438 THE ANTARCTIC MANUAL. 
should return on her course to Hobart Town to take up our sick, and 
then rejoin us at some place on which I should decide. 
Everyone knew that the portion of the polar circle stretching directly 
to the south of Tasmania had not been explored by any navigator. In 
tracing on a map the courses of the different travellers who had tried to 
penetrate the ice, I had seen that the route of Captain Cook alone 
traversed this space; but even so, the celebrated English navigator had 
never tried to penetrate into these latitudes where he had remained below 
the 60th parallel. By advancing from this side I hoped to get as far 
south as it was possible to do. My crews, although overworked, were 
full of spirit, and already accustomed to this kind of navigation ; I knew, 
therefore, that it would require some wholly impassable obstacle to stop 
me. Without counting too much beforehand on the future issue of my 
fresh attempt, I had resolved to make it in any case as fruitful as pos- 
sible in the interests of physical science. An important discovery 
remained to be made, the position of the magnetic pole, the knowledge 
of which is so important for the solution of the great problem respecting 
the laws of terrestrial magnetism. From the outset I had always wished 
to shape my course with this end in view. I knew also that the most 
profitable observations of this nature would be those made on the mag- 
netic meridian itself. I sought, therefore, to keep our corvettes on this 
direction, giving orders to hold our course always south by the compass 
whenever the wind would permit. 
Our voyage was begun under the most contrary auspices; steady 
winds from the south blew dead against us, while the currents carried 
us to the east, and forced us to sail close to the wind for fear of losing 
our course. A strong swell, as much as four to five metres high, made 
our ships roll, and produced great discomfort; and lastly, we had hardly 
left the shore four days before M. Dumoutier reported nine men on the 
sick list. Since our departure, however, there had been a continual 
supply of fresh food for the crew, who were not at all overworked, and 
T had made it a rule to give them as little to do as possible. In a few 
days IJ might have need of all their strength! A heavy responsibility 
weighed on me; but before throwing myself into an enterprise so 
hazardous I had reckoned on the courage of my men, and I was sure 
that it would not fail me. 
Jan. &.—The further we advance south the lower becomes the 
temperature; we sail amid a flock of albatross, which never leaves 
us. Numerous whales are spouting round us, but it seems as if this 
variety is not that which is hunted by fishermen, for a whaler passing 
at a short distance from us continues her course eastwards without 
stopping. 
Some moments of calm allowed the two corvettes to communicate 
with each other to-day. One of the boats of the Zélée, commanded by 
M. Gaillard, managed to come alongside the Astrolabe, notwithstanding 
