Chapter I. The Kerguelen Islands.

           Nodoubtthefollowingnarrativewillbereceivedwithentireincredulity,butIthinkitwellthatthepublicshouldbeputinpossessionofthefactsnarratedin“AnAntarcticMystery.”Thepublicisfreetobelievethemornot,atitsgoodpleasure.

           NomoreappropriatesceneforthewonderfulandterribleadventureswhichIamabouttorelatecouldbeimaginedthantheDesolationIslands,socalled,in1779,byCaptainCook.Ilivedthereforseveralweeks,andIcanaffirm,ontheevidenceofmyowneyesandmyownexperience,thatthefamousEnglishexplorerandnavigatorwashappilyinspiredwhenhegavetheislandsthatsignificantname.

           Geographicalnomenclature,however,insistsonthenameofKerguelen,whichisgenerallyadoptedforthegroupwhichliesin49°45’southlatitude,and69°6’eastlongitude.Thisisjust,becausein1772,BaronKerguelen,aFrenchman,wasthefirsttodiscoverthoseislandsinthesouthernpartoftheIndianOcean.Indeed,thecommanderofthesquadrononthatvoyagebelievedthathehadfoundanewcontinentonthelimitoftheAntarcticseas,butinthecourseofasecondexpeditionherecognizedhiserror.Therewasonlyanarchipelago.ImaybebelievedwhenIassertthatDesolationIslandsistheonlysuitablenameforthisgroupofthreehundredislesorisletsinthemidstofthevastexpanseofocean,whichisconstantlydisturbedbyaustralstorms.