144 THE ANTARCTIC. 



indentations are insufficiently known, it is not as yet 

 possible to state the extent of the land area. Including 

 the fjords the total area of the group may be estimated 

 at 1,560 to 1,700 square miles, to which the outlying islets 

 contribute very little. How far the submarine base 

 extends, i.e., the ocean bed at a depth of less than 600 

 feet all round the island, is not known up to the present 

 time ; Cook gives a sounding of only 225 feet at a distance 

 of nearly five miles from shore, near Possession Bay, 

 on the north-east coast, but on the other hand 650 

 feet were given at the same distance from Cumberland 

 Bay. 



Between Willis Island, the extreme western outpost,, 

 and the main island, Vogel Island, small and level, 

 interposes in the two and a half miles' wide channel 

 separating the two. From this point the coast runs, 

 north-east and east to Cape Buller, to the east of which 

 Possession Bay is found. The bay takes its name from 

 the landing effected there by Cook when possession was 

 taken of the island. Island Bay, Cape Saunders, and 

 Cumberland Bay follow, succeeded by Royal Bay be- 

 tween Cape George and Cape Charlotte. From this 

 point the coast, which extended from Cape Saunders to 

 the south-east, changes its direction to the south, forming 

 Sandwich Bay near to the South East Cape, off which 

 an island, Cooper Island, is situated, and extends to South 

 Cape. From this cape, before which three low level 

 islands, one Green Island, are situated, the coast extends 

 to Cape Kuprianow and forms Novoselskji Bay, before 

 which, at a considerable distance from the shore, Pickersgill 

 Island lies, accompanied by two smaller islands. Next 

 comes St. Mary's Bay, smaller and formerly frequently 

 visited by seal-hunters ; then a long straight coast line 

 with Annenkow Island off it, and the last section of the 

 south-west coast appears to be most deeply indented with 

 fjords. Near the western extremity of the island lies 



