AMERICAN SEALERS 
IOI 
of his services to pilot the ships into a good harbor 
at Deception Island, the nearest by, where water and re- 
freshment such as the islands afforded could be ob- 
tained ; he also informed the Russian officer that his ves- 
sel belonged to a fleet of five sail, out of Stonington, 
under command of Captain B. Pendleton, and then at 
anchor in Yankee Harbor, who, would most cheerfully 
render any assistance in his power. The commodore 
thanked him kindly, ‘ but previous to our being en- 
veloped in the fog/ said he, ‘ we had sight of those 
islands, and concluded we had made a discovery, but 
behold, when the fog lifts, to my great surprise, here 
is an American vessel, apparently in as fine order as if 
it were but yesterday she had left the United States; 
not only this, but her master is ready to pilot my vessels 
into port ; we must surrender the palm to you Americans/ 
continued he, very flatteringly. His astonishment was 
yet more increased when Captain Palmer informed him 
of the existence of an immense extent of land to the 
south, whose mountains might be seen from the mast- 
head when the fog should clear away entirely. Captain 
Palmer, while on board the frigate, was entertained in 
the most friendly manner, and the commodore was so 
forcibly struck with the circumstances of the case, that 
he named the coast then to the south Palmer’s Land.” 
The incident as a whole has an air of probability; the 
courteous speech and generous recognition of the work 
of others were characteristic of Bellingshausen, who was 
in every thought and act a man of whom any navy might 
be proud. But we feel sure that Bellingshausen never 
claimed the discovery of the South Shetlands, the ex- 
istence of which he knew of beforehand ; and it seems 
strange that if informed of the whereabouts of Palmer 
