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being obtained in comparatively shoal water; and the colour of the water also indicates that it is not, like other southern lands, abrupt and precipitous. This cause is sufficient to retain the huge masses of ice, by being attached by their lower surfaces instead of the sides only."

The ICES that are met with here have been alluded to, and we have not space to dilate on the subject.

The observations of the United States' squadron during their antarctic cruise, January and February, 1840, together with those of the preceding year, would seem to confirm the opinion, that very little change takes place in the line of ice. It may be inferred that the line of perpetual congelation exists in a lower latitude in some parts of the southern hemisphere than in others. The icy barrier retreats several degrees to the South of the antarctic circle to the West of Cape Horn, while to the eastward it in places advances to the northward of that line, which is no doubt owing to the situation of the land. From the great quantities of ice to be found drifting in all parts of the ocean, in high southern latitudes, they were induced to believe that the formation of ice islands is much more rapid than is generally supposed.

DETACHED ISLANDS SOUTH OF LATITUDE 40° S.

Between the western coast of South America and New Zealand, and the vast groups of coral islands forming the Low Archipelago, and other similar collections of minute spots of dry land to the North, and the eternal ices which enclose the land or the sea about the South Pole, we have an immense expanse of ocean, in which, as far as has been hitherto discovered, no portion of the earth's surface rises above the level of the waters: so that the mariner, in traversing this immense extent, comprising more than 110° of longitude, and 45° of latitude, has no fixed point to direct him as to his exact position, other than those drawn from the heavens. The only group stated to exist, that were discovered by the Nimrod, seems to be of somewhat doubtful character.

In proceeding from the eastward, it is not until we reach the vicinity of New Zealand that we encounter any lands; and these consist of a series of small isolated rocky groups, which are arranged in a general N.E. and S. W. direction, rearing their rugged peaks to some height, but at considerable intervals from each other. Upon reference to the chart it will be seen that they form a line of islands parallel to the general trend of the New Zealand ranges of mountains, and also the principal mountain ranges of New South Wales. There may be some connection between these conformities, and the character of their geological formation tends to the same conclusion. Most, if not all, of these islands are of volcanic formation. New Zealand is eminently so, as will be shown hereafter. With this view it may be considered that, should any fresh discoveries be made,

• Narrative of the U. S. Exploring Expedition, vol. ii. p. 329.

they will lie in this general line. From these waters being now so much traversed, however, this is scarcely probable now.

Following the principle we have set out with, we commence with the southernmost and easternmost of the groups.

NIMROD ISLANDS.

A group of islands stated to have been seen by Capt. Henry Eilbech, in the ship Nimrod, in 1828, on her passage from Port Jackson to Rio Janeiro, round Cape Horn. They were placed by him in lat. 561° S., and lon. 158° 30' W., and appear to have been seen at a considerable distance; although numerous birds and amphibious animals, with a great quantity of marine vegetables found in the vicinity, indicated their real existence.*

Capt. Biscoe sought for the group in 1831, but the search was ineffectual. This may arise from the variation of the positions given. The latter stated them to be in lat. 56° 3′, and lon. 157° 50', which, should the first named be correct, would not certainly disprove their existence. The water here, however, looked discoloured, as though on a bank, but no soundings could be obtained. On January 14th, 1832, in lat. 56° 26′ S., and lon. 156° 48′ W., many birds were seen, and much sea.weed was floating about.†

EMERALD ISLAND (?)

This supposed island, in lat. 57° 15′ S., and lon. 163° E., was discovered by Capt. C. W. Nockells; to whom the nautical world is indebted for several useful observations in the Atlantic. The following extract from a communication to Mr. Purdy will explain all:-" At 11 a.m. on the 13th of December, 1821, in the ship Emerald, lat. 57° 30′ S., lon. by chronometer, 162° 12′ E., we saw the resemblance of an island bearing E. by N., about 25 miles distant. It appeared very high, with peaked mountains. At 4 p.m. the weather became. hazy, and commenced blowing a strong gale from that quarter, which lasted for two days; in consequence, we had not an opportunity of ascertaining any particulars. No account of any land seen there has been heretofore given. Several penguins were seen swimming about the ship. Direction, N.E. and S.W., about 30 miles."

The supposed site of Emerald Isle (lat. 57° 15′ S., lon. 162° 30′ E.) was passed by Capt. Wilkes, January 9th, 1841, without seeing it or any other indications of land. It was therefore inferred not to exist in the locality laid down. The current was again found bearing to S.E. 20 miles a day.‡

MACQUARIE ISLAND.

This island was discovered in the early part of the present century by a colonial vessel, and received the name of the governor of New South Wales, a name

• Horsburgh, vol. ii. p. 700.

Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. iii. p. 700.

Narrative of the United States' Exploring Expedition, vol. ii. p. 285.

which has been sufficiently distributed in many parts of this region. It is stated that the discoverers left a party on it, and the persons employed in shooting killed not fewer than 80,000 seals. It was visited, April, 1811, by Mr. T. Garbutt, in the brig Concord, and again in February, 1812, and at both periods found the winds and surf very strong. On both occasions his ship drove, and on the second his boat was upset in the surf, and it and all hands lost. Capt. Bellingshausen, of the Russian navy, visited it in 1820, and Lieut. Langdon, R.N., in 1822; both of these officers have given charts of the island, but they differ considerably from each other. According to the English chart, it is 38 miles in extent from North to South, and its North extreme, called North Head, is in lat. 54° 19' S., and lon. 158° 56', and its South end in lat. 54° 56'. According to the Russian surveyor, it is but 19 miles in extent, and its centre in lat. 54° 39′ S., and lon. 158° 41' E. Agreeably to this the North point is 11' South of that given by Lieut. Langdon. But these observations may be considered as superseded by those of the United States' Exploring Expedition hereafter noticed.

Both the English and the Russian descriptions agree in giving it a breadth of 5 or 6 miles throughout. On the English chart soundings of from 10 to 90 fathoms are marked all along the eastern side at the distance of 3 miles off shore; also two anchorages, but which are open. The northernmost of these bears the name of Buckle, Bagster, and Buchanan Bay; the other, at 2 leagues from the South point of the island, is called Lusitania Road. The North point is surrounded by rocks, which are named Elliot Rocks on the chart.*

The South end of this island is placed by Capt. Wilkes, of the United States' Exploring Expedition, in lat. 54° 44' S., and lon. 159° 49′ E. Off this end at reef of rocks extends for three-quarters of a mile. The island is high and much broken; it is apparently covered with verdure, although a long tufted rank grass was the only plant seen by those who landed.

The highest peak on the island is from 1,200 to 1,500 feet high; and, as far as the observations of the United States' Expedition extended, it had neither tree nor shrub on it. It affords no inducement for a visit, and apparently no suitable place for landing with a boat. A party landed with great difficulty, through the tremendous surf, in an indentation on the West side, and found it tenanted with countless myriads of sea-birds, penguins, and albatrosses.†

The BISHOP AND HIS CLERK are some islands or rocks which lie to the southward of Macquarie Island, according to Capt. Bellingshausen in lat. 55° 15' S., and lon. 159° 0′ E.; but if Capt. Wilkes's longitude be correct, it must be placed more than a degree farther to the East.

The JUDGE AND HIS CLERK, two large naked rocks, lie about 8 leagues N. 20° E., true, from the North end of Macquarie Island; or, according to Bellingshausen, in lat. 54° 22′ S., and lon. 158° 46′ E.; the latter subject, however, to the same question as raised in the previous instance.

• See Purdy's Tables, p. 88; Krusenstern, part ii. p. 9; Horsburgh, vol. ii. p. 662; Nicholas's New Zealand, vol. ii. p. 318.

+ Narrative of the United States' Exploring Expedition, vol. ii. pp. 289-90.

680

CAMPBELL ISLAND

Was discovered by Capt. Fred. Hazelburgh, of the brig Perseverance, belonging to Mr. Robert Campbell, of Sydney, in 1810. According to his account, the island is 30 miles in circumference; the country is mountainous; and there are several good harbours, of which two on the East side are to be preferred. The southernmost of these two he named Perseverance Harbour, and in it Sir James Ross anchored in the Erebus and Terror, December, 1840.

The highest hill seen from the harbour is on its North side, and has an elevation of 1,500 feet. The shores on either side are steep, and rise abruptly to between 800 and 900 feet. The hills, from being less wooded, have a more desolate appearance than those of the Auckland Islands; and though there is abundance of wood in the sheltered places, the trees are nowhere so great as in those islands. These trees especially indicate, by their prostrate position, the prevailing power of the westerly storms. This occurrence of sudden and violent rushes of wind is a remarkable characteristic phenomenon of all the islands about this latitude. It is observed at Kerguelen Land, at Auckland, and especially here.

Sir James Ross had been advised at Van Diemen's Land to take his ships into the harbour near the N.E. point, but, from the entrance, it appeared so exposed to winds from that quarter that he bore away for the southern harbour.

Perseverance Harbour is about 4 miles in depth, running for more than 2 miles in a W.N.W. direction; and thence, after passing a shoal point, with a warning bed of sea-weed off it, on which the Terror grounded, about W.S.W. to its head. In the outer part of the harbour the water is too deep for convenient anchorage; but in the upper part, which is completely landlocked, there is abundant room for a hundred ships to lie in the most perfect security, and excellent water can be had in any quantity. The remains of some huts were found on each side of a cove to the North of the Erebus anchorage; as also the graves of several seamen, and one of a French woman, accidentally drowned. There had been also an establishment at the side of a stream in the N.W. corner of the harbour, but the position was not so good as that of the cove. The observation spot on the beach, near the shoal point, was found to be in lat. 52° 33′ 26′′ S., and lon. 169° 8' 41" E.; variation, 17° 54' E., dip, 73° 53'. High water, full and change, at XII", but presenting the same irregularities as at Laurie Harbour, Auckland Isles. The rise and fall, at neaps, was 43 miles.*

Sir James C. Ross, Voyage of Discovery, &c., vol. i. pp. 154, et seq. A detailed account of its productions will there be found.

AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

The first knowledge of this group is due to the commercial enterprise of British merchants. They were discovered by Capt. Abraham Bristow, in the ship Ocean, a vessel belonging to the late Samuel Enderby, Esq., during a whaling voyage, August 16th, 1806. This was in his third voyage round the world, and the following extract from his log-book, quoted by Sir James Ross, announces the discovery :-" Moderate and clear; at daylight saw land, bearing West by compass, extending round to the North as far as N.E. by N., distant from the nearest part about 9 leagues. This island or islands, as being the first discoverer, I shall call Lord Auckland's (my friend through my father), and is situated, according to my observation at noon, in lat. 50° 48′ S., and lon. 166° 42' S., by a distance I had of the sun and moon at half-past ten, A.M. The land is of a moderate height, and from its appearance I have no doubt but it will afford a good harbour in the North end, and I should suppose lies in about the latitude of 50° 21' S., and its greatest extent is in a N.W. and S.E. direction. This place, I should suppose, abounds with seals, and sorry I am that the time and the lumbered state of my ship do not allow me to examine it."

Capt. Bristow visited them in the following year, 1807, in the Sarah, also belonging to the Messrs. Enderby, when he took formal possession of them for the British crown, and left some pigs there, which have since increased to a surprising

extent.

The islands remained untenanted during the subsequent years, being visited occasionally by vessels in search of whales and seals, the former coming into the bays to calve, during the months of April and May, and the latter consisting chiefly of sea-lions. Among those who came hither (in 1829) was Capt. Morrell, whose work we have before quoted, and whose description of the port he states he examined, is given presently.

In the year 1840 it was visited by the vessels of three nations-the English ships, Erebus and Terror, under Sir James Ross and Capt. Crozier; the French corvettes, L'Astrolube and La Zelée, under Dumont D'Urville; and the United States' Exploring Expedition, under Capt. Charles Wilkes. From the narratives of these voyages we have chiefly derived the subsequent particulars.

They were, as above mentioned, without permanent inhabitants during all the periods of the above visits; but subsequently, a body of New Zealanders, about seventy in number, came over from Chatham Island in a whale-ship, and were landed on the N.E. or Enderby Island. Bringing with them their warlike spirit, their quarrels soon led to an outbreak, and some fighting and loss of life ensued. They then divided into two separate bodies, under different chiefs, about thirty remaining in their original locality; twenty-five more going to the southward; the remainder maintaining separate independence.

From the eminent services rendered to geographical science, and to further those commercial enterprises in which the Messrs. Enderby, for several generations, had so largely engaged, the group was granted by the British government to Messrs. Charles, George, and H. Enderby; and on the formation of the Southern

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