French Antarctic Expedition . 
75 
shore. On the evening of the 21st, all the magnetic observa¬ 
tions were successfully effected on one of these ice islands. 
Two boats were also dispatched to collect samples of rock upon 
a point of the coast that was left bare of the ice. 
Commodore d’Urville would have continued his survey of 
the country on the 23rd January, but for the immense masses 
of ice rudely heaped together/ forming an impenetrable bar¬ 
rier, which extended in a direct line from the land towards the 
north as far as was perceptible. At this crisis also he was 
compelled to tack, to extricate himself from the ice with which 
he lound he was surrounded ; and on the following day the 
vessels encountered a very heavy gale of wind from the cast, 
which exposed them to a most perilous situation —La Zelee in 
particular, which for a considerable time was menaced with 
total destruction upon one of the ice islands that bordered the 
heaped masses already mentioned. 
The vessels, however, after the most painful and laborious 
exertion, succeeded in becoming once more at large. Captain 
d’Urville then pursued an easterly course, endeavouring to 
re-approacli the land where an opening seemed to allow of it: 
but the continued line of the misshapen heaps rendered it 
impossible ; and on the 30th January they sailed for nearly 60 
miles along a firm and perpendicular range of coast of about 
one hundred and fifty feet in height, and which appeared to 
surround a solid base : for the land itself was nowhere visible. 
Their view was further obstructed by a mist that overspread 
the horizon, through which nothing was discernable beyond 
ten or twelve miles distance. Proceeding onward a little, the 
masses of ice put a stop to any further course towards the 
S °On the 1st February, about 65° 20' latitude and 131° E. of 
Greenwich, we passed the meridian without declination. The 
variation had become from N.W. to N.E. which it had been 
for several days previous; and the magnetic observations 
made both on shore and at sea gave the mean to determine the 
position of the magnetic pole with all the precision desirable. 
In consequence of which, Captain d’Urville, judging the task 
with which he had been entrusted fulfilled, returned to Hobart 
Town, where he arrived on the evening of tlie 17th February, 
after an absence of 46 days. . 
Notwithstanding the cold, fatigue, aud dangers to which the 
crews were exposed, they have returned m good health, with 
the exception of those belonging to the Zelce who were sick at 
the time of tlieir departure. . 
Commodore d’Urville lias named the land newly discovered 
La Terre Adelee. The part observed, about 150 miles in ex¬ 
tent, is comprised between the 66 and 67 ol latitude on one 
side, and the 136° to the 147° W. of longitude on the 
other. Its mean height is about 1300 feet above the horizon. 
