AMERICAN SEALERS 
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may one day place this precious jewel of discovery in the 
diadem of their royal master. Would to heaven it might 
be set among the stars of our national banner ! . . . I 
have no doubt that the British government, ever foremost 
to encourage genius and reward merit, will yet give my 
much esteemed and worthy friend, Captain Weddell, an- 
other opportunity of distinguishing himself with the com- 
mand of an expedition towards the South Pole.” 
Looking at the brevity and comparative indifference 
with which the eloquent Morrell dismisses the Antarctic 
part of his voyages we are inclined to believe that he did 
make a passage from somewhere near the meridian of 
Kerguelen toward Weddell Sea at a high latitude; but 
on account of his blunders, his acknowledged habit of 
building the experience of others into his story and the 
silence of his contemporaries as to his exploits, we can- 
not credit any one of the particulars which he alleges, 
and must regard his claims as “ not proven.” 
Morrell subsequently offered his services to the French 
government for D’Urville’s expedition of 1837, but they 
were not accepted, and he also importuned the Messrs. 
Enderby for employment, but Mr. Charles Enderby stated 
publicly that “ he had heard so much of him that he did 
not think fit to enter into any engagement with him.” 
Captain Robert Johnson, who has been several times 
referred to, was one of the few Antarctic navigators who 
perished in those seas. He set out from New Zealand 
in 1826 with the intention, according to Morrell, of seek- 
ing new land between 6o° and 65° S. south of that island, 
and was never heard of again. It might very pos- 
sibly be that he penetrated the pack into Ross Sea, and 
was unable to make his way out. 
The American sealers continued to visit the islands 
