74 
French Antarctic Expedition . 
FRENCH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 
(From the Hobart Town Courier, Feb. 28, 1840.) 
Every inhabitant of Hobart Town may call to mind the 
circumstance of the two vessels EAstrolabe and La Zelee , 
placed under the orders of Commodore Dumont d’Urville, 
having visited this port during the latter part of last Decem¬ 
ber, where they remained for fifteen days. These corvettes 
are again in our harbour, having returned to receive on board 
such of the men as were allowed to remain for the benefit of 
their health. 
These vessels, which have succeeded in reaching us after a 
long and painful voyage of discovery to the south of Cape 
Horn, across the greater part of Polynesia, and through 
the Oriental Archipelago, were attacked by dysentery on their 
passage from Sumatra to Van Diemen’s Land; an evil from 
which most of the men were dangerously suffering, and to 
which many fell victims. 
Notwithstanding this draw back, Commodore d’Urville was 
desirous of proceeding a second time towards the South Pole, 
for the purpose of ascertaining the limits of the icy regions 
in this part of the globe, but more especially for gathering 
positive data concerning the true position of the southern 
magnetic pole. They have now happily terminated this part 
of their voyage in a measure beyond their expectations. 
For the interests of science, as well as to obviate all erro¬ 
neous supposition and ridiculous exaggeration upon this un¬ 
explored quarter. Captain d’Urville lias kindly favoured us 
with the following succinct and correct account of the principal 
results he has obtained. 
The vessels leaving Hobart Town on the 2nd January, 
favoured by constant winds from W.S.W. to W.N.W., were 
able to direct their course S.JS.W. for a distance of 1350 
miles. 
On the 15tli January, about 50° south latitude, they crossed 
the track of Cook in 1773, the only navigator on record who 
had advanced so far in this direction. The next day, about 
G0° south, they met with the first island of ice. From which 
time the number and dimensions of these islands increased 
gradually until the 19th January, when they became almost 
innumerable. In the evening, about 66° south, they observed 
land stretching from the S. to the W.S.W. as far as the eye 
could reach either way. 
Wending a circuitous route through an assemblage of enor¬ 
mous icebergs, closely situated together, during the 21st Janu¬ 
ary, the two corvettes approached the land within a distance 
of five or six miles, and favoured w ith fine weather, and a light 
breeze from the east, they sailed for a while in a line with the 
