Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-14
ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION.
TO THE EDITOlS ,

ohted states Exploring Expedition, ard made many mis-
statements IN regard to il and MYSELF therefore think my
duty to set him and the public right upn the subject In
page ll6, vol. !. he says;
Tha the commanders of each of thest great national
dertakgs " Urvie and Wkes should have selected the
very place Tor penetrating the southwark for the explora-
ton OF which they well the time that the
petition under my command express preparing, and
thereby oresang our purposes did certainly greatly sur
prise me- should have expected their national pride would
have caused them rather to have chosen any cher path in the
WIDE held before them than thus pointed out If higher
consideration had power to prevent such interference
They had however, the UNREASONABLE right to select
any point they thought proper which to dre their efforts
without considering the embarrassing situation which their
conduct might have placed Fortunately, in my Estruc
tons, much had been left my judgment under unforeseen
circumstances and impressed with the feeling that England
had ever lea the way of discovery in the southern well
IN the northern regions, considered would have been in
consistent with the peemnence she has maintained, if
to follow in the footsteps of the expedition of any
other nation"
Now, sir, without adverng to the bad taste well
egotism Of the above extract and the broad assertions relative
to the want OF national pride in the commanders the French
and American expeditions it will only be necessary to point
dates to show the gang deception attempted by Captain
Ross on his countrymen
On the first page his introduction the following lines
AT the eighth meeting of the British Association for the
advancement of Science, held Newcastle, in August 1885,
to the number and importance of desdeata in that
teal branch of science called terrestrial magnetism, by Lieut.
Colonel Sabine, OF the Royal Artillery and committee
appointed, consisting of Sir John Hersche, Mr.. Whewe
(now Master of Trinity College, Cambridge) Mr. Peacock
(now Dean Of Ey) and Professor Lloyd of Trinity College,
Dublin represent to her Maesty Government series of
resolutions adopted by the British Association and these
resolutions exhibit the general outline Of objects sought be
attained, they inserted here pointing out clearly the
in which the expedition to the Antarctic regions org
mated"
This meeting took place the Goth of August, 1888.
The instructions to me- commander of the expedition are
dated Navy Department. August IL, 1885, and the para
graph relating to the exploration south is follows:
These objects will, it is presumed, occupy lou until the
last Of October and when attained far nay be posi-
BILE you will proceed to the port of Sydney, where supplies
may be obtained From thence you will make second
tempt TO penetrate within the antarctic region south of Van
DIemans Land and far west 45o east to Endebys
Land making your rendezvous you Kergueans
Land or the Isle of Desoaon, as it Usually denomi-
nated and where you will probably arrive by latter end of
March, lS4O."
Can decided contradiction of the trh of Captain
Ross assertions be given than the above and this all
before him when he the paragraphs The dates prove
concusively that my instructions were issuedom Navy
Department days before the body who first took any
steps towards the investigations magnetism of which
the English Antarctic Expedition had its bth, and when
dreamed Of Capt Ross received lis appointment to
it nine months after these dates. Has Cap. Rosss national
pride induced him to make this unwanante and grautous
statement .....
The space in your columns will not ermt me to make
more than another reference at the pesen time On page
294, vol l, is the following viz
'On my arrival Sydney, was told ty Mr. McLeay, the
late Colonial Secretary, and also by his SOB Mr. W. s. Nc
Leay, that, meeting Lieut. Wilkes alter his from
The Anartic cruise they told him of Belys discovery He
seemed to doubt their statement but the day they called
upon HIM, and placed in his hands No. 6 of the Atheneum
published in November, 1885, and pont him the
count there given of the discovery ng which in their
presence, he exclaimed 1hn all our labor has been in
ram I"
With the elder Mr. McLeay had SINE acquaintance on
my first visit to Sydney; but him my second
VISIT after returned from the Antarc cruise. His son.
Mr. W. ). McLeay, had not the pleasure to become ac.
luained with, did ever him, t my knowledge in
society neither did receive visit from her of these gem
lemen To the elder Mr. McLeay, before my departure for
he southern cruise paid visit Elizabeth Bay five or six
niles from Sydney, thank him for some assistance he had
endered naturass received no number or numbers
the Atheneum from either of these gentmen or any one
Use nor did ever read the paragraph alued until read
IN Capt Ross book few days since, or hold any
alton with either of them, any other perons in Sydney
eave to our own discoveries that of Others except
III, Mr.. Williams, and Capt. Bscoe The latter informed
of Beanys discovery and marked the place on my chart
where he supposed was which English dis
overes tracing copy of this the ont sent to Capt
Toss. That uttered the words imput to me every
ne who knows will readily believe and cannot but
pronounce the Uhoie, far regards myself as entirely
ntrue
The publication of Capt Rosss Narrative aftrds me the
pporuniy Of indicating the Exploring Expedition and my
elf from the unounded assertion set forth by Gait Ross on
rs return from his first antarctic cruise that he had sailed
yer discoveries, in his words had fond clear
where had laid down mountainous land" cannot but
ejoce that the time has at last arrived when can meet nv
ccuser, as were, face to face.
had no knowledge until the engraved charin Can't
Ioss book what meant by the mountainous hnd he
nd reference TO- On the original chart from which he trac-
1g was taken that sent him. there is not the leas rese
lance to the mountainous land" Capt Ross speaks Of or
the representation of il the he has had engraved
The original chart now in my possession this mountainous
md Is only twentyseven miles in LENGTH whilst the en-.
raved one IN Capt Ross book makes eighty miles and
is as much unlike every other respect most posi-
vey assert that the land appears the chart he has
ad engraved could not have been traced from any thing that
vas in my possession then since Capt Ross admits that
was in possession of the publications in Sydney wherein
was distinctly stated that discoveries did extend
l6O degrees longitude consequently there could be no
eason Tor his believing the mountainous land was part
discoveries and what will make still more evident is
nat Ross knew that Beny had sailed over the position that
his mountainous land occupied on the chart Then wby
OF have said instead Of vaunng that he had sailed over
ur discoveries
On Cant Ross roles ,,no, tbrea orou,Js