80 



THE ANTARCTIC. 



few days the last ice lay behind him, and he made for 

 Hobart Town to recruit after the hardships of his polar 

 voyage, returning to France in the same year, 1840. 



All that has been said of D'Urville's first attempt to 

 penetrate the Antarctic regions may be repeated here. 

 According to the conclusions arrived at from reading his 

 own account, it appears that a determined leader, with a 

 firm resolution from the very outset to make an important 

 advance, would certainly have achieved greater results 

 than D'Urville. It is greatly to be regretted that having 

 the advantage of being a week earlier than Wilkes, he 



Discovery of the Clarie Coast, 26th January, 1840 (after Dumont d'Urville). 



should not have profited by the south winds observed by 

 Wilkes in the beginning of February, for continuing his 

 explorations along the coasts stretching to the west. It 

 must, however, be taken into account that the health of 

 his crews gave cause for anxiety and alarm, and compelled 

 his return, during which he again lost a number of his 

 men through illness and death. 



D'Urville claimed as his discovery the coast now 

 known by the name of Wilkes Land. He was, however, 

 not the first to see land in these regions, and must yield 



