1840.] DISCOVERY OF LAND. 279 



darker and altogether different from ice-islands, were dis- 

 covered from all three vessels. They then continued in a 

 westerly course, coasting along the icy barriers that shut 

 them out from the frozen regions of which they caught fre- 

 quent glimpses. Repeated but vain attempts were made to 

 effect a landing; their progress either being stopped by impass- 

 able fields of ice, or the massive icebergs gathering round and 

 threatening to embay them. Wearied with cold and fatigue, 

 and worn out with excitement, both officers and men still 

 persisted in their efforts. On the 24th and 25th of January 

 the Peacock lost her rudder in the ice, her bulwarks were 

 partially torn off, and she was otherwise so seriously disabled, 

 that her commander decided to return to Sydney forthwith, 

 where he arrived with his vessel, in a shattered and sinking 

 condition, on the 21st of February. The Vincennes and Por- 

 poise kept on to the west, and on the 30th of January the 

 former discovered Piner's Bay, so called by Captain Wilkes, 

 in latitude 66° 45' 8., and longitude 140° 02' 30" E. The 

 name of Antarctic Continent was now first given to the newly 

 found land. On the 14th of February, the greatest extent of 



original. Hence, Captain Ross was led to regard it as an original discovery, for 

 he could not consider it as a verification of Balleny, inasmuch as the land seen 

 by him was more than seventy miles distant. When, therefore, the non-exist- 

 ence of the land was practically demonstrated by Captain Ross, a certain de- 

 gree of discredit naturally, yet unjustly, attached to the other discoveries of the 

 American expedition. This was heightened, too, by the ill-temper manifested 

 by Captain Wilkes, in his explanations. In the narrative of the latter, Captain 

 Ross was charged with a want of courtesy in not acknowledging the reception 

 of his letter; whereas the British navigator, in the account of his voyage, 

 thanked Captain Wilkes in the kindest terms, for his friendly attentions, though 

 complaining, at the same time, that both he and d'Urville had occupied the very 

 ground which they both knew, in advance, the British expedition was designed 

 to visit. Captain Ross' work was not published till long after Wilkes' narrative, 

 yet it is to be regretted that the American commander should have anticipated 

 r want of courtesy, where none in reality existed ; and that when he had in- 

 cautiously committed an error, he should exhibit so much bitterness and passion 

 in offering the easy and simple explanation it was in his power to make. — See 

 Wilkes' Narrative, vol. ii. p. 232, and App. No. 21 ; Synopsis of the Cruise of 

 the Exploring Expedition, p. 21, et seq. ; Defence of Captain Wilkes before the 

 Court-MartiaL p. 48, et seq. ; Ross' Voyage, vol. i. pp. 115, 116— p. 285, etseq. — 

 and the appendix. 



