Traill. — Antarctic Exploration. 471 



the remarkable laud discovered by him to the southward, and 

 named after our reigning sovereign, a laud supposed to be a 

 continent, probably larger than Australia, and not very much 

 further away ; near enough probably to have a considerable in- 

 fluence on our climate and harvests, in at least the more southern 

 parts of New Zealand. From Stewart Island to Cape Howe, in 

 Australia, the distance is, in round numbers, something less 

 than 1,000 miles, and to the North Cape of Victoria Land a 

 trifle under 1,400 miles, or about the same as the distance by 

 sea from Oamaru to Melbourne. In judging, however, of the 

 effect of Victoria Land on our climate, we must consider not 

 merely the intervening distance and the intensity of cold on its 

 lofty ice-covered mountain ranges, but also, besides other matters, 

 the effect of the numerous icebergs to which it gives birth, and 

 which, with the ocean of fragments known as the " pack," 

 approach so much nearer to us. I believe it was by indications 

 of the thermometer alone that Captain Cook came to the con- 

 clusion that there must be a large extent of land to the south- 

 ward. The first of two chief reasons given by Lyell for the 

 excess of cold in the higher southern, beyond that found in 

 similar northern, latitudes, is the extent and height of Victoria 

 Land. To a considerable extent this will probably apply to 

 these latitudes. 



Though it seems commonly assumed that we have an 

 Antarctic continent, it may be that we shall never know 

 whether the name is correctly applied. Land and ice together 

 may be found possessing continental dimensions ; and yet, with 

 regard to much of it, it may be impossible to determine whether 

 it is land or an ice-laden sea, or a group of islands connected by 

 ice. 



Eoss's voyage was doubtless expensive, far beyond anything 

 we could afford. Indeed, it would be a mistake to compare any 

 exploring work we could do with his three years' voyage, the 

 great scientific object of wiiich was not exploration, but emphati- 

 cally that of terrestrial magnetism. This involved an extensive 

 series of observations, which necessitated his visiting many parts 

 of the world. Thus it came to pass that though the expedition 

 left England in September, 1839, it was not until fifteen months 

 later that, being in New Zealand waters, he steered a direct 

 course to the southward on the meridian of Campbell Island. 

 He had no steam-power, and even in those days his ships were 

 considered slow sailers ; and yet within four weeks he had 

 restored to England the honour of the discovery of the southern- 

 most known land, with its magnificent ranges of mountains, 

 their lofty peaks covered with eternal snow, and their valleys 

 filled with glaciers projecting for miles into the sea and termin- 

 ating in lofty perpendicular chffs. Another fortnight sufficed to 

 show the continuity of this land from about 70° to 79° of south 



