In 1822 Benjamin Morrell , who had sailed to the South Sandwich Islands the previous year , was appointed commander of the schooner Wasp for a two-year voyage of sealing , trading and exploration in the Antarctic seas and the southern Pacific Ocean .
Morrel was appointed commander of the schooner Wasp for a two-year voyage of sealing , trading and exploration in the Antarctic seas and the southern Pacific Ocean in 1822 .