Mercator Cooper
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Mercator Cooper (September 29, 1803 - Spring 1872) was a ship's captain who is credited with the first formal American visit to Tokyo and the first formal landing on the mainland East Antarctica.
Both events occurred while sailing ships out of Sag Harbor, New York, where he was born.
[edit] Visit of the Manhattan to Tokyo
On November 9, 1843, Cooper left Sag Harbor aboard the ship Manhattan looking for whales. On March 14-15, 1845 the Manhattan picked up 22 Japanese sailors[1] in the southern Japanese islands.[2]
Outside of Tokyo Bay four of the survivors took a Japanese boat with a message that Cooper wanted to deliver the remainder to the harbor.[3] The Japanese normally wanted to avoid contact with outsiders because of their policy of Sakoku.
However, on April 18, 1845, an emissary from the emperor gave the ship permission to proceed -- accompanied by "about three hundred Japanese boats with about 15 men in each took the ship in tow" according to Cooper's log. "They took all our arms out to keep till we left. There were several of the nobility came on board to see the ship. They appeared very friendly."
The Japanese examined his ship and took particular note of Pyrrhus Concer, a crewman from Southampton who was the only African American on board, and a Shinnecock Native American named Eleazar -- the first dark skinned men the Japanese had seen and they wanted to touch their skin.
The Japanese refused payment for provisions and gave them water, 20 sacks of rice, two sacks of wheat, a box of flour, 11 sacks of sweet potatoes, 50 fowl, two cords of wood, radishes and 10 pounds of tea, thanked them for returning their sailors, and told them to never return.
On April 21, the 300 boats towed the the Manhattan sailed 20 miles out to sea.
Cooper took with him a map that charted the islands of Japan that had been found on the disabled Japanese ship. He was to turn the map over to the United States government when the ship returned to Sag Harbor on October 14, 846. Matthew Perry was said to have used the map on his visit with four U.S. warships on July 8, 1853.
Cooper's home in Southampton (village), New York is now owned by the Southampton Library. Pyrrhus Concer is buried in the North End Cemtery in Southhampton across from Cooper's home.
[edit] First visitor to Antarctica
On January 26, 1853, Cooper was aboard the Levant[4] looking for seals in Antarctica. He penetrated to land on the Oates Coast of East Antarctica at Victoria Land.[5][6] At the conclusion of the voyage the Levant was sold in China.
The log book from the voyage is in the Long Island Room of the East Hampton Library in East Hampton (village), New York.
Cooper died in Barranquilla, Colombia, South America. His date of death is sometimes reported as March 23, 1872[7] or April 24, 1872.[8]
[edit] References and notes
- ^ A Cold Welcome in Japan When an LI ship sailed into Tokyo's bay, it was met with curiosity and hostility by Bill Bleyer - Newsday - Long Island Our Story
- ^ The cited Newsday article refers to the relevant island as St. Peter, a European name for one of the islets (rocks) in the Bonin Islands group.
- ^ The cited Newsday article says four shipwreck survivors went onland to deliver the message. However the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State thesis Commodore Perry’s 1853 Japanese Expedition: How Whaling Influenced the Event that Revolutionized Japan by Terry Burcin says that Cooper went ashore with two of the shipwrecked Japanese and explored the coast and then returned to his ship to await word.
- ^ There was also a sloop at this time called the USS Levant and this ship was different.
- ^ Encyclopedia of Antarctica and the Southern Oceans By Bernard (EDT) Stonehouse, p 349 ISBN 0471986658
- ^ Antarctic Circle - Antarctic First
- ^ Long Island Geneology
- ^ Howell Research
