especting these
matters somewhat at length, that the reader may have an opportunity of
seeing how far they were borne out by my own subsequent experience.

In 1831, Captain Briscoe, in the employ of the Messieurs Enderby,
whale-ship owners of London, sailed in the brig Lively for the South
Seas, accompanied by the cutter Tula. On the twenty-eighth of February,
being in latitude 66 degrees 30' S., longitude 47 degrees 31' E., he
descried land, and "clearly discovered through the snow the black
peaks of a range of mountains running E. S. E." He remained in this
neighbourhood during the whole of the following month, but was unable
to approach the coast nearer than within ten leagues, owing to the
boisterous state of the weather. Finding it impossible to make further
discovery during this season, he returned northward to winter in Van
Diemen's Land.

In the beginning of 1832 he again proceeded southwardly, and on the
fourth of February was seen to the southeast in latitude 67 degrees 15'
longitude 69 degrees 29' W. This was soon found to be an island near the
headland of the country he had first discovered. On the twenty-first of
the month he succeeded in landing on the latter, and took possession of
it in the name of William IV, calling it Adelaide's Island, in honour
of the English queen. These particulars being made known to the Royal
Geographical Society of London, the conclusion was drawn by that body
"that there is a continuous tract of land extending from 47 degrees
30' E. to 69 degrees 29' W. longitude, running the parallel of from
sixty-six to sixty-seven degrees south latitude." In respect to this
conclusion Mr. Reynolds observes: "In the correctness of it we by
no means concur; nor do the discoveries of Briscoe warrant any such
indifference. It was within these limits that Weddel proceeded south on
a meridian to the east of Georgia, Sandwich Land, and the South Orkney
and Shetland islands." My own experience will be found to testify most
directly to the falsity of the conclusion arrived at by the society.

These are the principal attempts which have been made at penetrating to
a high southern latitude, and it will now be seen that there remained,
previous to the voyage of the Jane, nearly three hundred degrees of
longitude in which the Antarctic circle had not been crossed at all.
Of course a wide field lay before us for discovery, and it was with
feelings of most intense interest that I heard Captain Guy expre