368 Account of the Discovery of New South Shetland, 
the inhabitants, animals, vegetables, indeed the natural pro-» 
ductions of every description, differed from all others yet 
known; and also where objects for commercial traffic might be 
found that would exceed all the treasures of the known world. 
Buffon, De Brosses, Campbell, and many others whose works, 
at this distance from the seats of knowledge, I am unable to 
consult, treated the subject in lively colours ; some even went 
so far, as to calculate the superficies of this supposed conti- 
nent at 8 or 10,000,000 square leagues ; an extent of terri- 
tory equal to the amount of all the continents and territorial 
possessions yet discovered. These speculations led to expe- 
ditions of diligent enterprise ; but the attempts of the most 
celebrated navigators, at the head of whom Captain James 
Cook stands most eminently distinguished for his perseve- 
ring and bold efforts to determine the question, entirely fail- 
ed ; and all hopes were long since given up of ever being 
able to ascertain the truth of the old favourite notion of a 
Southern Thule. Captain Cook, from many reasons, detail- 
ed particularly in his description of Sandwich Land, which 
he conceives might be part of this supposed large continent, 
says if any one should have resolution and perseverance 
enough to clear up this point, by proceeding farther to the 
south than I have done, I shall not envy him the honour of 
the discovery, but I will be bold to say that the world will not 
be benefited by it.” 
He was led to form this conclusion from the intensity of the 
everlasting frost ; the apparent absolute barrenness of Sandwich 
Land, which lies in latitude 58° south ; the dangerous naviga- 
tion, and the abundance of ice islands about it, erroneously 
concluding that all land placed in a similar southern latitude 
must be equally inclement and unapproachable. All hopes of 
discovery have therefore long since been abandoned, and it will 
excite no little surprise to hear that a large tract of apparent- 
ly habitable land has been ascertained to exist to the southward 
of Cape Horn, by the captain of a British merchant brig, 
trading between the Rio de la Plata and Chili, who has dis- 
* Cook’s Second Voyage, p, 243. 
