ANTARCTIC RESEARCHES. In a note to page 573, vol. i. we noticed the discovery of the islands now known as New South Shetland, by Captain Smith, the master of an English merchantman. This occurred in 1819; and they have since been a favourite resort of sealers, who have there reaped a plentiful harvest. Bellinghausen, a Russian navigator, in 1820 reached 654° south, a few degrees to the east of Cook's track, but without discovering land; in 1832, Capt. Biscoe, master of the 'Tula,' a whaler belonging to Messrs. Enderby, discovered land in two places about 130° apart on the parallel of the Antarctic circle, to which he gave the names of Graham and Enderby's Land. In 1839, Balleny, another of Messrs. Enderby's captains, discovered the five islands which now bear his name, the centre one of which he placed in latitude 66° 44° south, and longitude 163° 11' east, the land bearing from west to east-bysouth. In 1840, Capt. D'Urville, commanding a French expedition in the 'Astrolabe' and 'Zélie,' traced the coast of a continent, to which he gave the name of Terre Adélie, for a distance of 150 miles, comprised between 66° and 67° of south latitude, and 136° and 142° of east longitude. More recently, Captain Ross has traced the coast of a southern continent, which, it seems probable, is a continuation of that observed by D'Urville, for upwards of 200 miles; but as only scattered reports of his proceedings have reached this country, the full extent of his researches is yet unknown to us. Very recently, a strange claim has been set up by Lieut. Wilkes, the commander of an American expedition. He denies Balleny's discovery, and claims to have preceded the French in the discovery of a southern continent; but as he asserts that he saw land (but did not prove the fact by going on shore) in a track over which Capt. Ross affirms that he sailed in an open sea, and as, moreover, some of his own officers have disputed the accuracy of his statements, but little reliance can be placed upon what he has advanced. The subject of the formation of ice is one that we have heretofore referred to (vol. i. p. 577) as intending to treat at large in this place: we then thought it probable that some new lights would be thrown upon it by the publication of the two Antarctic expeditions, then at sea, under Captain Ross and Lieut. Wilkes; but as this has not yet occurred, the voyage of the former being still unfinished, and only a meagre "Synopsis" of that of the latter having yet reached this country, we can add nothing to what we have stated in our note at the above-mentioned page, which contains the substance of the received opinions on the subject. THE END. |