194 CAPTAIN COOK 



the rigours of the climate, and, in spite of the 

 care given to them, grew thin and died. 



On December 12th Cook sighted land, and, 

 drawing nearer, recognised that he had found 

 the six islands which had been discovered in 

 1772 by the French navigators Marion du Fresne 

 and Crozet. As these islands were not named on 

 the chart, Cook called the two first Prince Ed- 

 ward Islands, and, in order to perpetuate the 

 memory of the French Captains, gave the re- 

 maining four the names of Marion and Crozet 

 Islands. The whole archipelago seemed abso- 

 lutely bare. Not a tree was to be seen; only 

 high mountains, their summits clothed in snow, 

 stood up with arid slopes. 



Cook's object after leaving these islands was 

 to reach the land which had been discovered in 

 1772 by the Breton captain De Kerguelen-Tre- 

 marec. 



The ships sailed through a thick fog which 

 reminded the English of the fogs of London. 

 They could only go very carefully, and the 

 opacity of the fog was such that they could not 

 see one another. They were compelled to fire 

 guns in order to keep in touch. At last, on 

 December 24th, the sky became clearer, and 

 Cook saw several little islands surrounded by 

 rocks, upon which he did not deem it prudent 

 to land, especially as the fog began to come down 



