with it, and proved to a demonstration that
this land, which we had taken for part of a great continent, was no more
than an island of seventy leagues in circuit.

Who would have thought that an island of no greater extent than this,
situated between the latitude of 54 deg. and 55 deg., should, in the very height
of summer, be in a manner wholly covered, many fathoms deep, with frozen
snow, but more especially the S.W. coast? The very sides and craggy
summits of the lofty mountains were cased with snow and ice; but the
quantity which lay in the valleys is incredible; and at the bottom of
the bays the coast was terminated by a wall of ice of considerable
height. It can hardly be doubted that a great deal of ice is formed here
in the water, which in the spring is broken off, and dispersed over the
sea; but this island cannot produce the ten-thousandth part of what we
saw; so that either there must be more land, or the ice is formed
without it. These reflections led me to think that the land we had seen
the preceding day might belong to an extensive track, and I still had
hopes of discovering a continent. I must confess the disappointment I
now met with did not affect me much; for, to judge of the bulk by the
sample, it would not be worth the discovery.

I called this island the isle of Georgia, in honour of his majesty. It
is situated, between the latitudes of 53 deg. 57' and 54 deg. 57' S.; and
between 38 deg. 13' and 35 deg. 34' west longitude. It extends S.E. by E. and
N.W. by W., and is thirty-one leagues long in that direction; and its
greatest breadth is about ten leagues. It seems to abound with bays and
harbours, the N.E. coast especially; but the vast quantity of ice must
render them inaccessible the greatest part of the year; or, at least, it
must be dangerous lying in them, on account of the breaking up of the
ice cliffs.

It is remarkable that we did not see a river, or stream of fresh water,
on the whole coast. I think it highly probable that there are no
perennial springs in the country; and that the interior parts, as being
much elevated, never enjoy heat enough to melt the snow in such
quantities as to produce a river, or stream, of water. The coast alone
receives warmth sufficient to melt the snow, and this only on the N.E.
side; for the other, besides being exposed to the cold south winds, is,
in a great degree, deprived of the sun's rays, by the uncommon height of
the mountains.

It was from a persu