FOR THE SOUTH LAND 
53 
France. He returned with a very highly coloured de- 
scription of his discovery, including these statements: 
“ The lands which I have had the happiness to discover 
appear to form the central mass of the Antarctic con- 
tinent, . . . and the land which I have called South 
France is so situated as to command the route to India, 
the Moluccas, China and the South Seas. . . . South 
France can henceforth give new life to the lie de France 
and Bourbon, tripling their sea-trade, provisioning and 
enriching them. . . . The latitude in which it lies 
promises all the crops of the Mother Country from 
v/hich the islands are too remote to derive fresh supplies. 
. . . No doubt wood, minerals, diamonds, rubies, pre- 
cious stones and marble will be found. ... If men of 
a different species are not discovered at least there will 
be people in a state of nature living in their primitive 
manner, ignorant alike of offense or remorse, knowing 
nothing of the artifices of civilised society. In short 
South France will furnish marvellous physical and moral 
spectacles.” 
It seems that Kerguelen failed altogether to convince 
his compatriots; seme were critical, others laughed at 
the whole story as a tissue of lies; but notwithstanding 
the incredible assertions he had made two new ships 
were provided for him and he started on March 26th, 
1773, for a new voyage. This time his instructions were 
to return to the southern lands, to establish a post in a 
suitable place, and then to sail eastward between the 
parallels of 40° and 6o° S., coasting the Southern Con- 
tinent and landing wherever it appeared that useful ob- 
servations could be made. 
Kerguelen reached the lie de France with his ships 
disabled and many of his crew seriously ill. His officers 
