The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-08-29

the 18th, In the morning watch; we were then q
long away 10 the westward OF our position on tho
| l7th, about 400 miles, and were driven of from il.
was officer of the deck at the time of the disco
| very.
| GLOW far is the land laid down on this large
| chart from your position OF the l9th3
| A.-About iorty-eight miles.
GLOW lar of is II laid down in the small ohars
A.-About the same.
Q.-Could land in that latitude be seen with anv
certainty at that distance?
A.-on that occasion do not think il could
Questioned by the CsURT-Cannot YOU SEQ land
| in high ATTITUDES that far1s
| Ayes.
Questioned ,ht, ne by CouET-Ars you not confident
| ing Of the 18th, in fact land2
A.-No, Sir.
| Q.-Are you not confident OF the reverse,
A.-No Sir, have no means of Judging.
| Q.-How, and in what manner, did you oommu.
nicate to Lieut.. Wilkes what ysu considered az APP
pearances of land on the mcrning of the l9thl
Al called him by name, and raised my hand
and said, there is something there that looks like
land Sir: but did not think enough of the appear
| ance al the time 10 note II
! Q-Were, YOU not frequently deceived in appear,
| A.-Not more than cruising vessels are generally.
| On the morning OF the 18th Lieut.. Underwood and
several others thought they saw land of there
| (p0nting TO the char)-but ! sceptical up to
| that lime of the existence of land in those regions
| On that day Lieut. Underwood went aloft, and came
down again and said he was positive he saw land
| to the southwark and eastward. We then
about two hundred miles 10 the westward OF cur
position of the 10Th.
Q.-Was any attempt made TO get. nearer TO
what appeared to be land, take soundings the
morning of the 18th, after you reported 10 Lieut.,
| Wilkes3
| A--No, sir; on the contrary, had orders to got
| the ship of. In the evening think more
| TO the southwark and westward than we were in
| the morning We saw the Peacock that evening to
| the southwest.
| O.-What is the distance between the positions
of the Peacock and vincennss at noon on the 10Th.
| as given by the chart3
| A-Eightsen miles.
! Q-Was the atmosphere clearer on the 18th and
| 18th than on the morning OF the 18th
A.-The 18th was delightful day, clearer than
bell On the 18th discovered land while in tn:
act OF reefing topsails called Lieutenant Wilkes,
| attention to it. He looked at il some time, and
said, there is mistake about it, that is land"
| Before finished reefing topsails we had TO wear
ship in heavy gale Of wind %h sever snow
discovered land or that which had the most decided
| appearance Of high land, covered with snow"
between the relative positions Of the vessel and land
on the 18th and on the 18th, as laid down on the
chartl
Al the 18th when we discovered land. it was
IL miles of; the 18th il is laid down on the chart
| 4s miles off. The 18th was generally conceded on
board to be the day when we first discovered land
Question by CouRr.-You say the Peacock was
seen eighteen miles of on the 18th, could you see
her hull from the deck Of the Vincennes9
Al did not say saw her IL miles off Isaid It
was so laid down on the chart:
Al saw her during the day, but do not recolsct
what time. ! saw her IN the evening four or tive
miles of.
Q.-Have you or have you not now any doubt
that what you saw on the 18th landl Was the
water discolored, and did you any seals PEN
gums on that mornlngl
Al saw seals or pengnlns during my watch.
The appearances of land were so slight, can have
no confidence in them whatever.
| Q-State the latitude and Longitude OF the viu-
cennes on the l9h 25h, and 18th of January lS4D.
| A-On he "A WI N
latitude 66 deg. 10 min Is sec. and Longitude 1854
deg q min. As sec. E. On the 25th, she IN la
~ min E On the 18th she was in latitude 66 deg.
20 min 15 Sec and longitude l40 deg. "A min. -
| Sec Z.
| Odd you at any time during the cruise TO the
| Antarctic discover land at the distance is laid
down on the chart on the 18th!
| Ave saw land on the morning Of the e0th, At
| did not discover land at that distance.
Q-.What steps did Lieutenant Wilkes take to
keep the results of the cruise secret before you AZ
rived at Sydney?
"A day or two before we arrived at Sydney.
he called all hands TO muster and made a speech
| lie spoke of the brilliant discoveries had made
| down South, and enjolned secresy on all hands
! He said 1t should be communicated to government.
and II right and proper that it should announce
it. If any benefits to be derived from the dis
covery, II was right and proper that our government
shond receive the first benefit OF it, or words TO that
| effect.
Q-After it was ascertained that the French had
made the discovery on the evening Of the 10th,
| there mot article appeared in a newspaper at
Sydney, that the American squadron discovered il
on the morning OF the 18th, with the knowledge OF
| Lieutenant Wilkes
A-Yes, sir The French statement and ours
came out in the paper Of the same day The Amer.
| lean statement was written by the American Con-
sul. WAS In the cabin at work on the charts at the
time, and heard 1t read in manuscript, in Mr. WIkss'
presence, by the Consul
| Cross-cra,nined by Mr.. HAMILTON, through the
| Judge Advocate.
Q-Do you know whether Capt. Ross, in his
| Antarctic cruise, states he saw land one hundred
| miles distant
Al have seen his report, but don't recolleot
whether he makes that statement or not.
| Q.-You say that on the 10Th the Vincennss was
kept of and in the evening she was farther TO the
| southwark and westward than IN the morning was
she not towed OIL to keep her clear OF the barrier Of
| ice
Ayes, she was towed off, the boats were got
| out, we had little or no wind.
| Odd you ever know her to be towed of by the
| boats on any other occasion1
Al can call no other TO recollection while
| we were among the Ice.
| Q.-Look at the log under the date of the 10th
and see if it says any hing about seeing penguins.
The witness read from the log OF that date that a
| seal, penguin and peterel were seen, afterwards
seen, &c. In the evening an Albatross and Peter.
el were seen. Nothing. ,chaterr tcus noted on the
log Of any appearance gland.
Q.-Were any orders issued to the officer Of the
deck 10 go to the mast head after he was relieved
and report Immediately to Lieut. Wilkesi II yea.
what was the occasion Of the issue of such order:
and was II not on the 22d January?
Al recollect the occasion of the order, but not
The date. difference of opinion arose between
the commander and Lieut. Underwood, the latter
having stated in his remarks that we had passed
several openings TO the southwark. That is all
recollect about the case
Q.-Were You at any time during the Antarctic
cruise called upon for your opinion in writing
whether II was practicable pursue the researches
m efa fa fba e.x
- did write such opinion at the call of 1t
wilkes We had been constantly beset By the ice
and IN a gale OF wind for the greater part of two
days; the ship was in imminent peril Of being Loaf
constantlY. Ii reunred all hands ore ater mari IS