len's discovery, to have been very
shy of publishing a full and distinct account of it. No such account had
been published while Captain Cook lived. Nay, even after the return of
his ships in 1780, the gentleman who obligingly lent his assistance to
give a view of the prior observations of the French, and to connect them
on the same chart with those of our author, though his assiduity in
procuring geographical information can be equalled only by his readiness
in communicating it, had not, it should seem, been able to procure any
materials for that purpose, but such as mark the operations of the first
French voyage; and even for these, he was indebted to a MS. drawing.

But this veil of unnecessary secrecy is at length drawn aside. Kerguelen
himself has published the journal of his proceedings in two successive
voyages, in the years 1772 and 1773; and has annexed to his narrative a
chart of the coasts of this land, as far as he had explored them in both
voyages. Monsieur de Pages, also, much about the same time, favoured us
with another account of the second voyage, in some respects fuller than
Kerguelen's own, on board whose ship he was then an officer.

From these sources of authentic information, we are enabled to draw
every necessary material to correct what is erroneous, and to illustrate
what, otherwise, would have remained obscure, in this part of Captain
Cook's journal. We shall take occasion to do this in separate notes on
the passages as they occur, and conclude this tedious, but, it is hoped,
not unnecessary, detail of facts, with one general remark, fully
expressive of the disadvantages our author laboured under. He never saw
that part of the coast upon which the French had been in 1772; and he
never knew that they had been upon another part of it in 1773, which was
the very scene of his own operations. Consequently, what he knew of the
former voyage, as delineated upon Crozet's chart, only served to perplex
and mislead his judgment; and his total ignorance of the latter, put it
out of his power to compare his own observations with those then made by
Kerguelen; though we, who are better instructed, can do this, by tracing
the plainest marks of coincidence and agreement.--D.]

My instructions directing me to examine it, with a view to discover a
good harbour, I proceeded in the search; and on the 16th, being then in
the latitude of 48 deg. 45', and in the longitude of 52 deg. E., we saw penguins
and divers, a