TITLE: JAMES WEDDELL; SCIENCE AND SEALING
1999 5.5 X 16 INCHES
James Weddell:
1787-1834, British navigator, explorer. sealer.
"…I conceive that I have only done that
which every man would endeavor to
accomplish, who, in the pursuit of wealth, is at the same time zealous
enough in
the cause of science…for the benefit of mankind."
He was born in Scotland. At the age of eight, he joined
the British Royal
Navy and then the merchant service
From 1819 to 1822 Weddell made two voyages to the Antarctic
as a sealer. He
was an unusual kind of a sealer in that, his quest for knowledge far outweighed
his quest for wealth. At heart, he was an explorer and a navigator. He
took
more navigational instruments with him than were needed for sealing. On
both
voyages he killed few seals. He found an unknown species, which became
the
Weddell Seal. He discovered the South Orkney Islands. He sailed into the
sea
that bears his name, 240 miles further south than Captain Cook. Like Cook,
Weddell was a great leader. He kept his crew of 22 officers and men cheerful
and
eager throughout the months in rough seas and freezing temperatures. He
died
in London at age 47, in poverty.
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