AMERICA'S FIRST POLAR EXPEDITION 



lost, national pride was aroused, and the energy and self- 

 abnegation of the naval officers, and the rapidity with 

 which they pulled order out of this chaos, cannot suffi- 

 ciently be admired. Lieutenant Wilkes was willing to 

 undertake the command, and (so strong was the general 

 feeling that for the national honor the expedition must 

 not be allowed to fail) his superior officer, Lieutenant 

 Hudson, consented to serve under him as commander of 

 a vessel. The " old waddlers " were discarded, and a new 

 fleet was formed of craft already in commission — the 

 sloops-of-war " Vincennes " and " Porpoise," the brig 

 " Peacock," and at the last moment, two pilot-boats pur- 

 chased by the government in New York — the " Flying- 

 Fish " and the "Sea-Gull." The scientific staff was cut 

 down to six, and the extra instruments were put ashore. 

 In the latter part of July, 1838, the President did credit 

 to the expedition by visiting Wilkes on board the " Vin- 

 cennes." On the 17th of August the ships sailed away. 



But the troubles of this unlucky enterprise were not 

 yet over. Wilkes, who had been modest enough during 

 the controversy over the command of the vessels, turned 

 haughty at sea. Moreover, there was an unruly element 

 in his crew. Friction between himself and his officers be- 

 gan early in the voyage, and continued to the end; and 

 when the expedition was over, the commander was brought 

 to court-martial under as entertaining a series of charges 

 as ever appeared in a government document One of the 

 charges set forth that the commander assumed a dignity 

 to which he was not entitled. 



" He mounted the blue broad pennant on the ' Vin- 

 cennes,' " says the charge, " after the manner of a captain 

 commanding a squadron. He wore a coat with four but- 

 tons on each cuff, four buttons down each pocket fold, 

 four buttons under each pocket flap." He also assumed 

 two epaulets, instead of one, and thus arrogated to him- 

 self the insignia of captain. Another charge was oppres- 

 sion of his officers. He had refused to promote Assist- 

 ant-surgeon Charles F. B. Gillou to the rank and pay 

 of surgeon. At Honolulu, Gillou reminded him " in re- 

 spectful terms " that he had joined the expedition under 

 the expectation of an increase of salary, whereupon, in 



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