T 3 8 siege of the south pole 
searching for seals not for the south pole and that his con- 
sort was a little vessel more like a pilot-boat than a sea- 
going craft. Neither vessel was protected in any way for 
ice-navigation and to be compelled to winter south of the 
circle would probably have been fatal to all on board. 
The men were but ill-clothed for bad weather and the 
supply of fuel and food was not sufficient to justify any 
serious risks being run. In similar circumstances Cap- 
tain Cook would have acted in the same way. 
Weddell looked out for the aurora australis, the sun 
being then below the horizon for six hours, but the 
twilight all night was too strong to allow it to be seen. 
In order to cheer up his crew, whose repeated disap- 
pointments in finding the seals that were to pay their 
wages, was beginning to have a bad effect, Weddell made 
a little ceremony, hoisting colours and firing a salute in 
honour of their having accompanied him to the farthest 
south point yet attained, 214 nautical miles nearer to the 
pole than Cook had reached. The men gave three cheers, 
extra grog was served out and the sea was named after 
King George IV. ; but the name has been changed and it 
is now more appropriately known as Weddell Sea in 
commemoration of its first navigator. 
On returning northward various observations were 
made, a sounding with 240 fathoms, all the line on board, 
found no bottom. A bottle containing a paper stating 
the condition of the sea in 74 0 S. was thrown overboard 
to test the direction of the current, but it was never 
picked up. 
As they proceeded northwards bad weather returned, 
with much snow and fog, and after crossing the position 
where a non-existent “ South Iceland ” was marked on 
the chart, the Beaufoy was separated from her consort. 
