THE VOYAGE OF THE HURON AND THE HUNTRESS 



ARCHIPEL DE PALMER (Vus prise db l'Ilb Low) 



Tnmer HUl Bale de Hughes /. Hoseason Cap Possession t. Liige 



J uwcr » ^^^^ ^^ Banco Dilroit de Gerlache 



(From: "Deuxieme Expedition Antartique Francais" — Charcot, 1908-1910) 



Captain John Davis, sailing southeast from Low Island, sailed towards Hughes 



Bay between Hoseason and Liege Islands, approaching the "Large Body of 



Land" which lay ahead — the Antarctic Continent Peninsula 



But Captain Davis did not record that next landfall as an island. As he ap- 

 proached the coast, he saw before him, rising from the sea a "Large Body of 

 Land in that direction SE." The obvious fact that, on a southeasterly course, 

 this had kept the Cecilia going off to leeward, makes it quite certain that the 

 little schooner went directly past Hoseason Island toward the recorded: "Large 

 body of Land in that direction SE. . . ." After passing to the east of Hoseason 

 Captain Davis sailed between Liege and Intercurrence islands. Although Ho- 

 season is 1,900 feet high, it was not Davis' "Large Body of Land," as no 

 mariner would so record such a landfall later as a continent — it was the Ant- 

 arctic Peninsula which he saw. At 10:00 o'clock he noted that he was "close 

 in with it." Now he was under the rising heights of the Continent itself, most 

 probably in the vicinity of Cape Charles (Cape Sterneck). 



The historic moment of the landing was between 10:00 and 10:30 o'clock 

 that morning: "Out Boat and sent her on shore to look for Seal."^^ This was 

 his main purpose, not recording the lay of the land, taking soundings or noting 

 shore characteristics. The whaleboat returned at 11:00 o'clock and no seals 

 were found. Who were the men taking part in this historic landing? This will 

 probably never be known. Mate Samuel Goddard of the Huron was on board 

 the shallop. As he and his second mate, Charles Philips, with second mate Smith 

 of the Huntress had gone ashore exploring Low Island, it is very probable 

 that those same officers and a boat's crew took part in this landing. Thus, they 

 presumably were the first human beings to step on the Antarctic Continent. 



[52] 



