118 DISCUSSION ON NOTES ON CHARTS OF THE COAST OF TASMANIA 



one, which has confirmed the original discovery. Thus, in 

 Tasmania, the labours of Hayes and Flinders, of Baudin 

 and D'Entrecasteaux, had their raison d'etre for the English, 

 in the flying visits of Furneaux and Cook, for the French, in 

 that of Marion, whilst in turn Marion, Furneaux, and Cook, 

 were the men who established the indications given by 

 Tasman. Marion is in an intermediate position. He looks 

 back 130 years and — his own plan of original discovery 

 having failed because it was based on insufficiently digested 

 data — he is obliged to be satisfied with the secondary but 

 still honourable and necessary position of the man who 

 confirms another's effort and renders it possible for that 

 effort to flower into scientific achievement. 



The islets in the Southern Ocean discovered by Bouvet, 

 Kerguelen, and Marion, may be regarded as so many step- 

 ping stones to Australia. To Tasman, who held a more 

 northerly course than the French captains did, the stepping 

 stones were the islets of St. Paul and Amsterdam. To the 

 French captains, they were the Cap de la Girconcision, Prince 

 Edward and Crozet groups, and Kerguelen Land, the last three 

 being discovered within a month of each other. Their dates 

 are Prince Edward's Island, January 13 ; Crozets, January 24; 

 Kerguelen Land, February 13, 1772, Sixteen days out from 

 the Cape the first land was sighted by Marion, and named 

 Terre d'Esperance, " because its discovery flattered us with 

 the hope of finding the southern continent which we sought," 

 Cook re-named it Prince Edward's Island, after the Duke of 

 Kent, the father of Her present Majesty. Its mountains 

 were visible at a distance of twelve miles, and were covered 

 with snow. Marion was unable to land and explore it because 

 of the accident to the Gastries, which happened when the 

 ships were about to take soundings preparatory to casting 

 anchor. A smaller island was seen to the N.E. of the larger 

 one ; on its N.E. side, according to Crozet's account, or on its 

 east side, following Eoss, is a bay with a large cave ; round 

 the cave were a number of white flecks like a flock of sheep, 

 perhaps patches of moss, which Moseley describes as forming 

 principal features in the vegetation of Marion Island as seen 

 from a distance. Had the weather permitted, they would 

 have found an anchorage in this bay which was frequented 

 by sealers at a later date. The island was seven or eight 

 miles in circumference. Crozet places these islands in 

 46 deg. 45 min. S., and 34 deg. 31 min, E. of Paris ; Crozier, 

 the companion of Eoss, places the North Cape of Prince 

 Edward's Island in 46 deg. 53 min. S., and 37 deg. 33 min. E. 

 of Greenwich, and Cave Bay in the lie de la Gaverne of 

 Marion, is reported by Ross to lie in 46 deg. 40 min. S. 

 There is a discrepancy in the nomenclature of these islands : 

 lioss calls the larger island, which it may be presumed is 



