THE NARRATIVE OF CHARLES WILKES, 361 
not a range of detached islands, but a vast Antarctic continent. How 
far Captain Ross was guided in his search by our previous discoveries 
will best appear by reference to the chart, with a full account of the 
proceedings of the squadron, which I sent to him, and which I have 
inserted in Appendix XXIV. and Atlas; although I have never received 
any acknowledgment of their receipt from him personally, yet I have 
heard of their having reached his hands a few months prior to his 
Antarctic cruise. Of this, however, I do not complain, and feel only the 
justifiable desire to maintain the truth in relation to a claim that is 
indisputable. The following narrative must, I feel satisfied, leave no 
doubt in any unprejudiced mind of the correctness of the assertion that 
we have discovered a vast continent; but I would ask in advance, who 
was there prior to 1840, either in this country or in Europe, that had 
the least idea that any large body of land existed to the south of New 
Holland? And who is there that now doubts the fact, whether he 
admits it to be a vast continent, or contends that it is only a collection 
of islands? 
Examine all the maps and charts published up to that time, and 
upon them will any traces of such land be found? They will not, and 
for the very best of reasons—none was known or even suspected to 
exist. We ourselves anticipated no such discovery; the indications of 
it were received with doubt and hesitation; I myself did not venture 
to record in my private journal the certainty of land until three days 
after those best acquainted with its appearance in these high latitudes 
were assured of the fact; and finally, to remove all possibility of doubt, 
and to prove conclusively that there was no deception in the case, views 
of the same land were taken from the vessels in three different positions, 
with the bearings of its peaks and promontories, by whose intersection 
their position is nearly as well established as the peaks of any of the 
islands we surveyed from the sea. 
All doubt in relation to the reality of our discovery gradually wore 
away, and towards the close of the cruise of the Vincennes along the icy 
barrier, the mountains of the Antarctic continent became familiar and 
of daily appearance, insomuch that the log-book, which is guardedly 
silent as to the time and date of its being first observed, now speaks 
throughout of “the land.” 
After leaving Sydney we had, until the 31st December, fine weather 
and favourable winds. We took advantage of these, and all sail was 
crowded on the vessels of the squadron; at the above date we had 
reached the latitude of 43° S. 
Under such circumstances the usual order of sailing, in a line abreast, 
wag easily maintained, and the communications between the vessels were 
frequent. On the 31st of December I issued the sailing instructions for 
the cruise, which will be found in Appendix XXV. 
During this favourable weather all hands were employed in tightening 
