This article was downloaded by: [University of New England] On: 22 January 2015, At: 04:23 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Scottish Geographical Magazine Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rsgj19 The Weddell Sea: An historical retrospect Dr. Wm.S. Bruce Published online: 30 Jan 2008. To cite this article: Dr. Wm.S. Bruce (1917) The Weddell Sea: An historical retrospect, Scottish Geographical Magazine, 33:6, 241-258, DOI: 10.1080/14702541708554307 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14702541708554307 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. 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Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub- licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions THE SCOTTISH GEOGRAPHICAL }[AGAZINE. THE WEDDELL SEA: AN HISTORICAL I%ETI%OSPECT3 By Dr. W~. S. BRrJCE. TJzE Weddel] Sea ~ may be defined as the southern extension of the South Atlantic Oce~on beyond the parMlel of 60 ° S. to about 78 ° S., between the meridian of C-reenwich and the shores of the Graham Land peninsula ~o ~he west. The South Shetlands and Bransfield Strai~ should be considered as outside ~he area which bears this name, lying as they do for the most par b to the north and north-west of Graham Land. The first explorers of the Weddell Sea were William Smith, of Blyth, master and part-owner of the brig Wil[ia~s, ~ Edward Bransfield, R.N., master of H.M.S. ~4ndromaehe, and Captain Fabian Gottlieb yon Bellings- hausen, all during the summer season of 1819-20. An interesting account of the voyage of the Wi~Iia~s appears to have been los~ sigh~ of entirely by recent writers 4 on the history of Antarctic discovery l I found it in the London Literary G~zette, having taken the hint from Weddeil in a footnote on page 118 of his Voyage towards the SoutA Pole. The Literary Gazette of tha~ period has several notices of Smith's discovery of the New South Shetlands, in February 1819, and Downloaded by [University of New England] at 04:23 22 January 2015 i I am especially indebted to Dr. R. N. Rudmose Brown for valuable assistance in revision of this article. 2 Styled by Jamss ~Veddell "The Sea of George the Fourth." The name of this brig is spelt "Williams," not " William," as it has been frequently mis-spslt. The ~Villiams was built at Blythin 1813. Sho was of 2t6 tons. Smith was part- owner and master from 1815 to at least 1823. She was afterwards sold at Sunderland to one Hutchinson, who was then master of her, and engsged in co~sting trade. 4 The careless slandering of William Smith by Mr. Raeovitza shows that the latter is not conversant with Smith's excelient and trustworthy records. ~s~dtats du Voycege d.~ S.Y. "Belgicc~": ZooZogy--CJtac~s--Exame~ critique, etc.--" Voyage of William Smith," chap. ii. p. 65~ by Emil~ G. P~acovitza. Antwerp, 1903. VOL. XXXIII. Q 242 SCOTTISH GEOGRAPHICAL I~[AGAZINE. the volume for 182t contains the best account of Bransfield and Smith's voyage in 1820 that I have so far come across. It is in great part actually extracts and in part an abstract of an evidently reliable tog kept on board the Will ia~ns by one of the officers, though I have not been able, so far, to decide whose log it is. It corrects blanks and gross mis-statements tha~ have crept into laser aecounts, and it is regrettable that one of these was, evidently through misinformation, made by 1%. H. Laurie as early as 1822) The log clearly says that it was towards the end of February 1820, and not January, as stated, that Bransfie!d and Smith pushed south into this then unknown sea. After discovering Clarence Island, the eastermost island of the South Shetlands, Bransfield and Smith made this first penetration of the north-western part of the Weddell Sea. "When in W. longitude 52 ° 23' 45 ~' and S. latitude 61 ° 30' S., on the 22nd February (1820), the brig made a dash to the south- ward, determined to enter the Antarctic regions, no ice being visible on ~he eastern coast, or tha~ which they had just quitted. After a run of 40 miles, however, with a fine N.E. breeze, icebergs were encountered in immense numbers, and towards evening loose pieces of sheet-ice stopped their progress. The attempt was persevered in on the 23rd; bus the accumulation of ice rendered it altogether abortive, and the ship's head was turned once more towards Cape Bowles. "e The position of the W~lZia,ms on turning was 6¢ ° 50' S. 52 ° 30' %V.7 Bellingshausen, after his survey of the Sandwich Group, which he definitely proved insular and not continental, penetrated a month earlier, viz. on the 27tb January, to as high a latitude as 69 ° 38' S., in 1 ° ~3' W., where he wan also stopped by impenetrable ice. I~ is of special interest to note that the position of the highest lati- tude oi the WiZZiams (1820)in ~hese longitudes falls on the track of Dr. O~go Nordenskjhld in the A~da~,ciic (1902), who was also unable to attain a higher latitude here for the same reason, namely, the tight ice of this locMity; and that the jam of ice that s~opped Bransfield and NordenskjhId is on!y slightly south of the region where Ross, in 1843, Fairweather, in the 2aI:e.p,a, on which i was naturalist, in 1892, and Larsen, in 1893, were unable to p~netrate to the south on accoun~ of the same jammed condition of the pack-ice and floes. It was also in approximately the same latitude, and less than 80 miles farther eas% ~hat Sir James i~oss, Captain Crozier, and several officers, both on the E~'ebus and Ter~v~, reported a "sboc~g a22Jeara~ce of la~d." It was on this Downloaded by [University of New England] at 04:23 22 January 2015 voyage ~hat Bransfield and Smith discovered the Antarctic Continent. Bransfieid's excellent chart, s published by the AdmirMty in 1822, '~ (~) "Chart of South Shetland, including Coronation Island, etc., from the exploration of the Sloop l)ove in the years 1821 and 1822, by George Powell, etc." R. if. Laurie, London, 1822. (b) "Notes on South Shetlands, etc., by George Powell," p. 8, footnote. P~. H. Laurie, London, !822. "New Shetland," in Literary Gazette, No. 250, p. 691 ; No, 25t, p. 712 ; No. 253, p. 749. London, 1821. 7 Laurie charts their highest latitude as 6i ~ 54' S., while the Admiralty makes it 64 ~ 50' S. s ~ Chart of New or South Shetland seen in 1819 by Willm. Smith, Master of the Br~g Wi7gicans. Surveyed by E. Bransfield, Master, R.N., in 1820." AdmiraIty, 1822. THE WEDDELL SEA: AN HISTORICAL RETROSPECT. 2~8 extending the discoveries of Smith, is too little known, and Bransfield has been deprived of the credit he so well deserved, owing to the erroneous and highly misleading statement already referred to, published by an authority otherwise so reliable as R. H. Laurie, evidently with in- complete data at his disposal. This error was not, as far as I can ascer- tain, corrected by Laurie till 1828, ~ and again in 1831,1° in Laurie's large chart, then revised by Captain Robert Fildes. It must here be mentioned that this Antarctic expedition was organised by the energy and patriotism of Captain William Henry Shirreff, R.N., of the frigate H.M.S. zlndromache of 4;4 guns, then stationed at Ya!paraiso. Captain Shirreff, of his own accord, on behalf of the Admiralty, chartered the Wi[lias~s from Smith, who had made a point of reporting his discoveries and emphasis- ing their importance to Captain Shirrcff. 8hirreff put the master of the 3.~,cb'omache, Mr. Edward Bransficld, on board, as well as Messrs. Poynter (mate), Bone, and Blake, three .4,m~ro~ache midshipmen, and Surgeon Adam Youfig of H.M.S. ,S'[a,r~ey of 20 guns, in order to make g more detailed survey of Smith's new la~d, and to take official possession .of i~ in the name of the British Crown. Wiliiam Smith, Robert Fildes, Richard Sherratt, James Weddell, and many others were a~ the South Shetlands in the season 1820-fil, reports of the sealing industry having spread like wildfire especially to British and American sealing communities.