AMERICAN DISCOVERERS, ANTARCTIC CONTINENT 
!07 
bearing from south-southeast to south- 
west — a lofty mountain range, covered 
with snow, though showing many ridges 
and indentations. . . . The barrier 
in places had the appearance of being 
broken up, and we had decreased our 
longitude to 112° 16' 12" E., while our 
latitude was 64° 57' S. This put the 
land in about 65° 20' S., and its trending 
nearly east and west." 
February 13, 1840. The l^inccnncs "in 
the afternoon had the land ahead. At 
6.30 p. m. it was judged to be 10 or 12 
miles distant. The day was remarkably 
clear and the land very distinct. By 
measurement we made the extent of 
coast of the Antarctic Continent, which 
was then in sight, 75 miles, and by ap- 
proximate measurement 3,000 feet high. 
It was entirely covered with snow. 
Longitude at noon, 106° 18' 42"" E., lati- 
tude 65'' 49' 40" S. . . . Hove to. 
Fortunately made a landing (on an ice 
island). We found imbedded in it boul- 
ders, stones, etc. There was no doubt 
that it had been detached from the land, 
which was about 8 miles distant." 
Wilkes turned back when in about 
97° 40' E. longitude, 64° i' S. latitude, 
having traced for 1,700 miles a practi- 
cally uninterrupted ice-barrier, bordering 
the coast of his Antarctic Continent. 
The Vincennes proceeded first to Ho- 
bart Town, then to Sydney, which it 
reached on March 11. Lieutenant 
Wilkes immediately announced the dis- 
covery of a South Polar Continent to the 
Secretary of the Navy in the following 
letter, dated at Sydney, New South 
Wales, March 11, 1840: 
"It affords me much gratification to 
report that zve have discovered a large 
body of land zvithin the Antarctic circle, 
which I have named the Antarctic Con- 
tinent, and refer you to the report of 
our cruise and accompanying charts, in- 
closed herewith, for full information 
relative thereto." 
Mr. Edwin S. Balch, in his learned 
and exhaustive memoir on south-polar 
explorations (Antarctica, Phila., 1902) 
most concisely and justly summarized the 
geographical outcome of this cruise in 
the statement : "The cruise of Wilkes 
will remain among the remarkable voy- 
ages of all time. No finer achievement 
has been accomplished in the annals of 
the Arctic or of the Antarctic. With un- 
suitable, improperly equipped ships, amid 
icebergs, gales, snowstorms, and fogs, 
Wilkes followed an unknown coast-line 
for a distance exceeding in length the 
LIral Mountain range. It is the long 
distance which Wilkes traversed which 
makes the results of his cruise so im- 
portant ; for he did not merely sight the 
coast in one or two places, but he hugged 
it for such a distance as to make sure 
that the land was continental in dimen- 
sions. . . . It is only the exact truth 
to assert that the honor of recognizing 
the existence of the continent of Ant- 
arctica belongs to Charles Wilkes and to 
the United States Exploring Expedi- 
tion." 
DISCOVERIES OE WIIvKES DISCREDITED 
On his announcement of the existence 
of the Antarctic Continent, Wilkes natu- 
rally expected an appreciative acknowl- 
edgment and high commendation — from 
his own countrymen at least. Instead 
his experiences were practically parallel 
with those of Columbus. Placed in ar- 
rest, he was tried for his commission 
under charges alleging cruelty, falsehood, 
grave misconduct, and of scandalous 
acts — such, for instance, as wearing the 
uniform of a captain while yet a lieu- 
tenant. After a long and exhaustive 
trial he was fully and honorably ac- 
quitted, though he suffered from the 
chagrin and temporary stigma incident 
to such official investigations. Though 
reestablished in public opinion at home, 
he was subject to attacks and innuendoes 
from abroad to the day of his death. 
By extending an unexpected favor 
Wilkes gained an enemy. Contrary to 
his stringent official instructions, he sent 
to Capt. J. C. Ross, R. N., then engaged 
in Antarctic research, a chart and letter 
showing his own experiences and dis- 
coveries. This officer of the Royal Navy 
not only reflected severely on Wilkes 
(Ross: "Voyage to the South Seas," 
1847, 1^272, 280, 285-299), but omitted 
all of his discoveries from the admiralty 
chart, on which appeared those of every 
British sealer. 
