Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-10-17
FROM THE NETWORK COLUMBIAN.
HIGHLY INTERESTING DISCOVERY

HIGHLY INTERESTING DlSCON ERf.
BY the favor of Doctor Eitchill, we
are enabled to lay before our readers
the following very interesting letter
from ]. Robinson, Esq. The magni-
tude of the discovery will not fail 10 ar
rest the attention OF every one, and the
surprize is that such an extent of land in
the ocean and so situated, should not be-
fore have been generally known. 1t is
said, however, to have been discovered
some years since by some American
whalers, and The knowledge concealed
for mercantile purposes.
Valharaiso, January 23, 1920.
SIR: avail myself Of an opportunity
to write by the way Of England, to notify
you of recent important discovery OF
land in the South Seas.
In the month of February Of the last
year, Captain Smith, master oil the British
merchant brigantine Williams, on pas
sage from Buenos Ayres to this port,
round Cape Horn, in latitude 81 40
south, discovered land. When he ar
rived here, he reported what he had
seen, but most persons were incredulous.
Mortified by this scepticisn, upon his re-
turn passage to Montevidco, he sailed to
the southwark to ascertain whether he
had been deceived or not; but meeting
bad weather and encountering ice, he
was obliged to desist and prosecute his
voyage: yet, without abandoning his
original intention, or losing his sanguine
belief in the existence of land in that
neighborhood. In Montevideo, he pre-
pared his vessel rather better than COM
mon, and proceeded second time round
the Cape towards Valparaiso, and on the
18th of October, was gratified by Sc
cond sight of the same land he had seen
before. The water was then high color
ed, and he sounded in sixty five fathoms,
black and white sand and shells. The
soundings gradually decreasedto twenty
FIVE fathoms and less, but coarser, and
of an oozy, greenish colour as he APP
preached the shore.
Captain Smith was obliged to stand
off and on, by heavy swell, until the
Eth ultimo, when he landed in latitude
ga AS south, and 81 10 west longitude,
| by observation and an excellent chrome
meter.
Here he saw many seals, sea-lions,
whales, and sea-lowls--all perfectly fear
less and unacquainted with danger.
This land he calls continent, and
| - III Of D,iy
upon which he hosted the British flag.
On the north coast ofthis land there is
chain or line of islands, from two to
ten miles distant from the main, to which
he gave the name OF Penguin Islands.
Between these Islands and the main land,
there is kind of channel, from to 10
miles wide, with some current-and in
one place an appearance OF breakers,
produced probably by narrow passage
and sunken rocks. The passage there
is not more than mile wide, but captain
Smith did not explore it.
Captain Smith coasled to the west and
west by south, sometimes inside Of the
Islands, at Others between them and the
main, TO the latitude of 63 So south
longitude 81 west; the wind then blow
ing from the southwest, he took his de-
parture and steered from the land NJ
W. by w. when it bore south and
west, as far as could be discerned with
good glasses, and with every appearance
Of its extending further. He describes
the whole of this land, both the main and
The islands, as being very high even
above the clouds, and the SUBMITS as
having been covered with snow, and
with generally a sterile, barren aspect,
but with some indications of vegetation,
shrubbery, and wood in the vallies and
dpcrtures of the hills and mountains,
and likewise with rivers and creeks.
He stretched along this coast three hun
bred miles with generally cool pleasant
weather, but not having been properly
provided with boats, he did no, attempt
to Ireland, Notwithstanding he saw fine
bays and sandy beaches.
Captain Smith saw many fish of all
colors and sizes, and different denomina-
tons. The most remarkable resembed
the Goldfish OF Cape Angully Bank, and
the Isle Juan Fernandez. The whales
were like those Of Hudson Bay and Da-
WIS., Straits. Besides these, he saw a
species Of white whale and black fish.
The soundings, or rather the matter
drawn up with the lead, at each cast, are
preserved. have seen them, and like
wise draught of the land, by good
hand. Capt. Sheriff, the commander o.
the Andromache, and other British naval
forces in these seas, will dispatch a YES