INTRODUCTION 



flag, one of Wilkes' squadron; the ships misunderstood 

 each other's intentions, each intended to salute and each 

 thought that the other wished to avoid an interview ; and 

 they parted in the fog full of bitterness towards each 

 other without the dip of a flag. All day on the 30th, 

 d'Urville sailed along a vertical cliff of ice 120 to 130 ft. 

 high, quite flat on top with no sign of hills beyond; but 

 sure that so great a mass of ice could not form except 

 on land he did not hesitate to name it the Clarie coast, 

 after Madame Jacquinot. On February 1 the French 

 ships left the Antarctic in longitude 130° West. 



An American man of science, Mr. J. N. Reynolds, 

 had gone to Palmer Land in the early days, and on his 

 return agitated strongly for a national exploring expedi- 

 tion. An Act of Congress in 1836 provided for such an 

 expedition, but there had been controversies giving rise to 

 ill-feeling, and Mr. Reynolds was not allowed to join 

 " for the sake of harmony." After one and another of 

 the naval officers designated to command it had resigned 

 or declined the post, Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, U.S.X., 

 was at last persuaded to take charge of the squadron of 

 six ill-assorted vessels manned by half-hearted crews. His 

 instructions were to proceed to Tierra del Fuego with the 

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

 the store-ship Relief and the pilot-boats Sea Gull and 

 Flying Fish; to leave the larger vessels and the scientific 

 staff — which they carried — and proceed with the Porpoise 

 and the tenders " to explore the southern Antarctic to the 

 southward of Powell's group, and between it and Sand- 

 wich Land, following the track of Weddell as closely as 

 practicable, and endeavouring to reach a high southern 

 latitude; taking care, however, not to be obliged to pass 

 the winter there." He was then with all his squadron 

 to proceed southward and westward as far as Cook's 

 farthest, or 105° West, and then retire to Valparaiso. 



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