282 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



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 Vincennes 

 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, pene- 

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

 distance along a lofty country connected with our Antarctic Continent, 

 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 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 1 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 1 



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 

 w T hose 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 guard- 



