293 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



land was seen by the three vessels of our squadron, reports that his 

 boats landed on a small point of rocks, at the place (as I suppose) 

 which appeared accessible to us in Piner's Bay, whence the Vin- 

 cennes was driven by a violent gale ; this he called Clarie Land, and 

 testifies to his belief of the existence of a vast tract of land, where our 

 view of it has left no doubt of its existence. Ross, on the other hand, 

 penetrated to the latitude of 79° S. in the succeeding year, coasted for 

 some distance along a lofty country connected with our Antarctic con- 

 tinent, and establishes beyond all cavil the correctness of our assertion, 

 that we have discovered, 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 narra- 

 tive must, I feel satisfied, leave no doubt in any unprejudiced mind of 

 the correctness of the assertion that we have discovered a vast conti- 

 nent ; but I would ask in advance, who was there prior to 1 840, 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. 



