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WILKES'S LAND.
[Chap. IX.
1841
Lieutenant Wilkes sent me, the whole of the land, as stated in Captain Aulick's letter, "was drawn out as one connected operation, representing nothing but the result of his (Wilkes's) own exploration."
There was no land laid down where Balleny had discovered it; nor could I ever have supposed he had verified that navigator's discovery, because I could perceive by his track that he was never within one hundred miles of it.
The several passages which I have quoted from the writings of Lieutenant Wilkes might lead some to the impression that, from want of proper consideration, or of common sense, or from feelings of rivalry or jealousy, I had endeavoured to injure the reputation of a distinguished officer, and to underrate his valuable labours. But, conscious of having taken every pains to arrive at a just conclusion, before I asserted that we had sailed over some land which, to all appearance, was laid down on his chart as his discovery, I must detain my readers for a few minutes in order to explain distinctly the grounds of that conclusion; so that all may have an opportunity of judging of the groundlessness of the imputation, and that I may fully exonerate myself not only in the eyes of my brother officers of the American and British navies, but of all who have taken an interest in the question. In addition to the statement of facts made by Captain Aulick, to which I must be permitted especially now to refer, there are only three points with which he could not have been acquainted when he