ADVERTISEMENT. 



CAPTAIN WILKES' Narrative of the United States' Exploring Expedition was printed at 

 the expense of the American Government, in five imperial octavo volumes. It is a very 

 beautifully illustrated book, but it is a dear one too dear, indeed, for the large majority 

 of readers interested in the subject, and too large in size for the cabin collection of many 

 who would wish to give it a place in a seaman's library. The price of the American 

 edition is eight guineas ; the cost of the present condensation, containing the pith and 

 marrow of the book, only half-a-guinea, or one-sixteenth part of that sum. 



In condensing Captain Wilkes' Narrative, we have endeavoured to retain, in the first 

 place, all that is new, or likely to be of use to seamen navigating the same seas ; and in 

 the second place, to retain all that is attractive to the general reader interested in the 

 advance of Geography and Natural History. We have reduced in certain places the 

 minute detail of the position of certain vessels composing the squadron, and omitted the 

 large appendix of instructions to his officers, printed by Captain Wilkes in vindication 

 of his own conduct. These instructions compose very nearly a fifth of the whole work. 

 Freed in this way from all tedious matter, the book in its present shape will invite the 

 perusal of many hitherto restricted by the expense of the previous publication, by its 

 bulk, and by the minuteness of its detail. 



It is much to be wished, that the United States' Government may equip before long a 

 second expedition to the Antarctic Continent, to complete the discoveries made by 

 Captain Wilkes, and detailed in the following pages. Expeditions of this description 

 interest the world at large, and form in themselves a kind of debt due from the inmates 

 of the New World to the inhabitants of the Old. 



LONDON, 13th October, 1845. 



