KERGUELEN LAND, or ISLAND OF DESOLATION, an island of the Indian Ocean, named after its discoverer, Kerguelen, a Frenchman, and visited by Captain Cook in 1779. It is almost totally destitute of vegetation, and has a cold and moist climate. The surface is rugged and mountainous, and the coasts deeply indented by bays and inlets. It is resorted to by numerous wild fowl and seals. N. Lat. 69. 30., E. Long. 49. 20.