TERRA AUSTRALIS INCognita, a name for a supposed unknown continent lying towards the south pole. It was an object of search to several navigators, among others to Captain Cook, who made the circuit of the Southern Ocean in a high latitude, and came to the conclusion that there could be no continent in that quarter, unless so far south as to be out of the reach of navigation; but he considered the excessive cold and vast fields of ice which he encountered, as proofs of the existence of land near the pole. This question has, however, been set at rest by the recent discoveries of the French under Captain D'Urville, and the American exploring expedition under Lieutenant Wilkes, which by an extraordinary coincidence were made on the same day (Jan. 19, 1840), at the distance of 720 miles from each other. Lieutenant Wilkes states that his discoveries have led him to the following conclusions: "1st, From our discoveries of the land through forty degrees of longitude, and the observations made during this interesting cruise, with the similarity of formation and position of the ice during our close examination of it, I consider that there can scarcely be a doubt of the existence of the Antarctic Continent, extending the whole distance of seventy degrees from east to west. 2d, That different points of the land are at times free from the ice barrier. 3d, That they are frequented by seals, many of which were seen, and offer to our enterprising countrymen engaged in those pursuits, a field of large extent for their future operations. 4th, That the large number of whales of different species seen, and the quantity of food for them, would designate this coast as a place of great resort for them. The fin-backed whale seemed to predominate.

"We proceeded on our cruise to the northward and eastward, with strong gales, until we reached the latitude of certain islands laid down on the charts as the Royal Company's Islands, about six degrees to the westward of their supposed locality. I then stood on their parallel, and passed over their supposed site; but we saw nothing of them, nor any indication of land in the vicinity. I feel confident, as far as respects their existence in or near the longitude or parallel assigned them, to assert that they do not exist. The last ice island was seen in lat. 51° south."