200 cook's second VOYAGE JAN, 



57 and 54° 57 S. ; and between 38° IS' and 35° 34' 

 W. longitude. It extends S.E. by E., and N.W. by W. 

 and is thirty-one leagues long in that direction ; and 

 its greatest breadth is about ten leagues. It seems to 

 abound with bays and harbours, the N. E. coast 

 especially ; but the vast quantity of ice must 

 render them inaccessible the greatest part of the 

 year ; or, at least, it must be dangerous lying in 

 them, on account of the breaking up of the ice- 

 cliffs. 



It is remarkable that we did not see a river or 

 stream of fresh water, on the whole coast. I think 

 it highly probable that there are no perennial springs 

 in the country ; and that the interior parts, as 

 being much elevated, never enjoy heat enough to 

 melt the snow in such quantities as to produce a 

 river or stream of water. The coast alone receives 

 warmth sufficient to melt the snow, and this only on 

 the N. E. side ; for the other, besides being exposed to 

 the cold south winds, is in a great degree deprived 

 of the sun's rays by the uncommon height of the 

 mountains. 



It was from a persuasion that the sea-coast of a 

 land situated in the latitude of o4°, could not, in 

 the very height of summer, be wholly covered with 

 snow, that I supposed Bouvet's discovery to be large 

 islands of ice. - But after I had seen this land, I no 

 longer hesitated about the existence of Cape Circum- 

 cision ; nor did I doubt that I should find more land 

 than I should have time to explore. With these 

 ideas 1 quitted this coast, and directed my course 

 to the E. S. E. for the land we had seen the preced- 

 ing day. 



The wind was very variable till noon, when it fixed 

 at N.N.E., and blew a gentle gale ; but it increased 

 in such a manner, that, before three o'clock, we were 

 reduced to our two courses, and obliged to strike top- 

 gallant yards. We were very fortunate in getting 

 clear of the land before this gale overtook us, it 



