S74j Account of the Discovery of New South Shetland^ 
who Instantly set about taking up a vessel, which should be 
chartered on a voyage of discovery at their own expence. Mr 
Smith, on his arrival, having transmitted his observations to the 
commanding officer in the Pacific, Captain Shireff of the Andro- 
mache, who was at that time in Santiago, concluding diplomatic 
arrangements with the Government, prior to his visit to the 
north-west coast of America, — this excellent officer, ever alive as 
well to British interests as to the pursuit of objects of science 
and utility, instantly chartered the same brig Williams on 
Government account, in order to make an accurate and regular 
survey of the coasts and harbours, and to ascertain the advan- 
tages it might offer to our whalefisheries. So prompt were his 
measures, that although the vessel was loading to convey my 
goods to Concan Bay, the moment of his arrival in the port the 
bargain was concluded. Every article of mine was again tran- 
shipped. The Williams was refitted completely with every 
necessary for the voyage, — and in one week put to sea, being 
placed under the charge of Mr Edward Bransfield, master of 
the Andromache, who had under his orders Mr Bone, Mr 
Blake, and Mr Poynter, three midshipmen of the Andromache, 
and Mr Young, assistant-surgeon of the Slaney sloop of war. 
Mr Bone, son of the celebrated enameller, is a good draughts- 
man. They were all ordered to observe, collect and pre- 
serve, every object of natural science, during the prosecution of 
the more important objects of the expedition. The Williams 
got under weigh and quitted Valparaiso on the 19th December, 
the same day the Andromache left the port for Callao. 
It was at first stated by many captains of vessels lying in this 
harbour, that the discovery of this land was not new;— -that it was 
laid down in several old charts. These I examined, but found 
in all cases that they were copied from Mr Dairy mple’s chart, 
published in 1770, (See Plate XII. Fig. 1.) in which an extensive 
tract of country is placed between the latitudes of 54>° and 58° S., 
and of longitude 40° and 5S° W. having a large gulf, called Golfo 
de San Sebastiano. This land was first laid down in a chart pub- 
lished by Mercator in 1569, and subsequently in another by Or- 
telius in 1586. Its existence was doubted by many, and Captain 
Furneaux (the coadjutor of the celebrated Captain Cook) visited 
in 1774, in the Adventure, that tract of the globe, for the pur- 
