Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/459

Rh should not have closely inquired into the statements relative to our discoveries, that had been published in the Sydney and Hobart Town papers, which he must have seen, and have induced him to make a careful examination of the tracks of the squadron laid down on the chart sent him, by which he would have assured himself, in a few moments, that it had never been laid down or claimed as part of our discovery, before he made so bold an assertion to an American officer (meaning myself), 'that he had run over a clear ocean where I had laid down the land; and I am not less surprised that that officer should have taken it for granted, without examination, that such was the fact.'

"From the above statement, and in the absence of any explanation, it might well be inferred that both Ross and myself must be, to say the least, very shortsighted and dull of comprehension, not to have been able to see that it was Bellamy's, and not Wilkes's Land, that he (Ross) had run over. But, in the statement above quoted, Mr. Wilkes has done us injustice, by omitting to mention one very important fact in this connexion: namely, that in laying down the land of Bellamy on the chart he sent Captain Ross, he neglected to affix thereto the name of its discoverer, or to distinguish it in any way from his own land there traced out, and almost connected with it. He also sent Captain Ross a letter with his chart, but unfortunately the name of Bellamy, or his land, is neither mentioned nor even hinted at in this letter, (as may be seen from the copy of it published with his Synopsis). In short, no intimation, in any manner whatever, was given Ross by Lieutenant Wilkes that he did not claim the discovery of all the land marked on his chart, and to this cause alone is to be ascribed the error into which Captain Ross was, I think, unavoidably led.

"Mr. Wilkes says, Ross ought to have examined the accounts of his discoveries, published in the Sydney and Hobart Town papers, before he made so bold an assertion to an American officer. But with such evidence as the chart