WEDDELL’S FARTHEST 141 
too lightly built for ice work, their bottom planking being 
only two and a half inches thick. Weddell remarked 
that he had been in the Greenland seas and was well ac- 
quainted with the dangers of ice-navigation in the north, 
but that sailing among the ice in the south was ac- 
companied by much greater risks because of the heavy 
westerly swell which keeps the ice in motion and never 
entirely subsides. The remainder of the summer was 
spent in sealing amongst the islands of Tierra del Fuego 
and not until May 1824 did the gallant little vessels 
return in safety to England. 
There is nothing in Weddell’s narrative, nor in what 
is known of the man, to lead us to doubt one word that 
he says. Recently an attempt has been made to cast 
discredit on his voyage to 74 0 15' S., because on returning 
home the chief officer of the Jane and two seamen made 
oath before the Commissioners of Customs as to the 
truth of the ship’s log. This it has been argued sug- 
gested that the commander feared to be disbelieved and 
might have had some ground for his fears. It is much 
more likely that Weddell, knowing the tall talk indulged 
in by the ordinary run of sealers and the groundless tales 
they told, was resolved that his voyage at least should be 
placed authoritatively on a different platform. 
It is impossible to admire this man too much for the 
way in which he spared neither pains nor expense to keep 
an accurate account of his route and to fix every position 
he visited. He shunned no danger in his slender little 
ships, and not only served the interests of his co-owners as 
a merchant, but also advanced the knowledge of the least- 
known part of the globe as only one who was at heart a 
man of science could. Weddell was fortunate in escap- 
ing serious accident, for it appears that during the three 
