[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
whose existence a great diversity of opinion has existed.
These islands are said to have been discovered as early as 1762, by the commander of the ship Aurora. In
1790, Captain Manuel de Oyarvido,, in the ship Princess, belonging to the Royal Philippine Company, sailed,
as he asserts, directly among them. In 1794, the Spanish corvette Atrevida went with the determination of
ascertaining their precise situation, and, in a paper published by the Royal Hydrographical Society of Madrid
in the year 1809, the following language is used respecting this expedition: "The corvette Atrevida practised,
in their immediate vicinity, from the twenty-first to the twenty-seventh of January, all the necessary
observations, and measured by chronometers the difference of longitude between these islands and the port of
Soledad in the Manillas. The islands are three, they are very nearly in the same meridian; the centre one is
rather low, and the other two may be seen at nine leagues' distance." The observations made on board the
Atrevida give the following results as the precise situation of each island. The most northern is in latitude 52
degrees 37' 24" S., longitude 47 degrees, 43' 15" W.; the middle one in latitude 53 degrees 2' 40" S., longitude
47 degrees 55' 15" W.; and the most southern in latitude 53 degrees 15' 22" S., longitude 47 degrees 57' 15"
W.
On the twenty-seventh of January, 1820, Captain James Weddel, of the British navy, sailed from Staten Land
also in search of the Auroras. He reports that, having made the most diligent search and passed not only
immediately over the spots indicated by the commander of the Atrevida, but in every direction throughout the
vicinity of these spots, he could discover no indication of land. These conflicting statements have induced
other navigators to look out for the islands; and, strange to say, while some have sailed through every inch of
sea where they are supposed to lie without finding them, there have been not a few who declare positively that
they have seen them; and even been close in with their shores. It was Captain Guy's intention to make every
exertion within his power to settle the question so oddly in dispute. {*3}
We kept on our course, between the south and west, with variable weather, until the twentieth of the month,
when we found ourselves on the debated ground, being in latitude 53 degrees 15' S., longitude 47 degrees 58'
W.- that is to say, very nearly upon the spot indicated as the situation of the most southern of the group. Not
perceiving any sign of land, we continued to the westward of the parallel of fifty-three degrees south, as far as
the meridian of fifty degrees west. We then stood to the north as far as the parallel of fifty-two degrees south,
when we turned to the eastward, and kept our parallel by double altitudes, morning and evening, and meridian
altitudes of the planets and moon. Having thus gone eastwardly to the meridian of the western coast of
Georgia, we kept that meridian until we were in the latitude from which we set out. We then took diagonal
courses throughout the entire extent of sea circumscribed, keeping a lookout constantly at the masthead, and
repeating our examination with the greatest care for a period of three weeks, during which the weather was
remarkably pleasant and fair, with no haze whatsoever. Of course we were thoroughly satisfied that, whatever
islands might have existed in this vicinity at any former period, no vestige of them remained at the present
day. Since my return home I find that the same ground was traced over, with equal care, in 1822, by Captain
CHAPTER 15 66
Johnson, of the American schooner Henry, and by Captain Morrell in the American schooner Wasp- in both
cases with the same result as in our own.
~~~ End of Text of Chapter 15 ~~~
CHAPTER 16 67
CHAPTER 16
It had been Captain Guy's original intention, after satisfying himself about the Auroras, to proceed through the
Strait of Magellan, and up along the western coast of Patagonia; but information received at Tristan d'Acunha
induced him to steer to the southward, in the hope of falling in with some small islands said to lie about the
parallel of 60 degrees S., longitude 41 degrees 20' W. In the event of his not discovering these lands, he
designed, should the season prove favourable, to push on toward the pole. Accordingly, on the twelfth of
December, we made sail in that direction. On the eighteenth we found ourselves about the station indicated by
Glass, and cruised for three days in that neighborhood without finding any traces of the islands he had
mentioned. On the twenty-first, the weather being unusually pleasant, we again made sail to the southward,
with the resolution of penetrating in that course as far as possible. Before entering upon this portion of my
narrative, it may be as well, for the information of those readers who have paid little attention to the progress
of discovery in these regions, to give some brief account of the very few attempts at reaching the southern
pole which have hitherto been made.
That of Captain Cook was the first of which we have any distinct account. In 1772 he sailed to the south in the
Resolution, accompanied by Lieutenant Furneaux in the Adventure. In December he found himself as far as
the fifty-eighth parallel of south latitude, and in longitude 26 degrees 57' E. Here he met with narrow fields of
ice, about eight or ten inches thick, and running northwest and southeast. This ice was in large cakes, and
usually it was packed so closely that the vessel had great difficulty in forcing a passage. At this period Captain
Cook supposed, from the vast number of birds to be seen, and from other indications, that he was in the near
vicinity of land. He kept on to the southward, the weather being exceedingly cold, until he reached the
sixty-fourth parallel, in longitude 38 degrees 14' E.. Here he had mild weather, with gentle breezes, for five
days, the thermometer being at thirty-six. In January, 1773, the vessels crossed the Antarctic circle, but did not
succeed in penetrating much farther; for upon reaching latitude 67 degrees 15' they found all farther progress
impeded by an immense body of ice, extending all along the southern horizon as far as the eye could reach.
This ice was of every variety- and some large floes of it, miles in extent, formed a compact mass, rising
eighteen or twenty feet above the water. It being late in the season, and no hope entertained of rounding these
obstructions, Captain Cook now reluctantly turned to the northward.
In the November following he renewed his search in the Antarctic. In latitude 59 degrees 40' he met with a
strong current setting to the southward. In December, when the vessels were in latitude 67 degrees 31',
longitude 142 degrees 54' W., the cold was excessive, with heavy gales and fog. Here also birds were
abundant; the albatross, the penguin, and the peterel especially. In latitude 70 degrees 23' some large islands [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
whose existence a great diversity of opinion has existed.
These islands are said to have been discovered as early as 1762, by the commander of the ship Aurora. In
1790, Captain Manuel de Oyarvido,, in the ship Princess, belonging to the Royal Philippine Company, sailed,
as he asserts, directly among them. In 1794, the Spanish corvette Atrevida went with the determination of
ascertaining their precise situation, and, in a paper published by the Royal Hydrographical Society of Madrid
in the year 1809, the following language is used respecting this expedition: "The corvette Atrevida practised,
in their immediate vicinity, from the twenty-first to the twenty-seventh of January, all the necessary
observations, and measured by chronometers the difference of longitude between these islands and the port of
Soledad in the Manillas. The islands are three, they are very nearly in the same meridian; the centre one is
rather low, and the other two may be seen at nine leagues' distance." The observations made on board the
Atrevida give the following results as the precise situation of each island. The most northern is in latitude 52
degrees 37' 24" S., longitude 47 degrees, 43' 15" W.; the middle one in latitude 53 degrees 2' 40" S., longitude
47 degrees 55' 15" W.; and the most southern in latitude 53 degrees 15' 22" S., longitude 47 degrees 57' 15"
W.
On the twenty-seventh of January, 1820, Captain James Weddel, of the British navy, sailed from Staten Land
also in search of the Auroras. He reports that, having made the most diligent search and passed not only
immediately over the spots indicated by the commander of the Atrevida, but in every direction throughout the
vicinity of these spots, he could discover no indication of land. These conflicting statements have induced
other navigators to look out for the islands; and, strange to say, while some have sailed through every inch of
sea where they are supposed to lie without finding them, there have been not a few who declare positively that
they have seen them; and even been close in with their shores. It was Captain Guy's intention to make every
exertion within his power to settle the question so oddly in dispute. {*3}
We kept on our course, between the south and west, with variable weather, until the twentieth of the month,
when we found ourselves on the debated ground, being in latitude 53 degrees 15' S., longitude 47 degrees 58'
W.- that is to say, very nearly upon the spot indicated as the situation of the most southern of the group. Not
perceiving any sign of land, we continued to the westward of the parallel of fifty-three degrees south, as far as
the meridian of fifty degrees west. We then stood to the north as far as the parallel of fifty-two degrees south,
when we turned to the eastward, and kept our parallel by double altitudes, morning and evening, and meridian
altitudes of the planets and moon. Having thus gone eastwardly to the meridian of the western coast of
Georgia, we kept that meridian until we were in the latitude from which we set out. We then took diagonal
courses throughout the entire extent of sea circumscribed, keeping a lookout constantly at the masthead, and
repeating our examination with the greatest care for a period of three weeks, during which the weather was
remarkably pleasant and fair, with no haze whatsoever. Of course we were thoroughly satisfied that, whatever
islands might have existed in this vicinity at any former period, no vestige of them remained at the present
day. Since my return home I find that the same ground was traced over, with equal care, in 1822, by Captain
CHAPTER 15 66
Johnson, of the American schooner Henry, and by Captain Morrell in the American schooner Wasp- in both
cases with the same result as in our own.
~~~ End of Text of Chapter 15 ~~~
CHAPTER 16 67
CHAPTER 16
It had been Captain Guy's original intention, after satisfying himself about the Auroras, to proceed through the
Strait of Magellan, and up along the western coast of Patagonia; but information received at Tristan d'Acunha
induced him to steer to the southward, in the hope of falling in with some small islands said to lie about the
parallel of 60 degrees S., longitude 41 degrees 20' W. In the event of his not discovering these lands, he
designed, should the season prove favourable, to push on toward the pole. Accordingly, on the twelfth of
December, we made sail in that direction. On the eighteenth we found ourselves about the station indicated by
Glass, and cruised for three days in that neighborhood without finding any traces of the islands he had
mentioned. On the twenty-first, the weather being unusually pleasant, we again made sail to the southward,
with the resolution of penetrating in that course as far as possible. Before entering upon this portion of my
narrative, it may be as well, for the information of those readers who have paid little attention to the progress
of discovery in these regions, to give some brief account of the very few attempts at reaching the southern
pole which have hitherto been made.
That of Captain Cook was the first of which we have any distinct account. In 1772 he sailed to the south in the
Resolution, accompanied by Lieutenant Furneaux in the Adventure. In December he found himself as far as
the fifty-eighth parallel of south latitude, and in longitude 26 degrees 57' E. Here he met with narrow fields of
ice, about eight or ten inches thick, and running northwest and southeast. This ice was in large cakes, and
usually it was packed so closely that the vessel had great difficulty in forcing a passage. At this period Captain
Cook supposed, from the vast number of birds to be seen, and from other indications, that he was in the near
vicinity of land. He kept on to the southward, the weather being exceedingly cold, until he reached the
sixty-fourth parallel, in longitude 38 degrees 14' E.. Here he had mild weather, with gentle breezes, for five
days, the thermometer being at thirty-six. In January, 1773, the vessels crossed the Antarctic circle, but did not
succeed in penetrating much farther; for upon reaching latitude 67 degrees 15' they found all farther progress
impeded by an immense body of ice, extending all along the southern horizon as far as the eye could reach.
This ice was of every variety- and some large floes of it, miles in extent, formed a compact mass, rising
eighteen or twenty feet above the water. It being late in the season, and no hope entertained of rounding these
obstructions, Captain Cook now reluctantly turned to the northward.
In the November following he renewed his search in the Antarctic. In latitude 59 degrees 40' he met with a
strong current setting to the southward. In December, when the vessels were in latitude 67 degrees 31',
longitude 142 degrees 54' W., the cold was excessive, with heavy gales and fog. Here also birds were
abundant; the albatross, the penguin, and the peterel especially. In latitude 70 degrees 23' some large islands [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]