200 SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE 
supposing that it was a new discovery. However, his own 
account of the subsequent examination of the coast shows 
a lack of enterprise which cannot but be deplored. The 
land was followed toward the northwest and found to 
consist of two mountainous snow-covered islands. The 
larger, which was dutifully named Louis Philippe Land, 
appeared to be separated from the Trinity or Palmer Land 
of the charts by a strait called Orleans Channel which 
was seen but not navigated as the season was now far 
advanced, although as far as can be gathered from the 
narrative it was by no means blocked by ice. The two 
highest mountains were named after the tw’O captains of 
the French expedition, and another after Bransfield the 
first navigator of the channel between the South Shet- 
lands and Louis Philippe Land. The smaller island to 
the northwest was named Joinville Land; but no land 
exploration was undertaken nor collections of any kind 
procured from the shore. 
On March 5th the season for southern navigation was 
so nearly over that D'Urville felt fully justified in leaving 
the icy waters and pursuing the main object of his expe- 
dition in the Pacific Ocean. There in much more con- 
genial surroundings he spent the greater part of two years 
and gave a very good account of his time when so em- 
ployed. 
Before the end of his great voyage D’Urville resolved 
once more to make an attempt to penetrate the Antarctic 
ice. Lie took this task upon himself in excess of his 
instructions, being led to do so in the virgin field south 
of 6o° S. between 120° and 160 0 E., by the probability of 
finding the magnetic pole in that neighbourhood; and as 
he frankly states in his official report, by the competition 
of the expeditions of Ross and Wilkes directed to that par- 
