[ 93 ] 



XIII. Account of the new Discovery of p Southern or Antarctic 



CorAinent*. 



An opinion of the existence of an A.itarctic Continent has pre- 

 vailed e'-er ^ip.ce the discoverv of America reiuk'ted us ...ore in- 

 timately acquainted with the figure of the earth; nor when all 

 the circumstances that led to it are coi^Md-red, can U be called 

 an unreasonable opinion. The vast quantity of floating ice m 

 the higher southern latitudes justly indicated its ongm to be _m 

 fresh water rivers and lakes at no great distance. And a^ain, 

 the iiMmense space of ocean, in the southern hemisphere m the 

 absence of such a continent, led to an inference that that beauti- 

 ful arrans^ement and disposition of land and water, so cor^^picu- 

 ous in the northern, was overlooked, and the equihbnum neg- 

 lected in the southern hemisphere. 



Th-se consideiations led many voyagers to search after this 

 terraincopmla, and particularly influenced the last voyage of 

 Captain Cook. But is it not surprising that it should have 

 escaped the observation of the circum-navigators of all nations, 

 and have baffled the laborious perseverance of Cook himself? 

 and that the numerous vessels (whalers and others) that have 

 navigated the sea contiguous to such land for nearly two cen- 

 turies, should have remained in Ignorance of its existence ? Yet 

 such is the fact; and it is equally surprising, that the honour of its 

 discovery should have been reserved for the master ot a small 

 trading vessel, nearly fifty vears after the question seemed to be 

 set at vest by the unsuccessful result of Captau. Cook s naviga- 



*'°Captain Cook first explored the Southern Ocean between the 

 meridian of the Cape of Good Hope and Now Zealand ; conse- 

 Quentlv far to the east of the land now discovered. In Novem- 

 ber 1773 he left New Zealand, and employed several weeks be- 

 tween 18()' and 90' west longitude, and 4.'i° to about 72" south 

 latitude ; so that he never approached within 30 degrees (on the 

 Antarctic circle) of the new continent. The only pass;.ges we 

 think it necessary to quote from him, as illustrative of our pre- 

 fient sul)iect, are'ihe following: 



«Tn lat. 67° 20', long. 137° 12'," he says, " whde we were 

 taking up ice, we got two of the antarctic peterels so ore., men- 

 tioned, bv which our conjectures were conhrn.cd of tiu-i. being 

 of the peterel tribe. They are about the size ot a la.^e H'f,'eon ; 

 the feuthers of the head, back, and part of the upper su.e of he 

 wings, are of a light brown; the belly, and under sule of the 

 wings^ whites the tail feathers are also white, but tipped with 



• From the Literary Gazette. 



brown : 



