CHAPTER IX. 



ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 

 1840. 



The subjects of which I am about to treat in the following chapters 

 are exclusively nautical. I shall, therefore, adopt in treating them 

 more of the form of a log-book, and follow the daily order of their 

 occurrence with more strictness than I have hitherto considered 

 necessary. This will be done in order to illustrate more fully the 

 nature of the remote regions we traversed, and for the purpose of 

 giving a more exact relation of the incidents of this part of our cruise, 

 — incidents that I cannot but hope have made this part of our labours 

 particularly interesting to all of our countrymen who possess a 

 feeling of national pride. 



The credit of these discoveries has been claimed on the part of one 

 foreign nation, and their extent, nay, actual existence, called into 

 question by another; both having rival Expeditions abroad, one at 

 the same time, the other the year succeeding. 



Each of these nations, with what intent I shall not stop to inquire, 

 has seemed disposed to rob us of the honour by underrating the 

 importance of their own researches, and would restrict the Antarctic 

 land to the small parts they respectively saw. However willing I 

 might be in a private capacity to avoid contesting their statements, 

 and let truth make its own way, I feel it due to the honour of our 

 flag to make a proper assertion of the priority of the claim of the 

 American Expedition, and of the greater extent of its discoveries and 

 researches. 



That land does exist within the Antarctic Circle is now confirmed 

 by the united testimony of both French and English navigators. 

 D'Urville, the celebrated French navigator, within a few days after 



vol. ii. 75 



