HISTORY OF DISCOVERY. 29 



with considerable extensions, as Davis Land. This error 

 continued even after the Dutch discoverer, Jacob Rogge- 

 ween, in 1722, had verified that it was quite a small island, 

 as can be proved from Homann's charts of the middle 

 of the eighteenth century. 



Latitudes similar to those of Davis were reached in 

 1700 by Woodes Roggers, viz., 6i° 53' S., and Le Gentil 

 de la Barbinais in 17 16, as well as George Shelvoke in 

 1 7 19, both of whom reached 6i° 30' S. Roggeween, as 

 before mentioned, attained a latitude of 62° 30' S. 

 in 1722, and, it is even stated that one of his vessels, 

 the Thienhoven, penetrated to 64° 58' S. If correct, 

 this is the highest before Cook, since Dirk Gerritz 

 gives only 64° as his southernmost point. But it is 

 possible that an error has crept in with respect to the 

 southernmost point reached by the Thienhoven. 



The year 1738 is memorable in the annals of Ant- 

 arctic voyages of discovery, as it in a certain sense gave 

 the impulse to the second great voyage of James Cook, 

 and laid to rest once for all the belief in a southern 

 continent lying within the temperate zone. It was a 

 peculiar circumstance that the French Compagnie des 

 Indes should have sent out an expedition to the in- 

 habitants of the southern lands, and although it reached 

 only comparatively low latitudes, it has a distinct claim 

 to be regarded as the first real South Polar Expedition. 

 It will be remembered that soon after the Portuguese 

 discovery of Brazil, French vessels made their way 

 there, and that the voyage of De Gonneville was re- 

 corded. On the return of this expedition, a young 

 native, son of a chief, had been brought to France 

 under promise to be brought back again. In con- 

 sequence of adverse circumstances the young Indian 

 never was sent back, but learnt French, was converted 

 to the Christian faith, and married a lady of noble 

 family. After nearly two hundred years, it occurred to 



