orth as merely an impudent and ingenious
fiction. A distrust in my own abilities as a writer was, nevertheless,
one of the principal causes which prevented me from complying with the
suggestions of my advisers.

Among those gentlemen in Virginia who expressed the greatest interest
in my statement, more particularly in regard to that portion of it
which related to the Antarctic Ocean, was Mr. Poe, lately editor of
the "Southern Literary Messenger," a monthly magazine, published by Mr.
Thomas W. White, in the city of Richmond. He strongly advised me,
among others, to prepare at once a full account of what I had seen
and undergone, and trust to the shrewdness and common-sense of the
public-insisting, with great plausibility, that however roughly, as
regards mere authorship, my book should be got up, its very uncouthness,
if there were any, would give it all the better chance of being received
as truth.

Notwithstanding this representation, I did not make up my mind to do as
he suggested. He afterward proposed (finding that I would not stir in
the matter) that I should allow him to draw up, in his own words, a
narrative of the earlier portion of my adventures, from facts afforded
by myself, publishing it in the "Southern Messenger" _under the garb
of fiction. _To this, perceiving no objection, I consented, stipulating
only that my real name should be retained. Two numbers of the pretended
fiction appeared, consequently, in the "Messenger" for January and
February (1837), and, in order that it might certainly be regarded as
fiction, the name of Mr. Poe was affixed to the articles in the table of
contents of the magazine.

The manner in which this ruse was received has induced me at length to
undertake a regular compilation and publication of the adventures in
question; for I found that, in spite of the air of fable which had been
so ingeniously thrown around that portion of my statement which appeared
in the "Messenger" (without altering or distorting a single fact),
the public were still not at all disposed to receive it as fable, and
several letters were sent to Mr. P.'s address, distinctly expressing
a conviction to the contrary. I thence concluded that the facts of my
narrative would prove of such a nature as to carry with them sufficient
evidence of their own authenticity, and that I had consequently little
to fear on the score of popular incredulity.

This_ expose _being made, it will be seen at once how much of wh