THE VOYAGE OF THE HURON AND THE HUNTRESS 



From these cross bearings it is a simple matter to find Captain Davis' posi- 

 tion on the chart. The clearness of the atmosphere in the Antarctic has been 

 testified to by eminent explorers. Here, such long-range observation tends to 

 shorten distances, and it is more than a conjecture to believe that the "Land" 

 Captain Davis saw east by north to west by south was the high snow-crowned 

 coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, some 40 miles away. 



In checking the latitude of 63° 06' south, as given by Davis, it is not pos- 

 sible to reconcile all his compass bearings with those of a modern chart. But 

 this is not at all strange. Compass variation in this part of the Antarctic in 

 1821 was about 25° east. Even by allowing for this variation, his position does 

 not fit his recorded latitude, and it is fair to assume he underestimated his dis- 

 tances. It must be remembered that this was the summer season in the Antarctic, 

 and the sun never actually stayed under the horizon at night so that the hours of 

 daylight continued into the so-called night period. This made night sailing 

 possible in clear weather. 



But the master of the Cecilia did not end his cruise here. There were more 

 impressive observations to record. Continuing to the south and west, he ap- 

 proached the south coast of Smith Island (called by the Americans Mount 

 Pisgah) and at noonday on February 1, 1821, put a boat crew ashore there to 

 hunt for seals.*'^ But they found that an English brig from Botany Bay (Aus- 

 tralia) had established camps here, having seventeen men ashore and two 

 whaleboats. 



Leaving Smith Island, Captain Davis steered southeast for a "low Island" 

 which he had recorded as sighting the preceding morning as "a new discovered 

 Island." This was Jameson or, as the sealers called it. Low Island which he 

 reached at 3 o'clock that afternoon, February 2. The wind being fair, and 

 other weather conditions ideal, both boats were landed on the north side and 200 

 seals were killed. The next day, 422 skins were added, with Messrs. Goddard, 

 Philips and Smith handling the crews. On February 4 and 5 the boats took 

 150 more. Captain Davis took a noon sight and figured his latitude as 63°25' 

 south, about 5' out of the present recording. 



The sealers spent February 6 examining further the beaches of Low Island, 

 during which time they took 109 more sealskins. But they did not linger 

 further. At 7 :00 o'clock that evening the Cecilia was headed for an island 

 bearing southeast per compass. This was Hoseason Island, some twenty miles 

 away, the gateway to de Gerlache Strait and Hughes Bay. In the light of 

 documentary history, this was the first vessel known to have pursued a course 

 into this unknown corner of the Antarctic world."^ 



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