northern island just off the coast of the Japanese mainland.
This was the first stop for Broughton and the Providence after they left Hawai’i. This
part of Japan was elusive due to the odd shape of the island, the relative closeness to
Japan on the southern shore—the small channel between them can be easily missed
by explorers—and the rocky coasts approaching the island. Broughton described
the first coast they approached as having “several Rocks above water” and the land
as being “low & flat” which would be hazardous if a vessel were to travel in the
dark.38 Here, Broughton met with the local people of Hokkaido called the Ainu, and
also their Japanese peers. Broughton stayed here for some time, marking his maps
and calling this area Volcano Bay—present day Uchiura Wan.39 Even though this
area had active volcanoes that were billowing great quantities of smoke, Broughton
created a plan for a harbor and port on the island.40 Before leaving, he had the
opportunity to trade a map from Captain James Cook for two maps held by the
Japanese: one drawn by the Russians and the other by the Japanese themselves.
Noting that the weather would soon be changing and becoming colder,
Broughton ordered the Providence south along the eastern coast of Japan. During
this venture, Broughton fractured his arm and was unable to continue his survey
work, but attempted the best he could through a proxy cartographer. The
Providence continued south and Broughton made several new discoveries that had
not been previously recorded on English maps. One specific place he mentioned and
correctly assumed was the southern tip of Japan were two islands south of the
38 Broughton, Voyage, 71.39 Broughton, Voyage, 74-5.40 Broughton, Voyage, 74.
13
Japanese mainland known presently as Yaku Shima and Tanega Shima.41 During the
trek to Macau for the winter, the Providence passed on the southern side of Miyako-
jima, an island east of mainland Taiwan. Conversely, when travelling back out to
sea, they travelled on the northern side of said island, which was much more
hazardous than the southern side as is evident with the wreck of the Providence.42
After sending a large portion of his crew away on other vessels, Broughton
gathered his thirty-five mates and continued his voyage toward western Japan and
Korea. His first goal was to chart the Gulf of Tartary and determine if Sakhalin was
an island or a peninsula. They travelled around the eastern side of Japan, finishing
the maps that Broughton could not finish due to his broken arm. They stopped at
Tokyo Bay for a short while to build up their stores and proceeded north. 43 During
this trip into the gulf, he sent the master of the vessel, William Chapman, to
investigate in their small dingy. Chapman reported there was a channel he thought
to be deep enough for their vessel. Broughton disagreed, but attempted to verify his
claim by pushing his smaller ship, the Prince William Henry, up the coast. He turned
back when they measured only three fathoms of depth, or approximately 18 feet.
Broughton assumed that it would only get worse, so he turned back and marked his
maps accordingly.44 Unfortunately, during the Crimean War with Russia in the
1850s, the English—using Broughton’s flawed maps—attempted to blockade this
41 Broughton, Voyage, 101 (also, see footnote by editor).42 Gough, xlvi.43 James E. Hoare, “Captain Broughton, HMS Providence (and her tender) and his Voyage to the Pacific 1794-8” Asian Affairs 31, no. 3 (October 2000): 303-312, 308-310.44 Broughton, Voyage in HMS Providence, 298-301, See map before title page.
14
gulf and were humiliated when their plan failed.45 There was in-fact a passage
through that Broughton had missed nearly fifty years prior.
After mapping the Gulf of Tartary, Broughton proceeded to Korea and
towards the Yellow Sea. He continuously mapped their route without stopping as
the season was not in his favor. He stated that “rain and very dark gloomy weather
[was] increasing.”46 The land around him was also not a friendly place to stop as
they passed along the coast of Siberia towards Korea; the land was “very
mountainous” and they “saw no signs of Inhabitants.”47 They soon rounded the tip
of Korea and headed north again to continue observations. Broughton noticed some
natives and wished to meet and speak with them, but the turbulent waves and bleak
weather discouraged any attempt to land. He did steer his vessel towards a port
that was located on the Japanese maps he had acquired previously; however, he was
unable to pinpoint the exact position of the port. Broughton did write that he
charted the assumed location of the port on his own maps based upon a deep cove
they found, but the weather inhibited further exploration.48
Broughton continued his venture south to Macau, charting along the way.
His major accomplishments were completed when he left the coast of Japan and
Korea. Broughton and his crew added a wealth of information to the general
cartographic knowledge of England and her allies. Even though la Pérouse had
travelled very similar waters earlier in the decade, he did not have the extensive
45 Ian R. Stone, “W.R. Broughton and the Insularity of Sakhalin” The Mariner’s Mirror 82, (1996): 76-81, 78-80.46 Broughton, Voyage, 179.47 Broughton, Voyage, 179-80.48 Broughton, Voyage, 182.
15
knowledge and additional maps of the Asian coasts that Broughton had procured.49
Broughton’s work not only included cartography, but was supplemented by
ethnological investigations. “Broughton’s voyage therefore signified a shift in
British... inquiry from one side of the North Pacific to the other.”50
Broughton interacted with every group of people that he could find. He spent
time off the coast of Rio de Janeiro and traded goods with many of them before he
proceeded south of Africa. On the other side of the world, he stopped at Port
Jackson in Australia to deliver escaped inmates he picked up while investigating the
areas around Port Stephens. Broughton spent quite a while with the Hawaiians and
Japanese, and their Ainu cousins, and took considerable notes about them all. His
ethnic survey, although not scientific, was one of the first introductions for
Englishmen on how to work with the Asian cultures, especially the Japanese.
Broughton first wrote of the Hawaiians in detail when he first stopped at the
islands for supplies and to pump water out of his vessel. On Oahu, Broughton spoke
of several warchiefs that were fighting amongst themselves. Some of these had
European support. He stated that one of the chiefs, Ta maah maaha, was “furnish’d...
with such quantities of Musquets & Ammunition... that he does not think himself
equal” to the strongest chiefs. It is interesting that Broughton passively wrote about
a foreign war in which other Europeans had such a heavy hand; he did attempt to
persuade Ta maah maaha into stopping his war, to no avail.51 Ta maah maaha, also
49 Gough, lv.50 Gough, xxii.51 Broughton, Voyage, 29-30.
16
known as Kamehameha in Hawaii’s history, used these resources to overthrow and
control the Hawaiian islands for over two decades.52
When Broughton returned to Hawai’i from Nootka Sound, he met a British
Seaman named John Young and was given notice that Vancouver had proceeded on
with his task of surveying South America. Therefore, Broughton had time to spend
at the island and determine his next course of action. While there, he wrote more on
Kamehameha and their dealings together. Broughton stated that Kamehameha’s
power had increased much since their last visit.53 He took a survey of the island and
noticed that while Kamehameha had conquered several other islands, he left his
own relatively unprotected: “It appear’d extraordinary that Tai-maah maaha shou’d
neglect his own island [and] by Pursuing his Conquests leave it entirely expos’d to
an Usurper....”54 Leaving one’s home unprotected while conquering another did not
seem appropriate to Broughton.
Broughton gave the English an insight into the Hawaiians that supplemented
the work done by previous travelers. On his second trip around the islands, he
made specific mention of the Hawaiians and their ability to grow food. Even though
they were war-like, they knew that their soil was rich and took advantage of it. He
wrote of horse radish, cabbage, roots, seeds, potatoes, coconuts and many fruits.
Along with all the vegetation, Broughton had the luxury to pick and trade for goats,
ducks, hogs and even cattle. He wrote that trading was easy when they used “Sheets
of Copper, Iron Hoops [and] Nails. Copper was much esteem’d in preference to any
52 Linda Menton and Eileen Tamura, A History of Hawai'i (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1989), 5.53 Broughton, Voyage, 55.54 Broughton, Voyage, 55.
17
thing else.”55 He spent much of the following days on the islands himself, walking
and talking with the natives, “unmolested.”56 They collected yams, potatoes and
hogs for little in exchange. He was the central curiosity of “Men, Women [and]
Children” on the island, which gave him pause and consider “the situation [he] was
thrown into by the absence of the Boat.”57 The next day, his own men were killed
and he destroyed a Hawaiian village in vengeance. The swing from friend to enemy
surely surprised Broughton and his men.
The Hawaiian experience was exciting yet limited. As he travelled to Japan
and Hokkaido, Broughton was fortunate to report on a fairly new ethnic group for
the British. His first real encounter with the Japanese occurred in September of
1797. Here, he described them as “light copper Colour with dark Hair very thick
[and] cut short behind [and] all of them with Long beards, fine Black Eyebrows,
tolerable Teeth with expressive good natur’d countenances.”58 After some time
attempting to converse with them, Broughton noted that they may have “never seen
a Ship before” of that size.59 This was Broughton’s first and only uninterrupted
encounter with Ainu people of Hokkaido, Japan. Each subsequent visit, either on
shore or upon his own vessel, was interrupted by the Japanese, who sent the Ainu
people away. Broughton’s first note of this was a few days later when he stated, “We
had several visitors but a Japanese coming off soon sent them away.”60 The Ainu,
Broughton soon realized, were at the lower end of the social class in Japan. These
55 Broughton, Voyage, 55.56 Broughton, Voyage, 59.57 Broughton, Voyage, 59.58 Broughton, Voyage, 72.59 Broughton, Voyage, 72.60 Broughton, Voyage, 75.
18
people were not part of the “civilized world of Japanese people. But neither were
they considered fully part of the barbaric world of foreigners.”61 He later noted that
the people were “tributary to the Japanese and in great subjection to them. They
were prevented as much as was possible by the Japanese officers from having any
intercourse with us, and were instantly driven away.”62 Broughton happened upon
something he did not fully understand, yet he had to deal with. Nevertheless,
Broughton’s first few encounters with the Japanese proved fruitful. He obtained
maps from the Japanese, some created by the Japanese themselves and others from
the hands of the Russians. He returned the favor with a map from “Captain Cookes
General Chart of the World which appear’d to gratify them exeedingly.”63
Broughton continued his journey down the coast of Japan towards Macau for
the winter, stopping and investigating the natives along the way. He wrote of their
food production, cooking, clothing, boats, how they fished and some differences
between men and women. Broughton stated that both men and women enjoyed
smoking tobacco and that the society appeared patriarchal with women being
tasked with sewing clothing and cooking food. The men, with their long beards,
hunted and dealt with the British for trading. Broughton gave the fullest
examination of the islands on this path towards Macau: he described the types of
trees that grew on shore, the fish they caught in the ocean, the birds they found and
spotted, domesticated animals, such as horses and dogs, as well as the indigenous
bears, foxes, rabbits and deer. He had the opportunity to see whales, sword fish and
61 Andrew Gordon, A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present, Second Edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), 19.62 Broughton, Voyage, 81.63 Broughton, Voyage, 77.
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turtles off the coast of Japan. This full survey gave readers and the British a better
understanding of how the islands of Japan could support trade and colonization.64
William Robert Broughton travelled around the world on the ocean, wrecked
his 406-ton vessel and survived. During his voyage, he wrote about his endeavors
and published his work shortly after his return to England. He showed the world
that traveling by ship is hazardous; death occurs where it is least expected.
Additionally, the work his crew performed in order to maintain their vessel showed
their dedication and the hard labour required for sailing in the eighteenth century.
His skill at cartography proved beneficial to the English charts and the Royal Navy,
almost too much so. Broughton’s maps were advantageous to future English sailors,
yet the results of his failure with Sakhalin was a major inconvenience for the Royal
Navy in the 1850s. Luckily, his initial work with the Japanese prompted additional
research and assisted future explorers on their voyages. Broughton added crucial
information about the Hawaiians and Japanese, especially in a time when European
focus was shifting towards Asia. In 1815, Captain Basil Hall of the HMS Lyra, “had a
copy of Broughton’s Voyage with him, and... he found Broughton’s account of the
natives... to be of considerable interest.”65
Captain William Robert Broughton changed the world, but not in a way that
most people are aware. Broughton’s work along the coast of Japan was the initial
push from the British into new territory. He served with many of the best captains
and admirals in the Royal Navy, surveyed rivers in North America, the coasts of
Japan and met hundreds of new people along the way. He spent forty-three years in
64 Broughton, Voyage, 79-81, 90, 94.65 Gough, lv.
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the Royal Navy, from 1774 to 1818, fought in the American War for Independence,
travelled the world and then fought against Napoleon in the early 1800s. The places
that hold his name show the true impact he had on the world:
Broughton’s Bluff, in the Lewis and Clark Recreation Site, OregonBroughton Islands, off the east coast of AustraliaBroughton Island, one of the Snares Islands, New ZealandBroughton Arm, Dusky Sound, New ZealandBroughton Streets in Victoria and Vancouver, British ColumbiaBroughton Island, British ColumbiaBroughton Archipelago, British ColumbiaBroughton Lagoon, British ColumbiaBukhta Broutona in Ostrov Simushir, one of the Kurile IslandsBroughton Bay, which did not survive, but is now Zolotoy Rog, Vladivostok66
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66 Gough, liv.
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