Jan.] KERGULEN'S LAND. 61 



little injury, except in her copper, which was much damaged by the 

 sharp edges of the ice, as we crowded her through it. 



As the season was not yet sufficiently advanced to permit our pro- 

 ceeding farther south at present, and it being necessary to repair our 

 sails and rigging before we commenced our antarctic cruise, I concluded 

 to steer for Kergulen's Land, otherwise called the island of Desola- 

 tion — not a very enticing cognomen, but quite convenient for our pres- 

 ent purpose. It is an island of the Southern Indian Ocean, lying in 

 latitude 48° 41' S., long. 69° 4' E. 



As this narrative may fall into the hands of some who are not practi- 

 cal navigators, nor even proficients in the science of geography, I think 

 it expedient to be a little more explicit than any of my predecessors have 

 been, in pointing out the situation of some of the most prominent and 

 frequented of the South Sea islands. For this purpose I will take the 

 southern extremity of South America as a starting point ; for every one 

 who has ever looked at a map of the world knows that this continent 

 extends farther to the south than any part of Asia or Africa. Let us 

 take our departure, then, from Cape Virgin, which forms the northern 

 point of Magellan's Strait, in latitude 52° 20' S., about two hundred 

 miles north of Cape Horn, and sail in an easterly direction until we 

 count one hundred and forty degrees of longitude. In doing this, we 

 need not deviate many points from the course proposed, in order to 

 pass near the following islands, viz. the Falklands, which we will 

 leave on our left, in latitude 52° 23' S., long. 58° 59' W. South 

 Georgia we will leave on our right, in lat. 54° 58' S., long. 38° 25' W. 

 We shall also leave Sandwich Land far to the right, in lat. 58° 30' S., 

 long. 27° 30' W. We shall then cross the meridian of Greenwich, and 

 puss Bouvette's Island, lying in lat. 54° 15' S., long. 6° 1 V E. Marion's 

 Island, with its neighbour Prince Edward's, will be left on our larboard 

 quarter, in lat. 46° 53' S., long. 37° 46' E. ; as will also Possession 

 Island, and a cluster near it called Crozet's Islands, in latitude 42° 59' 

 S., long. 48° 0' E. A few hours' sail will then bring us to Kergu- 

 len's Land, or Desolation Island, in the Southern Indian Ocean, bear- 

 ing south-east from the Cape of Good Hope, distant about eight hun- 

 dred leagues. 



December 25th. — Our passage to this island was retarded by con- 

 trary winds, which often increased to moderate gales, attended with 

 occasional hail-squalls and heavy rains. The effects of such weather 

 could easily be traced in the wear and tear of our sails and rigging. 

 On Wednesday the 25th, which was Christmas-day, we were in lat. 

 50° 30' S., long. 50° 41' E. 



December 31st. — We arrived at Kergulen's Land, or Desolation 

 Island, on Tuesday, the 31st of December; and at 9 P.M. came to 

 anchor in four fathoms of water, in Christmas Harbour, where we pro- 

 posed to pass the remainder of the Christmas holydays, which, in the 

 southern hemisphere, occur at midsummer. 



January ^Ist, 1823. — At 4 A. M. I took the boats, with the second 

 officer, and went in search of seal, leaving the first officer and three 

 men to take care of the vessel and repair her sails and rigging, which 

 were very much out of order from the almost continual gales of wind 



