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Capt. Edmund Fanning (1769-1841) was an American navigator, trader, explorer and a promoter of trade in the South Seas.
He called at the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1798 in command of his trading vessel Betsey. On this voyage in 1797-98 he realised a large profit, having traded a cargo of trinkets for seal skins in the islands off the coast of Chile and then exchanging the skins for valuable Chinese goods at Canton, returning home around the Cape of Good Hope.
On this voyage he discovered, in 1783, Fanning Island, Washington Island and other islands. In 1833 he wrote a book "Voyages Around the World," which shed some light on little-known parts of the globe. Fanning Island, which he named after himself, was annexed by Great Britain in 1888.
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Сapt.Edmund Fanning(1769-1841).
A successful trader, Fanning made a fortune in the China trade, killing seals in the South Pacific and exchanging their skins in China for silks,spices, and tea; which he in turn sold in New York City. As master of the Betsey in 1797-1798, he discovered three South Pacific Islands —Fanning, Washington, and Palmyra — which are collectively known as the Fanning Islands. (Fanning Island, today known as Tabuaeran, is today part of Kiribati, while Palmyra, claimed by the Hawaiian Government in 1862 and owned for many years by a Hawaiian family, was purchased in 2000 by the Nature Conservancy for an ongoing study of global warming and its effect on coral reefs.)
When he discovered Palmyra Atoll, many believe it to be a paranormal occurrence that lends to the atoll's mysticism. Fanning's ship was in command of the first mate at night while Fanning slept. Fanning awoke three times in the middle of the night, each time awaking out of bed. On the third time Fanning took this as a premonition and ordered the first mate to heave to. In the morning the ship resumed its travel, but only traveled a mile before reaching the reef of Palmyra. Had the ship continued its course at night, the entire crew might have perished.
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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Fanning