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Cape Davis. Lat. 70.32.S Long.166.6.E.

image © Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge | All Rights Reserved

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Date

c.1841

Artist

John Edward Davis (1815-1877)

Collection

Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge

Image Link

https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/catalogue/article/y59.5.4

Description

Watercolour by John Edward Davis, second master of HMS Terror, during the British Antarctic Expedition 1839-43.

Appears as an engraving in Sir James Clark Ross's 'A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions, 1839-43' (London, 1847), vol 1, p. 252. Captain John Davis commanded Huron on the United States sealing voyage, 1820-22 and made the first documented landing of the Antarctic Peninsula on 7 February 1821, writing in his logbook 'I think this Southern Land to be a Continent'. It would appear that Davis had landed at Hughes Bay and this entry in his log is the first known reference to Antarctica as a continent written by someone who had actually seen the mainland. If this landing really did take place - and there seems little reason to doubt its authenticity - it predates Henryk Johan Bull’s landing at Cape Adare by 74 years.

Image Licence

All Rights Reserved

Image Credit

image © Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge

Location

Cape Davis, Nunavut, Canada

Country

Medium

Tags

Mountains
Ice
Glaciers
Seascapes

Category

Landscapes & Seascapes

Glossary
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© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform

© 2024 Watercolour World | Technology by The Museum Platform