8 THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY' 



from Kronstadt with two well-equipped vessels. The object 

 of this voyage was to emulate the achievement of Cook in 

 circumnavigating the globe in a high southern latitude, and 

 well was this mission fulfilled. With wonderful pertinacity 

 the intrepid Bellingshausen again and again steered his ships to 

 the south, and he succeeded no fewer than six times in cross- 

 ing the Antarctic Circle. Although he did not reach such a 

 high latitude as his predecessor, on the whole his course lay to 

 the southward, and he still further narrowed the limits of the 

 southern land which had been so greatly reduced by Cook. 

 Further, Bellingshausen was the first definitely to discover land 

 within the Antarctic Circle. In the longitude of 90 W. he saw 

 a small island which he named Peter I. Island, whilst farther 

 to the eastward he sighted in the distance a more extensive 

 coast which he called Alexander I. Land. Unfortunately, 

 little is known of Bellingshausen's voyage, as the narrative was 

 never translated into English from the original Russian. 



As regards the Southern Seas the early years of the 

 nineteenth century were memorable for the development ot 

 the great whaling and sealing industries which flourished for 

 half a century, and passed away only with the practical 

 extermination of the animals on which they depended. It is 

 strange to think that regions which before Cook's famous 

 voyage were utterly unknown to man should have so speedily 

 become the scenes of great activity, but no sooner was the 

 existence of whales and seals in the Southern Seas reported 

 than hundreds of English and American adventurers crowded 

 in pursuit of them, and as late as 1840 it was reported that 

 there were no fewer than 400 vessels occupied in this manner. 



Amongst the owners of these vessels were men of broad 

 public spirit, and the captains who commanded them in- 

 cluded not a few of larger intelligence or more liberal education, 

 who were keenly interested in the prosecution of geographical 

 discovery. Conspicuous amongst the former were the famous 

 firm of Enderby, who instructed the commanders of their 

 ships never to neglect an opportunity for discovery and 

 exploration, and who more than once sent forth an expedition 



