CHAPTER XLVII 
THE SOUTH SHETLANDS. FOSTER— WEDDELL 
Discovery south from Patagonia made very slow 
progress. After three hundred years knowledge had only 
reached Cape Horn, the rocks of Diego Ramirez, and the 
distant view of land in 64 0 seen by Dirk Gerritsz. His 
discovery, granting the latitude, must have been the 
string of islands near the north-west coast of Graham 
Land. At last a vessel on her way from Monte Video to 
Valparaiso was, like the Good News of Dirk Gerritsz, driven 
far to the south. This was a brig called the Williams 
of Blythe, commanded by Captain William Smith. She 
was in 6i°S. when land was sighted in February, 1819, 
and in a subsequent voyage, in October, Captain Smith 
entered a bay, named by him George's Bay, in one of the 
largest of a group of islands. The group lay between 6i° 
and 63°S. and 54 0 and 63°W. A chart was drawn by 
William H. Goddard, no doubt one of Captain Smith's 
officers, and the group was named the South Shetlands. 
There were twelve islands reported and innumerable 
rocks. A channel over 300 miles in width separates the 
South Shetlands from Tierra del Fuego. 
When Captain Smith arrived at Valparaiso in Novem- 
ber 1819, he found there the senior officer, Captain Shirreff, 
R.N., of H.M.S. Andromache. Captain Shirreff took a 
great interest in the discovery of the South Shetlands, 
and it was agreed that the discoverer should take 
Mr Bransfield, the Master of the Andromache, with three 
other officers 1 and some bluejackets to carry out an 
extensive survey. The agreement was dated December 
16th, 1819; and Mr Bransfield received full instructions 
for his guidance in making a survey of the newly dis- 
covered land. The Williams of Blythe, with the naval 
1 Mr Poynter, Master's Mate, Mr Blake and Mr Bone, Midshipmen. 
Blake was eventually Admiral Patrick Blake, who did excellent service in 
the first China war, and was afterwards Captain of the Juno in the Pacific 
1845-49. 
