Background
Source: Wikipedia
William Lewis Herndon (25 October 1813 – 12 September 1857) was an American naval officer and explorer. In 1851 he led a United States expedition to the Valley of the Amazon, and prepared a report published in 1854 and distributed widely as Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon. He was noted especially for ensuring the rescue of 152 women and children when commanding the commercial mail steamer Central America in September 1857.
