Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-07-31
THE ANTARCTIC DISCOVERY.


sells.
THE ANTARCTIC DISCOVERY.
The Globe of Saturday last contains a
letter from Lieut.. Com. Wilkes, dated March
10, 1910, from on board the U. S. ship Vim
ccnnes, communicating to the Department,
dn official account Of the late discovery of an
antarctic continent. 1t appears, from his
account, that up to the 1st January, his squa-
dron continued in company, but on that day
they were parted in fog, 1t having been de-
termincd to leave each vessel to act indepcn-
IDENTIFY, under belief that it would give, if
possible, greater degree of emulation to
all, and from the fact that owing to the ice
and the thick weather, it would be impossible
to continue long together.
On the 18th of January the Vincenncs ran
into a bay or field of ice in lon. 164 deg. SO
MN. E. and lat. 81 deg. II min. S., present.
ing perfect barrier to any progress further
South. After an unsuccessful attempt to
penetrate throughth ice, the ship proceeded
westward. On the morning of the 18th of
January land was seen to the south and
east; many indications of the proximity of
land becing also apprenticeship as penguin,
seal, and the discoloration of the water
The impenctrablc barrier Of ice prevented a
near approach to the land. After passing
through large clusters and bodies of ice and
Vulnerable ice islands, the ship entered a
large bay formed by ice, but no point
could be discovered where passage through
to the south was practicable. In exploring
this bay Lieut.. Wilkes reached the lat. of 81
deg. min., in lon. 147 deg. 20 min. E.,
which was the tarthest point south to which
the Expedition penetrated.
Appearances of distant land were seen
in the eastward and the westward. About
one hundred miles to the west of this, the
needle gave no variation; afterwards it in
creased rapidly in westward variation as the
ship procceded-from which circumstance
Lieut.. Wilkes is Of opinion, that when in the
ice bay he could not have been very far
from the South magnetic pole. This bay
was called Disappointment Bay, as it seemed
to put an end to all hopes of farther progress
south.
| On the SStll at noon, after thirteen re-
pulses, the ship was in lon. $50 deg. 80 min.
E., and lat. IS deg. 80 min. S., when land
was again discovered bearing south. A
storm coming up it was necessary TO run back
but upon the abatement of the gale the same
course was rctraccd. Lieut.. wilkes says -
We ran towards the land about fifty mites,
when we reached small bay pointed by high
cliffs and black volcanic rocks, with about
sixty miles of coast in sight, extending to
great distance towards the southwark in high
mountainous land.
The breeze freshened to strong gale,
which prevented our landing, and compelled
us TO run out after sounding in thirty tathoms
water; and within two hours afterwards the
ship was again reduced to her storm sails.
with a heavy gale from southwark, with
snow, sleet, and heavy sea, continuing SO
hours, and If possible more dangerous than
that ofthe 2Sth and 29ih, owing to the large
number of ice islands around us: after which
| received reports from the medical officers,
representing the exhausted state of the crew
and condition of the ship.
Notwithstanding the unfavorabIe accounts
of the Medical officers, Lieut.. Wilkes deemed
it his duty to persevere, and accordingly he
stecred again for the land. The coast was
reached on the I'd of February, about 60
miles TO the westward Of the point first visited,
but the perpendicular ice cliffs lining the
coast prevented the possibility of landing.
The course of the ship was continued west
ward along the barriers Office which appeared
to make from the land. On the 9th and
10th, the appearance of distant mountains
was seen-and again on the 18th. The ice
barrier at length began to tend more to the
southwark, which induced a hope that
nearer approach might be made to the land.
On the 18th, at noon, in longitude 10Y deg.
IS min., latitude 65 deg. l min. South, land
appeared plainly in sight, with a tolerably
clear sea. But the course of the ship was
stopped by the ice barrier within about fifteen
miles of the shore. From the iccberes
around the ships, which were colorcd and
stained with earth, Lieut.. Wilkes obtained
numerous specimens Of sand stone, quartz,
&C., some weighing hundred pounds.
After coasting westwardly for some days,
and witnessing some splendid appearances of
the Aurora Autralis, Lieut.. Wilkes, on the
2lst Of February, changed his course, and
proceeded North, il being evidently imprac-
ticable to land on any part Of the coast.
The conclusions 70 which the navigator
comes, are: that there can scarcely be doubt
of the existence of the Antarctic Continent,
extending throughout the distance of seventy
degrees from East to West; that different
points Of the land are at times free from the
ice barrier; that they are frequented by seal,
and that whales abound on the coast, offering
to our enterprising countrymen, engaged in
whaling and sealing, field Of large extent
for their future operations.
Lieut.. Wilkes commends to the notice Of
the Department the gallant conduct of the
officers, seamcn and marines, during this
Antarctic crisis--the manner and spirit, to-
getller with the GOODNESS and alacrlty, with
which they met danger and performed their
duties. "All that can say in their favor"
in tho words of the commander, "would fall
far short ofwhat they deserve. I shall ever
bear testimony that they have proved ,hem-
selves worthy of the hig h character borne by
our countrymcn and the navy to which they
bclong."-N Y. San.
Seneca has very delightfully."- remarked