NEW SOUTH SlIEHAND ISLANDS, 6:.c. 



477 



grass, buniets, and iiclieus. The rocks are of blackish, liorizoiital strata, perhaps approximating 

 to hornblende. The lark, a hardy bird, appears here as well as in Hudson's Bay, and there 

 are numbers of large penguins, seals, and sea elephants. The abundance of these last attracted 

 the notice of those southern fisheries, who prosecuted the ciiase with such acti\ ily, that tliese 

 animals have been nearly extirpated. 



10. JS'^ew South Shetland Islands, &c. Still further to the south, and more desolate, are 

 the Islands of New South Shetland, which were discovered in 1S18, and taken possession of, 

 in the name of his Britannic majesty. The extent of this group so far as it has been explored, 

 is from 54° to Go-* W. longitude, and from Gl° to G4° S. latitude. It consists of numerous 

 islands without a vestige of vegetation, except a species of moss, and in a few solitary spots, 

 something resembling grass. The interior is mountainous, and covered with eternal snows. A 

 species of coal is found, which burns well. Seals are extremely plentiful, and shrimps and 

 penguins are numerous beyond all conception. The larger islands are 12 in nutnber. Some 

 of the harbors are very good ; vessels in them being land-locked. No field ice is seen in their 

 vicinity, but innumerable ice islands are floating about. 



The principal islands are Barrow's, King George's, and Livingston ; such has been the iin- 

 provident destruction of the seals, for their skins and oil of late years, that even here they have 

 been greatly thinned. To the east is a smaller group called the New Orkneys, and a little to 

 the northeast a number of small islands, which being at first supposed to form a continuous coast, 

 were named Sandwich Land. To the south of New Shetland, in about latitude 65°, a Rus- 

 sian captain, Bellinghausen, lately observed a range of coast which he called Trinity Land, and 

 in 1S31, Captain Biscoe touched upon a coast of uncertain extent, in 6G° south latitude, which 

 he named Graham's Land. Two Russian frigates, in 1829, penetrated to 69°, and found 

 two islets at some distance from each other, to which they gave the name of Peter and Alex- 

 ander ; these are the most southerly spots of land yet known to exist. No human inhabitants 

 are found in these dreary realms, the abode of eternal winter ; but the cupidity of man dares 

 the horrors of these icy seas. The shores are crowded with the huge amphibia, whose rich 

 coating of oil renders them a tempting prize, and a terrible havoc has been made among them, of 

 late years. The walrus of the Arctic regions is here replaced by the sea-elephant, a still larger 

 creature, and richer in oil, and the seals have a fine furred skin, which bring a high price in China. 



These animals, on entering the water, take in a 

 certain quantity of pebbles as ballast, which tliey 

 throw out on coming ashore, 'i'hese coasts are 

 generally distinguished for llie legions of sea- 

 birds, of enormous size and peculiar form ; 

 among which the penguin and the albatros are 

 , , the most remarkable. The latter, known to 



sailors as the man-of-war bird (Diomedea cxu- 

 lans), with wings extending 14 feet or more, is 



Penguin. 



Albatros. 



