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