received by Captain Ross on his arrival in Hobart Town, some months previous to his going south."
The first few lines of this passage would have afforded me another proof that the land on Wilkes's chart was that seen by Lieutenant Ringgold, being precisely in that position, and certainly not near that seen by Balleny. The letter and an exact copy of his tracing will be found in the Appendix. On this chart I have placed Balleny Islands in their proper position, in order to show how impossible it must have appeared to me that Ringgold's Mountains could ever have been intended for them; and the track of our ships along the range of mountains; and these are the only additions or alterations I have made.[1]
Again, p. 26, he observes, "As I before remarked, on my original chart I had laid down the supposed position of Bellamy Islands or land in 164° and 165° East longitude, and that it was traced off, and sent to Captain Ross. I am not a little surprised that so intelligent a navigator as Captain Ross, on finding that he had run over this position, should not have closely enquired 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
- ↑ The originals are deposited in the Hydrographic department of the Admiralty, and may be readily referred to.
