Purneti.On Antarctic Exploration, 83 
authority is not of the best, since he seems to have seen a great deal 
more than sailors of other nationalities could do. Indeed, Ross actually 
sailed over one spot where Wilkes affirmed that he had discovered a chain 
of mountains, Without, however, placing too much reliance upon Wilkes's 
alleged discoveries to the westward, we have the concurrent testimony of 
himself, Balleny, and D’Urville, that an extensive tract of land does exist 
in this direction; Balleny Isles, lying considerably to the eastward (lat. 
66° 44’ §., and long, 163° 11’ E.), and so forming a connecting link between 
these and Ross’s discoveries. It is noticeable that Cook, on his second 
voyage, was unable to get so far south as this body of land by four or 
five degrees, being stopped by the ice, although he was on the right track 
for its discovery. 
Still proceeding westward, we next meet with Kemp Land on the 60th, 
and then with Enderby Land on the 50th meridian. These were discovered 
by our countryman Biscoe, in 1831-3. Whether Kemp and Enderby Lands 
are islands, or the outlying parts of a large mass of land, we do not know; 
but it is noticeable with respect both to them and the discoveries just men- 
tioned that they all lie adjacent to the antarctic circle. 
I have now summarised all that is actually known of the so-called 
** antarctic continent," from which you will see that, while there are indica- 
tions which might lead us to infer a connection between the principal dis- 
coveries that have been made, it may well be that the most extensive of 
these lands are only the chief members of an archipelago. Hach hemi- 
sphere offers its special attractions to the explorer. In the western, the vast 
space between Ross’s discoveries and Alexander Land, extending over about 
60° of longitude, remains to be examined. Cook tried to penetrate its re- 
cesses, but could get no farther than 71° 10’ S., which he did on the 107th 
meridian, when he was beaten back by the ice. Ross made a similar 
attempt on his second voyage, and actually crossed the antarctic circle in 
longitude 156° 28’ W., or fourteen hundred miles to the eastward of the 
place where he crossed it on his first voyage ; but he was afterwards driven 
to the west by the pack, and reached his lowest latitude in 161° 27’ W. 
There is next the gap between Louis Philippe Land and Enderby Land. 
This has been tried by various navigators. The most successful was 
Weddell, who, in 1823, got as low down as 74° 15’ 8. on the 35th 
meridian (W.), and found there a sea clear of ice. Weddell accom- 
plished this great feat in a brig of 160 tons burthen, accompanied by a 
cutter of 65 tons. He would have sailed still further south but for 
the lateness of the season, which rendered it prudent to turn back. - 
D'Urville, however, following on his track, could not attain to even 
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