Palmer Station Reunion

In 1820, a young Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer sailed from the home pictured above out of Stonington,Ct. as skipper of the Sloop Hero. Accounts place Capt. Nat., as he was affectionately known, around Deception Island on January 14, 1821. Sailing further southward to search for seals Palmer later recounted:

"I pointed the bow of the little craft to south'ard and with her wings spread, the mainsail abeam, and the jib abreast the opposite bow, she speeded on her way like a thing of life and light. With her flowing sheet she seemed to enter into the spirit which possessed my ambitions, and flew along until she brought me into sight of land not laid down on my chart."

The tops of two mountains were first seen, and then lower land, trending away in both directions. The highest peak, later named Mount Hope by explorer Wilkes was in latitude 63 25' S and 57 55' west.

And, so it was that a young crew of 10 in 1970, lead by Capt. Mac ventured to this same land to arrive at a station named Palmer after the Captain who discovered this land some 150 years earlier.

Contine to page 3...

Web design by Rob Chichester