Robbery Beaches
Encyclopedia
Robbery Beaches are beaches extending along the north side of Byers Peninsula
, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica between Essex Point
to the west and Nedelya Point
to the east.
The name ‘Robbery Beach’ was used by James Weddell
in 1820-23. It arose from the English
robbery of sealskins collected by the American brig Charity (Capt. Charles H. Barnard) of New York in January 1821. There was fierce competition between British and American sealers in the area during the early 1820s.
Byers Peninsula
Byers Peninsula is a mainly ice-free peninsula forming the west end of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. It occupies , and includes the small freshwater Basalt Lake. The area was visited by early 19th century American and British sealers who came almost exclusively from New England,...
, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica between Essex Point
Essex Point
Essex Point is a point at the northwest end of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica forming the west side of the entrance to Barclay Bay and the northeast side of the entrance to Svishtov Cove....
to the west and Nedelya Point
Nedelya Point
Nedelya Point is a sharp ice-free point on the north coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica projecting 300 m into Barclay Bay. Situated 1.7 km southwest of Bilyar Point, 3 km east of Lair Point, and 1.6 km northeast of Sparadok Point...
to the east.
The name ‘Robbery Beach’ was used by James Weddell
James Weddell
James Weddell was a British sailor, navigator and seal hunter who in the early Spring of 1823 sailed to latitude of 74°15' S and into a region of the Southern Ocean that later became known as the Weddell Sea.-Early life:He entered the merchant service very...
in 1820-23. It arose from the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
robbery of sealskins collected by the American brig Charity (Capt. Charles H. Barnard) of New York in January 1821. There was fierce competition between British and American sealers in the area during the early 1820s.
Location
The beaches are centred at 62°36′57.6"S 61°04′58.8"W (British mapping in 1968, detailed Spanish mapping in 1992, and Bulgarian mapping in 2005 and 2009).Maps
- Península Byers, Isla Livingston. Mapa topográfico a escala 1:25000. Madrid: Servicio Geográfico del Ejército, 1992.
- L.L. Ivanov et al. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands. Scale 1:100000 topographic map. Sofia: Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria, 2005.
- L.L. Ivanov. Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich, Robert, Snow and Smith Islands. Scale 1:120000 topographic map. Troyan: Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2009. ISBN 978-954-92032-6-4