3o8 



DISCOVERY REPORTS 



kindly undertaken for the author by Captain J. B. Harrold, O.B.E., R.N.R., the 

 Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen, has shown that the master of the ' Beaufoy ' 

 was then one Michael McLeod, a hitherto unknown sealer, to whom in view of the 

 evidence which will now be put forward the honour of this independent discovery of 

 the group must be given. 



It is well known from his book A Voyage towards the South Pole that James Weddell 

 was in supreme command of the brig ' Jane ' of Leith and the cutter ' Beaufoy ' of 

 London during his great southern voyage of September 1822 to July 1824. Prior to 

 September 1822, that is during his first and second southern voyages which took place 

 between 1819 and 1822, his connection with the ' Beaufoy' is not so clear, nor is there in 

 his book any convincing evidence in support of such a connection, although it is now 

 known to exist. One important fact is clear, however, and it is this: Weddell's vessel 

 appears always to have been the 'Jane', there being no evidence that during the period 

 with which we are concerned he was ever in personal command of the ' Beaufoy', a fact 

 which seems to be confirmed by the records in the ofiice of the Registrar-General which 

 are given here: 



Weddell could not therefore have made this independent discovery of the South 

 Orkneys unless having a certain business connection with her, in which he was 

 McLeod's superior, he had transferred himself to the ' Beaufoy ' in December 1821 . That 

 such a connection did exist has now been clearly demonstrated owing to the kindness of 

 Captain Harrold, although, it should be observed, there is no evidence that Weddell 

 ever transferred himself to the 'Beaufoy' in the manner which has been suggested. 

 From the records at Tower Hill it would appear that James Weddell of Burr Street, 

 Smithfield, Middlesex, and John Strachan of Edinburgh were owners of the ' Beaufoy' 

 from 1 82 1 to 1828 but that Weddell did not become part owner of the ' Jane ' until 1824, 

 when he held twenty-one shares in her along with the aforementioned John Strachan 

 and James Mitchell of London with twenty-two and twenty-one shares respectively. 



It has already been mentioned that the evidence in Weddell's book in support of his 

 early connection with the ' Beaufoy' lacks conviction, and indeed such evidence as does 

 exist both there and elsewhere is rather conflicting. Of Weddell's first and second voy- 

 ages no account exists other than the frequent references he makes to them in his book, 



