interested, as it
has been for hundreds of years, in trying to reach the Pole, and the
nations were constantly sending expeditions to search for it, to be
followed by others to hunt for the expeditions and then by others to
look up those that were hunting for the others and so on, all these
efforts were confined to the North Pole. Everybody seemed to have
forgotten that there is also a South Pole, which is not a mile further
from the equator than the North Pole.

Of course there was good reason for all this. There is a great deal of
land in the north, while the unbroken ocean seas stretch away from the
South Pole for hundreds and thousands of miles in every direction and
the prodigious masses and mountains of ice make it impossible to get
anywhere near it. Our daring explorers are continually edging further
north, and doubtless within a few years the Pole will be reached, but
there appears no prospect of the South Pole being seen for many a year
to come.

[Illustration: CAPTAIN CHARLES WILKES.]

Lieutenant Charles Wilkes was born in 1798 and died in 1877. He entered
the American navy at an early age and in 1838 was made commander of the
squadron which spent four years in sailing through the Pacific, along
its American coasts and in the Antarctic regions.

Before giving an account of this memorable scientific expedition, let me
add a little more information concerning this distinguished naval
officer, since this is the only chapter which contains any reference to
him. He was made a captain in 1855. In the month of November, 1861,
while in command of the steamer _San Jacinto_, he stopped the British
ship _Trent_ and forcibly took off the two Confederate commissioners,
Mason and Slidell, who were on their way respectively to England and
France to secure their aid for the Southern Confederacy.

Captain Wilkes was highly applauded for his act by his countrymen, but
England was very indignant. It was an illegal proceeding on his part,
since the deck of a ship is the same as the soil of the country whose
flag she flies. Our Government was compelled to disavow his action and
restore the commissioners to English custody.

In the War for the Union Captain Wilkes commanded the James River
squadron, was made commodore in 1862 and was retired in 1864 and made
rear-admiral on the retired list.

[Illustration: THE "SAN JACINTO" STOPPING THE "TRENT."]

The scientific expedition of which Lieutenant Wilkes was given command
was