Charles Enderby is a name which should ever receive honour from geographers. Though engaged in the Antarctic sealing trade, his captains always had orders to pay as close attention to geographical research and discovery as their work permitted them, and he was well served in this respect by the able navigators in his employment. Mr Enderby was for ten years on the Council of the Royal Geographical Society, and was an old and respected friend of the present writer.

The most important Enderby voyages of discovery were under the command of Captain John Biscoe, who, like Weddell, was a naval officer. He left the Falkland Islands in 1830 in a brig named the Tula, with the cutter Lively, Captain Avery, in company, steering south, and before the end of December he was amongst pack ice and bergs. On December 29th he was off the Sandwich Land of Cook, which he was instructed to visit; but no vestige of seal or sea elephant could be found. Biscoe, therefore, continued his voyage. On the 21st of January, 1831, he crossed the Antarctic Circle. By the 25th February the Tula was in 66° 8′ S. and 43° 54′ W. In the morning there was appearance of land, in the intervals of snow squalls, with many bergs and ice fields round the ship. The icebergs became innumerable, and there was a strong N.E. swell. Captain Biscoe considered that he could proceed no further with safety. The land appeared to be like the North Foreland, the cliffs being about the same height, probably ice cliffs resting on land. From the fore top Captain Biscoe, with a good glass, could trace the coast for 30 or 40 miles. He made an effort to reach the land in a boat, but the ice was too closely packed. On February 28th, the latitude being 66° 7′ S., longitude 49° 6′ E., high land was again sighted, with black peaks rising above the snow. For two days an attempt was made to reach it. Biscoe named a clearly seen point Cape Ann, in 65° 25′ S. and 49° 18′ E. Next day a furious gale was encountered, lasting without intermission until the 8th of March. These gales were frequent, and scurvy broke out among the crew. In April only one man, one boy, the two mates, and Biscoe himself were able to stand, so it was thought advisable to shape a course for New Zealand. The newly discovered land received the name of Enderby Land.

The Tula reached the Derwent river in Tasmania, and luckily found the Eliza, Captain Weddell, at anchor. The veteran Antarctic navigator at once sent a boat’s crew to moor the Tula and the sufferers from scurvy were all sent to the hospital.

On October 10th, 1831, the Tula and her consort sailed from Tasmania, and continued their voyage of discovery. Biscoe’s plan, in crossing the South Pacific, was to pass over Captain Cook’s track, and seek for land W.S.W. of the South Shetlands. On the 15th February, 1832, in Lat. 67° 15′ S., Long. 69° 29′ W., land was sighted at a distance of about three miles. Biscoe named the island after Queen Adelaide. He wrote:—

During the following days distant high mountains were in sight, and the Tula passed several islands. On the 19th February a small island in 65° 20′ S. and 66° 38′ W. was more closely examined, and named Pitt Island. On the 21st Biscoe went away in a boat, and explored a deep inlet of the mainland. He named the highest mountain after the king, Mount William, in 64° 45′ S., and the second highest Mount Moberly, after one of his old captains. On the 3rd March the Tula and her cutter were safely anchored in New Plymouth, South Shetland.

The new discovery received the name of Graham Land after the First Lord of the Admiralty. It was an island or long promontory with a lofty mountain range occupying its interior, extending from an unknown distance in the Antarctic regions across the circle, and far into the south temperate zone.

Very severe weather was encountered at the South Shetlands, and the Tula was in great danger, but she arrived safely at Berkeley Sound in the Falkland Islands on April 29th, 1832, with a cargo of sea-elephant skins.

Another of Enderby’s captains named Kempe, on board the Magpie in 1832, sighted land to the eastward of Enderby Land, which has been named Kempe Land, but no journal or report has been preserved.

Enderby was not discouraged by some losses, and in 1838 he determined, in conjunction with some other merchants, to send another expedition to the south. The captain had special instructions to push as far south as possible in hopes of discovering land in a high southern latitude. There were two vessels, the schooner Eliza Scott of 154 tons, commanded by John Balleny, and the cutter Sabrina, H. Freeman, Master. We have the narratives of Captain Balleny, and of John McNab, second mate of the Eliza Scott. On the 3rd December the two little vessels anchored in Chalky Bay, at the S.W. extremity of the middle island of New Zealand; and on the 7th January, 1839, they proceeded on their Antarctic voyage. Running southwards through pack ice and amongst bergs, they had reached 68° S. by the 2nd February. On the 9th land was sighted in 66° 37′ S. and the captain soon made out three islands. Next day Balleny stood towards the land, and made out high perpendicular cliffs, but was prevented from a nearer approach by the ice. The observed latitude was 66° 22′ S. In the evening of the 12th Captains Balleny and Freeman approached the shore in the cutter’s boat. The cliffs were perpendicular, the gullies filled with ice, and smoke was seen to be rising from the mountain peaks. Freeman jumped out and picked up a few stones, but there was no beach and he was up to his waist in water. The group consisted of five islands, three large and two small, the highest, called Young Island, rising to a peak to which the name of Freeman was given, this being the island on which he landed. The five islands were given the names of the five merchants who co-operated with Enderby in the venture—Young, Borradaile, Buckle, Sturge, and Row. The whole group was named the Balleny Islands.

Captain Balleny then steered westward near the Antarctic Circle, encountering severe weather and much ice. In the night of March 4th the two little vessels were in a hazardous position, surrounded by icebergs in thick weather, with severe snow squalls which compelled them to heave to. On March 2nd in 64° 58′ S. and 121° 8′ E. they sighted land to the southward, the vessels being surrounded by drift ice. The land was seen both by Balleny and by McNab the second mate, who thought it was not more than one mile to windward. It received the name of Sabrina Land. The appearance of land was again seen on March 3rd. The fixed character of the ice to the south showed the proximity of land of considerable extent.

This voyage of the Eliza Scott and Sabrina is very remarkable. That such tiny little vessels should have passed along that dangerous coast, amidst fogs and snow squalls, in imminent danger of collision with bergs and heavy drift ice on all sides, speaks volumes for the seamanlike skill, watchfulness, and nerve of the navigators. They must be credited with the discovery of a third part of the coast of the southern continent.

Great credit is also due to Mr Enderby, the patriotic promoter of the expeditions which carried out this hazardous work. The discovery of Graham Land, of three points of the north coast of the Antarctic continent—Enderby Land, Kempe Land, and Sabrina Land, and of the Balleny Islands, is due to the enterprise and perseverance of one who may justly take rank with the merchant adventurers of the days of the great Queen.