mth Observations on its Importance ^ 375 
pose of verifying or disproving its existence. He passed over 
both the western and eastern shores of the Gulf laid down as 
above mentioned, his tract being, 
61” 45' S. Lat. . 89° W. Long. 
61 49 - - - 84 1' - - 
61 20 - - - 71 50 - - 
60 34 - - - 57 43 - - 
60 20 - - - 53 20 - - 
60 2 - - - 48 25 - - 
But he could neither discover the least indication of land, nor 
could he obtain any bottom soundings. 
“ It was proved, therefore,” says Dr Forster in his account of 
the voyage, ‘‘ that this gulf (and of course the encircling 
land) does not exist, or that it is not rightly laid down in for- 
mer charts, and the latter is much more probable, since it can 
hardly be conceived by what means such a discovery could ob- 
tain a place in the old charts.” 
Captain Cook, next year in the Resolution, sailed over the 
same tract with similar views, “ to ascertain the existence of 
San Sebastian’s Gulf, and the extensive tract of coast laid down 
in Dalrymple’s chart.” Leaving Staten’s land, he passed to 
57° 21' S. Lat. 57° 45' W. Long. 
58° 9' - - 53° 14' - - 
which is the point assigned by Dalrymple as the S. W. point of 
the Gulf ; but fearing he might miss the land said to have been 
discovered by Duclos Gayat, in the ship Lyon in 1756, which 
Dalrymple places in 54° 30' lat. S, and 45° long. W., yet laid 
down in D’Anville’s chart 9* or 10° more to the westward, he 
hauled to the north, and passed to 
56° 4' S. Lat. 53° 36' W. Long, 
where he sounded in 130 fathoms, without finding any bottom ; 
hence to 
55° 4' S. Lat. - 51° 45' W. Long, 
55 12 - - - 50 15 - - 
54 35 - - - 47 56 - - 
54 38 - - - 45 10 - - 
54 28 - - - 42 8 ~ - 
