Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/145

 Continent. That continent is laid down as South Victoria Land, from latitude 64° to 79° south, and from longitude 162° to 97° east. This long line of coast includes not only our fifteen hundred miles of the Antarctic Continent, but also the one hundred and fifty  miles of coast discovered by D’Urville, the French navigator. These lands are named Victoria Land, Mt. Erebus, Mt. Terror, Mt. Sabine, North Cape, Terre Adélie, Cotta  Clara Land, and Enderby Land.

All of the above are, no doubt, detached portions of the Antarctic Continent, which were discovered from  three of our vessels on the 16th of January, 1840. The land was frequently in sight in fair weather, while we  cruised along its shores for fifteen hundred miles. We occasionally obtained soundings from twenty-five to  eight hundred fathoms, the arming being covered in  places with black sand, dead coral, clay, and gravel. Commodore Wilkes very appropriately named the land discovered the Antarctic Continent. Our discovery was also confirmed by Lieutenant Moore in 1845.