Capt. Davis Makes an Historic Decision — 



The Exploratory Cruise of Captain Johns on 



The day before this incident, Captain Davis had considered certain alterna- 

 tives. The situation in which he now found himself he tells best in his own laconic 

 words : 



". , . Concluded to make the best of our way for our People that is sta- 

 tioned on the South Beach, and then to go on a cruise to find new Lands, 

 as the Seal is done here . . ." 



This was a tremendously important decision, as his subsequent entries in the 

 Huron's logbook will show. The necessity for finding new rookeries was para- 

 mount. With the end of the season in sight, it was mandatory that desperate 

 measures be taken. The Stonington (Fanning) fleet had little to worry about 

 as they had obtained full cargoes.''^ But the other vessels in Yankee Harbor 

 were far behind in the number of skins obtained. As has been shown. Captain 

 Davis' cruise to the northeast, along the South Shetland chain and then back 

 to the west, had produced little or nothing. Both the north and south shores of 

 Livingston had been worked to the ultimate near-extermination of the seal. 



In equal measure, the New York captains were well aware of the situation. 

 That is why Captain Robert Johnson had made his own exploratory cruise to 

 the south. This extraordinary cruise is of historic importance and represents 

 something more than just another of those contributions made by American 

 sealers. When he met the Davis-Barnard expedition at the entrance to Yankee 

 Sound, on January 27, 1821, Captain Johnson had just returned from this 

 famous cruise. Captain Davis states that Captain Johnson reported: 



". . . having been gone 20 days on a cruise to the South and Westward 

 to look for Seal found Plenty of Land in that Direction, but no Seal . . ." 



The log of the Huntress (January 27, 1821) gives further details: 



". . . Captain Johnson came in in Shallop from a cruce of 22 days, said 

 he had ben to the Lat. 66° South and the Long, of 70° West and still 

 found what [he] took to be Land but appeared to be nothing but Sollid 

 Islands of Ice and Snow Whether he had found any Seal he did not in- 

 form, nor otherwise Land, than to say ther was none so far south as he 

 had ben." 



Captain Davis, therefore, decided to sail south and search for land himself — 



[47] 



