The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-15 00:00:00

OFFICIAL REPORT OF LIEUTENANT

WILKES.
" EXPLORING EXPEDITION.
" United States ship Vincennes, March 10, 1840.
" Sir,—l have the honour to report, that having
completed our outfits and observations at Sydney,
New South \Vales, the exploring squadron under my
command, composed of this ship, the Peacock, Por-
poise, and Flying Fish, sailed in company on the 24th
of December, with my instructions to proceed south as
far as practicable, and cruise within the Antarctic
Ocean, Copies of the instructions were forwarded to
you with my despatch No. 57.
" We continued in company until the Ist of January,
when we parted in company with the Flying Fish, and
with the Peacock in a fog on the 3d.
" I then steered with the Porpoise in company for
our first rendezvous, Macquain's Island, and thence to
Emerald Island, our second rendezvous, having passed
over the supposed locality of the latter in longitude
162.30. E., latitude, 57.15.5., without seeing land, or
meeting with the Peacock or Flying Fish.
" On the 10th January, being in lat. 61 S., we fell
in with the first icelands, and continued steering to the
southward among the icebergs, which compelled us to
change our course frequently in avoiding them.
" On the 12th we ran into a bay of field ice in long.
164 53 E. and lat. 64 11 S., presenting a perfect bar-
rier to our progress further south, a heavy fog ensuing,
during which we parted company with the Porpoise,
her commander having directions to follow my written
instructions in that event.
".I had determined to leave each vessel to act inde-
pendently, believing it would tend to give,' if possible,
a greater degree of emulation to us all ; and being
well satisfied, that ow ing to the ice and thick weather,
it would be impossible to continue long in com-
pany, I deemed it preferable to hazard the event
of accident, rather than embarrass our operations.
"wI therefore submit the details of the proceedings of
this ship, as they will, without doubt, nearly coincide
with the movements of the other vessels of the squa-
dron, the reports from which will tend to verify our
operations.
" After an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate through
the ice on the 12th of January, we proceeded to the
westward, working along with head winds and fogs, and
on the 16th we fell in with the Peacock, in long. 157
43 E., Int 65 29 S.
" On the morning of the 19th of January we saw land
to the south and east, with many indications of being in
its vicinity, such as penguin, seal, and the discolouration
of the water ; but the impenetrable barrier of ice pre-
vented our nearer approach to it, and the same day we
again saw the Peacock to the south and west. We were
in long. 104 27 E., and lat. 66 20 S.
" On the 22d we fell in with large clusters and bodies
of ice, and innumerable ice islands, and until the 25th
were in a large bay formed by ice, examining the diffe-
rent points in hopes of effecting an entrance to the
south, but were disappointed. We here reached lat. 67 4,
long. 147 30 E., being the furthest south we penetrated.
Appearances of distant land were seen in the eastward
and westward, but all points except the one we entered
presented an impenetrable barrier. We here filled up
our water tanks with ice, taken from an iceberg along-
side the ship.
" We made our magnetic observations on the ice.
The dipping needles gave 87 deg. 30 min. for the dip,
and our azimuth compass was so sluggish on the ice,
that, on being agitated, and bearings taken again, it
gave nearly three points difference, the variations being
12 deg. 35 min. E. A few days afterwards, about 100
miles further to the west, we had no variation, and
thence it rapidly increased is westerly variation, from
which lam of opinion, that when in the ice-bay we
could not have been very far from the south magnetic
pole. This bay I named Disappointment Bay, as it
seemed to put an end to all our hopes of further pro-
gress south.
" On the 27th we fell in with the Porpoise., in long.
142, 20 E., and let. 65, 54 S., and parted company
shortly afterwards.
" On the 28th, at noon, after thirteen repulses, we
reached long. 140, 30 E., and let. 66, 33 S., where we
again discovered land bearing south, having run over
forty miles thickly studded with icebergs. The
same evening we had a heavy gale from the south-
east, with snow, hail, and thick weather,
which rendered our situation very dangerous,
and compelled us to retrace our steps by
the route which we had entered. During this gale
we were unable to see the distance of a fourth of a mile,
constantly passing icebergs that surrounded us, and
rendering it necessary to keep all hands on deck. On
the morning of the 30th the gale abated, and we returned
by the seine route to reach the land, when the da.ngers
we encountered among the ice the preceding night, and
our providential escape, were evident to all.
We ran towards the land about 50 miles, when we
reached a small bay, pointed by high ice cliffs and black
volcanic rocks, with about 60 miles of coast in sight,
extending to a great distance towards the southward, in REPORT.
high mountainous land. By the Lords' Committees appointed a Select Commit-
" The breeze freshened to a strong gale, which pre- tee to inquire into the Destruction and Sale of Pa-
vented our landing, and compelled us to run out after pers and other Documents from the Exchequer, and
sounding in thirty fathoms water; and within two hours into the manner in which other Records lately offered
afterwards the ship was again reduced to her storm publicly for Sale have been obtained from the Govern-
sails, with a heavy gale from the southward, with snow, ment Offices ; and to whom was also referred the Pc-
sleet, and a heavy sea, continuing 36 hours, and, if pos- tion of Henry Cock, of Newington, in the County of
sible, more dangerous than that of the 28th and 29th, Surrey, praying their Lordships for an Inquiry as to
owing to the large number of ice-islands around us ; whether a certain Paper had been preserved from
after which I received reports from the medical officers, Destruction.
representing the exhausted state of the crew and con- That the Committee have met, and examined several
ditton of th ship, of which the following are extracts : witnesses in relation to the matter referred to them, and
" The medical officers on duty reported, under date have found that the Exchequer documents to which the
of the 31st of January, that the number upon the sick attention of the Committee were in the first instance di-
list this morning is 15 ; most of these cases are conse- meted were deposited in a vault at Somerset-house about
quent upon the extreme hardship and exposure they 50 years ago. There is no record to show whence they
have undergone during the last gales of wind, when the were removed, or by whose directions they were placed
ship has been surrounded with ice. This number is not there, nor does it appear that any department considered
large, but it is necessary to state the general health of itself responsible for the due custody of them ; and there-
the crew is, in our opinion, decidedly affected, and that fore they were not included among those documents
under ordinary circumstances the list would be very which were delivered over to Sir John Newport, as
much increased, while the men, under the present exi- Controller-General of the Exchequer, in conformity with
gences, actuated by a laudable desire to do their duty the Act 4 and 5W m. IV., c. 15, on his appointment on
to the last, refrain from presenting themselves as appli- the 11th of October, i 834.
cants for the list. The attention of Sir John Newport was first directed
" ' Under these circumstances, we feel ourselves to these documents in 1835. In 1836 Mr. Devon, a
obliged to report that, in our opinion, a few days more clerk in the Chapter-house, was ordered to inspect them ;
of such exposure as they have already undergone would he reported that he found them for the most part in large
reduce the number of the crew by sickness to such an deal boxes, the rest lying in confusion on the floor the
extent as to hazard the safety of the ship and the lives greater part of the latter was in a dreadful state of de-
of all on board.' cay. He reported also, " that the doorway had been
" After which, the surgeon being restored to duty, bricked up, that be entered by means of a ladder at a
reported to me as follows : place which was once a window, and that there was no-
" I respectfully report that, in my opinion, the health thing to prevent the public from stealing them, suppos-
of the crew is materially affected by the severe fatigue, ing any one knew of their elistence."
want of sleep, and exposure to the weather, to which Upon the communication of these facts to the Tree-
they have lately been subjected; that a continuance of sury by Sir John Newport, an examination was directed
these hardships, even for a very short period, will en- to be made in order to discover, if possible, when and by
tirely disqualify a great number of men for their duty, whom these documents had been placed in the vault,
and that the necessary attention to the health of the what was the nature of them, and bow it was fitting
crew, and their future efficiency and usefulness, demands they should be disposed of. The Clerks of the Exche-
the immediate return of the ship to a milder climate.' quer were mentioned as the persons best qualified to
" Deeming it my duty, however, to persevere, I de- undertake the examination, and it was in consequence
cided to continue, and steered again for the land, which entrusted to Mr. Bulky, the chief clerk in the Control-
we had named the Antarctic Continent. ler's Office, who had been forty-three years in the Ex-
"We reached it on the 2d of February, about sixty chequer, assisted by Mr. Woodfall and Mr. Barrett,
miles to the westward of the point first visited, where who also had been officers in that department for a con-
we found the coast lined with solid perpendicular ice siderable time.
cliffs, preventing the possibility of landing, and the same Mr. Bulley having asked for authority to destroy cer-
mountains trending to the westward. Thence we pro- tain books and papers (the books being purely of ac-
ceeded to the westward along the ice barrier, which ap- count, and appearing to be of no interest or value at the
peered to make from the land, until the 3d, when we present time, and the papers, including the warrants of
again encountered a severe gale from the south-east, which the books of entry on record are retained, being
with thick weather and snow until the 7th of Feb- equally valueless), the Treasury in reply stated, that
ruary, when it cleared up sufficiently to allow us to see " whilst they entertained doubts how far they would be
our way clear, and we again approached the perpendi- warranted in giving a general order for the destruction
cuter barrier of ice, similar to that which we had pre- of these papers, there was no objection to the destruction
viously seen as attached to the land, the same land of those which are mere memoranda, or papers of which
being in sight at a great distance. We stood along the entries have been made of record in the books of the
barrier about 70 miles to the westward, when it sud- Exchequer or the Treasury ;" adding further, that
denly trended to the southward, and our further " they could not authorise the destruction of any books
progress to the south was arrested by a solid barrier of of records, or other hooks than mere memoranda, with-
field-ice. After an unsuccessful examination for twenty- out further information."
four hours in all directions, we continued to the west- Mr. Bulley was undoubtedly perfectly competent to
ward along the barrier, as usual, surrounded by ice- decide upon the value of documents of the class referred
islands. to in in that order. The greatest portion of the collet-
" On the Bth and 10th (being on the Bth in long. tion appears to have been of that class, but there were
127 deg. 7. min. east, let. 65 deg. 3 min. south) we had many others which it was intended should be preserved.
similar appearances of distant mountains, but the corn- The selection and destruction continued to the close of
pact barrier extending from east to west by south pre- the year 1838, with only casual and unauthorised as-
vented a nearer approach. sistauce in the way of advice from Mr. Devon as to the
" On the night of the 9th of February, being the importants of those documents, of which Mr. Bulley
first clear night for some time, we witnessed the aurora and his clerks were and felt themselves to be incompe-
australis. tent judges.
We continued on the 10th and 11th westward, with The removal of the documents was effected
hbey
aagrceoend-
southeast winds and fine weather, close along the bar- tract entered into with a Mr. Jay, by which
rier, which was more compact, with immense islands of to remove the boxes from Somerset-house to the Con-
ice enclosed within the field ice. troller's Office, on condition that he was to be allowed
eon the 12th we again saw the distant mountains, to purchase the rejected papers and parchments at the
but were unable to effect a nearer approach, being in rate of 81. per on
to .
tdhoe All
pnuotb thleiacp account.
to received from Mr.
long. 112, 16 E., lat. 64, 57 S., and I was again compelled j
noti this mode of dis-
to go on to the westward.
pOsY w
The
ingaos Committeecarried
public documents, even where it takes place
" The ice-barrier trending more to the southward, in-
duced me to hope that we should again succeed in up- after the most careful examination of the papers sold,
proaching nearer the supposed line coast. On the and on the present occasion it does not appear that suf-
13th, at noon, we reached long. 107, 45 E., lat. 65, 11 ficient attention was paid to the orders given by the
S., with a tolerable clear sea before us, and the land Treasury, as some documents undoubtedly got into the
plainly in sight. I continued pushing through the ice i public market through Mr. Jay, which ought not to
until we were stopped by the fixed barrier, about 15 have been permitted to leave the office, not being com-
miles from the shore, and with little or no prospect of prehended in the list of papers which alone were autho-
tffecting a landing. rised to be destroyed.
" I hauled off for the short height, and the next On the 26th of June, 1838, Mr. Rodd, a bookseller,
morning made another attempt at a different point, but having had some papers considered by him to be of
was equally unsuccessful, being able to approach only value offered to him from this collection, wrote to the
three or four miles nearer, as it appeared perfectly irn.. Rev. J. Forshall, of the British Museum, informing him
penetrable. Near us were several icebergs, coloured of the destruction and sale of those documents, and

On the 17th of February, in long. 97, 30 E., lat.l
64 S., land was again seen at a great distance towards
the south-west. We now found ourselves closely em-
bayed and unable to proceed in a westerly direction ;
the ice barrier trending round to the northward and east-
ward, compelled us to retrace our steps. We had en-
tered a deep gulf on its southern side, and it required
four days' beating along its northern shore to get out of
it. During this time our position was critical, the wea-
ther changeable, and little room in case of bad weather.
It fortunately held up until we found ourselves again
with a clear sea to the northward.
" The ice barrier had now trended to about 62 de-
grees of latitude ; the wind having set in from the west-
ward with dark weather and little prospect of seeing
the land or making much progress to the westward prior
to the Ist of March, thereby losing time which might be
spent to advantage for our whaling interests at New
Zealand ; I determined to proceed to the r.orth on the
evening of the 21st.
" There was a brilliant appearance of the aurora
australis on the 17th of February in long. 97 39 E.
lat. 64 S. ; also on the 22d in long. 103, 30 E., lat.
58, 10 S. ; on the 25th in long. 117, 31 E., lat. 53 S. ;
and on the Ist of March in long. 137 E., lat. 49, 30 S.
" The result stated in this report leads me to the
following conclusions :
" Ist. From our discoveries of the land through 40
degrees of longitude and the observations made during
this interesting cruise, with the similarity of formation
and position of the ice during our close examination of
it, I consider that there can scarcely be a doubt of the
existence of the Antarctic Continent extending the whole
distance of 70 degrees from east to west.
" 2d. That different points of the land are at times
free from the ice barrier. •

" 3d. That they are frequented by seal, many of which
were seen, and offer to our enterprising countrymen en-
gaged in those pursuits a field of large extent for ,their
future operations. _ .

"4th. That the large number of whales of different
species seen, and the quantity of food for them, would
designate this coast as a place of great resort for them.
The fin-backed whale seemed to predominate.
"We proceeded on our cruise to the north-
ward and eastward with strong gales, until we
reached the latitude of certain islands, laid down
on the charts as the Royal Company's Islands,
about six degrees to the westward of their supposed lo-
cality ; I then stood on their parallel, and passed over
their supposed site, but we saw nothing of them, nor any
indication of land in the vicinity ; I feel confident, as
far as respects their existence in or near the longitude
or parallel assigned them, to assert that they do not
exist.

" The last ice island was seen in latitude 51 deg. S.
A few specimens of natural history were obtained and
preserved during the cruise.
"As I conceive it would be unbecoming in me
to speak of our arduous services, the report and ac-
companying chart of our cruise must speak for us,
but I cannot close this report without bringing to
your notice the high estimation in which I hold
the conduct of the officers, seamen, and marines dur-
ing this antarctic cruise, the manner and spirit, together
with the coolness and alacrity, with which they have
met the dangers and performed their duties. I trust
that they will receive from the Government some
gratifying notice of it. All I can say in their favour
would fall far short of what they deserve.

" I shall ever bear testimony that they have proved
themselves worthy of the high character borne by our
countrymen and the navy to which they belong.
" I have the honour to be, Sir, most respectfully,
your obedient servant.
" CHARLES WILKES,
" Commanding Exploring Expedition of the
United States."
"To the Hon. J. K. Paulding, Secretary of the Navy,
Washington City."

THE DESTRUCTION AND SALE

OF EXCHEQUER DOCUMENTS.

stating that it could only be carried on throut; A. I'2!
norance of the officers employed of their import 71
value in a depository like the British Museut • A/it.
Forshall wrote the same day to the Chancellor .
Exchequer, enclosing a copy of Mr. Rodd's NUM: 1m INA :4
questing that it might be referred to the proper func-
tionary, if the matter appeared to require further consi
deration. This letter was accordingly referred to the
Controller-General ; and on the 15th of August the
Chancellor of the Exchequer received a letter from Mr
Eden, the Assistant-Controller, in which it was stated
that the greatest care was taken in the examination
and that the papers rejected were only orders for pay-
ment, old warrants, and old receipts. The Treasury
were satisfied with this report, and it des not appear
that additional or more able assistance was afforded to
Mr. Bulky in consequence of the information convoyed
in Mr. Rodd's letter.

The Committee are unable to state with any confi-
dence to what extent papers of considerable impor-
tance may have been included among those disposed
of to Mr. Jay. Many of very great interest and value
have been preserved by Mr. Bulley, and this fact,
and the manner in which this selection was conducted,
would lead them to believe that the loss has not been
extensive. Some of the documents sold to Mr. Jay
have been offered to and purchased by the British
Museum ; but, though this proves they were of a cha-
racter which might have been advantageously preserved
for that public collection, it does not appear that any
of very great consequence have been recovered in that
quarter.

The list of books and papers preserved will be found
in Mr. Bailey's report of the 17th of December, 1838,
and it includes many issue rolls from the time of Ed-
ward IV., privy seal books, books of issues of receipt,
patents and warrants, various state papers, royal and
diplomatic correspondence, Papal briefs,- lists of crown
jewels, of prisoners confined in the Tower, and por-
tions of the Wolsey correspondence which fill up
blanks in the series deposited in the State Paper-office.
Mr. Lemon, the Secretary to Commissioners for
printing state papers, having been examined, delivered
in a memorandum, stating more particularly the natiure
and value of the documents preserved,—original letters
of the highest interest and importance from " Popes
Adrian and Leo X. to Henry VIII. and Wolsey, ex-
tremely valuable, as a portion of the State papers were
about to be published." Mr. Lemon also describes
other parts of the collection as " still more valuable,
and all in beautiful preservation."
The Committee also examined Mr. Black, an officer
acting under the authority of the Master of the Rolls,
and who, since the com►nencemeat of this inquiry has
been employed in examining these documents. He
states, that " about 1,000 volumes of books have been
preserved : letters patent and writs of Privy Seal froth
the time of Henry VIII. downwards, a very interesting
diplomatic correspondence, Papal briefs, and other
curious documents." This examination is still in pro-
gress, and is carried on by Mr. Black with a view to
the classification and preservation of those documents
under the authority of the Master of the Rolls.
Although not strictly within the order of reference,
the Committee were led in the course of the inquiry to
examine as to the rate of the poll records.
On Feb. 25, 1835, the state of these important
documents was brought under the consideration of the
Treasury, in a letter addressed by Sir John Newport to
Sir Thomas Fremantle, then Secretary of the Treasury,
and under the authority of the Government Sir John
Newport took steps for the examination, classification,
and repair of these records. Mr. Frederick Devon, an
officer of the Chapter-house, recommended by the
Record Commission, was employed with a clerk acting
under him for about two years, in the execution of
this duty ; and by a Report made to the Lords of the
Treasury in February, 1838, it appears that the ar-
rangement of this important historical collection was
completed, comprehended 2,250 rolls, and 1,463
volumes, of which a catalogue has been made, and a
duplicate catalogue has been deposited in the British
Museum.

Under the authority of the Treasury, the Controller-
General directed the pub:icution of three vo?umes of
most interesting extracts from these records, so as to ren-
der them more generally available for the purposes of
historical or antiquarian research. The Committee
have much satisfaction in stating that in reference to
these records every step has been taken that the public
could have desired.

In reference to the second part of the inquiry en-
trusted tv the Committee as to the manner in which
other records lately offered publicly for sale have been
obtained from the Government offices, it appears that
a large quantity of vellums and parchments were re-
moved and sold from the cellars of the Chirographer's
office of the Court of Common Pleas by a clerk in the
office, about Lady-day, 1836. These documents were
of various dates, from the time of Edward 11. to Queent
Elizabeth, and relating to the levying of fines in the
Court of Common Pleas. They were traced in several
quarters with great assiduity and success, and a large
portion of them have been recovered and restored to
the repositories of the Court.
It is also clear, from a variety of booksellers' cata-
logues which have been brought under the notice of the
Committee, and from the evidence of several dealers,
that a very large number of records of the greatest
curiosity and value hare for a long period of years beaa,
openly and constantly offered for salc, which must have:
been from time to time (some at very distant periods)
improperly procured from different public offices.
The most effectual remedy, in the opinion of the
Committee, against this evil is to be found in the erec-
tion of a building, in which all the public records now
placed under the custody of the Master of the Rolls may
be collected together and secured under proper inspec-
tion. Every other suggestion for theiA protection can
only be considered as a partial improvement upon their
present neglected state.

The Committee are of opinion that the practice of
marking books and documents in several places; with a
stamp peculiar to the department to which they especi-
ally belong should be generally adopted, not only in
the Government, but in all the public offices, extending
to those of Clerks of the Peace, Registrars of the Ec-
clesiastical Courts, and other offices of a similar cha-
racter ; and that a legal right of recovering documents
so stamped should be created by enactment, without any
limitation as to the time they may have been lost from
the office, or the manner in which the holders may have
obtained possession of them.
The Committee also are of opinion that the practice
of selling useless papers from the public offices is mis-
chievous, as affording a cover for the improper and sur-
reptitious disposal of more valuable documents ; they,
therefore, recommend that in future all papers and
parchments, the preservation of which in any public
office may be considered unnecessary, should be com-
pletely and effectually destroyed.
And the Committee have directed the Minutes of
Evidence taken before them, together with an Appen-
dix and Inflex thereto, to be reported to the House.
August 4, 1840.

GRAND POLISH FETE AT CRE-

MORNE-HOUSE.

We stated yesterday that the fete lately held at
Beulah Spa, in aid of the funds for the relief of
those unhappy Poles who, having been driven too
this country sinceelB3B, are thereby excluded from
all participation in the Government grant, having
proved a total failure, in consequence of the un-
favourable state of the weather, the Literary Asso-
ciation of the friends of Poland have resolved to
hold a second fete on Monday next, in the beauti-
ful grounds of Cremorne House, King's-road, Chel-
sea. We have now to add that the council state
in their announcements of this determination, that
they are induced to it by the urgently-expressed
wishes of the Dukes of Sussex, Brunswick,
Beaufort, Bedford, Hamilton, and Sutherland, the
Marquises of Normanby, Westminster, Lansdowne,
Breadalbane, and Northampton—a hoot of Earls
and Viscounts (amongst the latter, Lord Palmer-
ston), Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, and a great
number of noblemen, Members of Parliament, and
ladies of the highest rank and fashion. Tho day
chosen is the birth-dav of Her Royal Highness
the DUCHESS of KENT, under whose direct patron-
age the fete is to be held. A grand concert will
be given, at which all the principal performers of
the Italian Opera—Persiani, Coulon, Ostergaard,
Lablache, Rubini, Lasdiski, hlusalli, Ricciardi, and
Morelli—will make their last public appearance in
London for this season. The other entertainments
will consist principally of races, and Mr. Green's
ascent in his " Royal " balloon. As a great ma-
jority of the distinguished personages at whose re-
quest this benevolent attempt to relieve the misery of
the destitute refugees is undertaken will undoubtedly
attend, and as the demesne is so near town (steam-
ers arriving close to it every half hour from London-
bridge, &c.) there is every reason to believe that
the fete will be one of unparalleled brilliancy.

. „..
EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPH.--A few days
since, as some men were driving an adit, in S2lirth Of 011111-
gancse, on a farm in the occupation of Mr. Thema/
Townsend, in the parish of Newton St. Cyres, when they
had completed from 50 to 60 feet, on the removal of a
rtu
stone, there was an instantaneous and powerful eruption of
somethinge r c beyi g .
mail
rnefaroremstatnh
cold
ewroturkreinwga;s knockedindced
,sodmowuclih. so,Fo that
Fortunately,
his b
his companion had sufficient presence of mind to raise him,
when they were both borne, by the rapidity of the current,
through the edit to the bottom of the shaft. where, for-
tunately the bucket chancedthaotuerg,
though
to
oe
cfbaewm,
what
eantpy b
denrianftetucortelv tliissei
sensible
nhksuitehwii thateyniont-
caused
;
butp yio a violent tugging at the rope, he hey, away
in-
stantly got. The man at the windlass, from the waist,
twheasrushof w
amiss,
wbui trh allden
to
uns mtbeigh, and soon
surface,t to
otbroughthegreatjote bucket
yhofauat with
thisuairt!
row and providential escape, as but for this the death of
both men seemed inevitable, the water rising with the
bucket and filling the shaft to within a few feet of iti
mouth.