Online Encyclopedia

SOUTH SHETLAND

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V25, Page 516 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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SOUTH SHETLAND  , a chain of islands on the border of the Antarctic region, lying about 500 M . S.E. of Cape Horn, between 61° and 63° ro' S. and between 530 and 63° W., and separated by Bransfield Strait from the region composed of Danco
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Land, Palmer Land, Louis Philippe Land, &c . The more considerable islands from west to east are Smith (or James), Low (or Jameson), Snow, Deception, Livingstone,
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Greenwich, Robert, Nelson, King George I.,
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Elephant, and Clarence . Deception Island is remarkable as of purely volcanic origin . On the south-east side an opening 60o ft. wide gives entrance to an
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internal
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crater-lake (
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Port Forster) nearly circular, with a diameter of about 5 M. and a
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depth of 97 fathoms . Voyagers in 1828 and 1842 reported that steam still issued from numerous vents, but
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Otto Nordenskjold (Antarctica,
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London, 1905) found no exterior evidence of volcanic activity . Most of the islands are rocky and mountainous, and some of their peaks are between 6000 and 7000 ft. in height . Covered with snow for the greater
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part of the
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year, and growing nothing but
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lichens, mosses and some scanty grass, the South Shetlands are of
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interest almost solely as a haunt of
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seals, albatrosses, penguins and other sea-fowl . It has been supposed by many that the Dutch navigator
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Dirk Gerrits discovered the South Shetlands in 1598, but it appears probable that this story originated through confusion with another voyage in which Gerrits was not concerned (cf . H . R . Mill, Siege of the South Pole, p .

34 seq.) . In 1819

William Smith of the
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English brig "Williams" observed the South Shetland coast on the 19th of
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February . Revisiting it in
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October, he landed on King George I . Island, taking possession for England; he also gave the whole chain the name it bears . In 182o the
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naval
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lieutenant
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Edward Bransfield was sent in the " Williams " to survey the islands, which attracted the attention of
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American and
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British sealers, and became fairly well known through the visits of Antarctic explorers . A smaller group—Coronation Island, Laurie Island, &c.—lying 200 M. east of the South Shetlands, bears the name of South Orkney . It was discovered by the English captain, Powell, in 1821 .

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