210 THE ANTARCTIC. 



Cape Adare to Cape North. It may further be inferred 

 that in analogy with other volcanic ranges those of the 

 Balleny and Russell Isles indicate a techtonic line of 

 fracture, which being situated farther south and south- 

 west, would constitute the still problematical connecting 

 link between Victoria Land and Wilkes Land. Un- 

 fortunately soundings are still wanting which might 

 supply some data for the determination of the submarine 

 south-eastward direction of this hypothetical volcanic ridge ; 

 true, Ross has made a few soundings, but these do not lie 

 in the line of the groups of islands ; still they are of interest 

 in so far as they prove the proportionate rapid increase 

 in depth as the distance increases. Thus, at a distance 

 of twenty-eight miles from the northern coast of Victoria 

 Land the depth indicated was only 1,075 f eet > whilst at 

 a distance of 125 miles from the same coast the lead failed 

 to touch bottom at a depth of 2,400 feet. 



10. WILKES LAND. 



The coast of Wilkes Land extends east to west at an 

 almost invariable latitude ; it may be regarded as the 

 longest coast line yet seen in the Antarctic regions, but 

 its unbroken continuity is still a mere hypothesis. In the 

 account we gave of Wilkes' voyage we called attention 

 to the fact that he lost sight of the land for consider- 

 able distances, and accordingly it is not impossible that, 

 instead of a continent, Wilkes had sighted a chain of 

 islands. We shall see, however, that the probability of 

 this latter assumption is not greater, but rather less, than 

 that of the theory, that all the separate portions of land 

 sighted are parts of an unbroken whole. 



Ringgold's Knoll is the easternmost point of land 

 distinctly seen by Wilkes and his companions. It is 



