1 86 SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE 
the great exploring nations of the world. Captain Wash- 
ington was in close and constant communication with the 
Paris Geographical Society, and transmitted to it all the 
information he received as to the forthcoming expedi- 
tions; but as he could not stir his own Council to any 
active steps toward competition with the foreign expe- 
dition, the idea of cooperation could hardly yet be pro- 
posed. 
Early in 1837 an anonymous pamphlet signed A. Z. 
appeared in the form of a letter to the President and 
Council of the Royal Geographical Society on the sub- 
ject of Antarctic Discovery. This was obviously the 
work of Captain Washington, and was indeed practically 
acknowledged by him a few years later. The pamphlet 
contained an able summary of Antarctic exploration with 
a map showing the tracks of Cook, Biscoe, Weddell, Mor- 
rell, and for the first time on any English chart the track 
of Bellingshausen also. It contained a fervid appeal to 
British patriotism suggested by the announcement of the 
approaching American Expedition, and urged the Coun- 
cil of the Royal Geographical Society to come forward 
and press upon Government the necessity for a national 
expedition, or if need were to cooperate with the spirited 
London merchants in fitting out a private expedition to 
the farthest south. The appeal was supported by three ar- 
guments : the acquisition of scientific facts, the commer- 
cial results likely to accrue from the revival of sealing 
in the Southern Ocean, and the credit of the country as 
a pioneer of discovery. The letter of Humboldt was re- 
ferred to and it was asserted that: 
“ All Europe looks to this country to solve the problem 
of Terrestrial Magnetism; and all Europe, nay all civi- 
lised nations, would unanimously point to that individual 
