 In 1850 Sultan Selim of Johanna island seized the American whaler "Maria" and imprisoned her commander, Captain Moores.In response, the United States Navy launched the Johanna Expedition in February 1852 to gain the release of Moores and extract compensation.Initially, the sultan did not meet the demands, and the sloop-of-war USS "Dale" bombarded the island's fortifications; ultimately Selim paid US$1,000 and released Captain Moores.