"Upon the 15th of December," says M. Favre, in his Memoir the Bouvets, in 48 degrees 50 minutes S. lat. (Paris is in N. lat. 48 degrees 50 minutes) and in 7 degrees W. long. (the meridian of Teneriffe), an enormous iceberg was perceived towards five or six in the morning; shortly afterwards many others were seen, surrounded by ice-floes of various sizes. The _Marie_, signalling danger, tacked about, but Bouvet, annoyed by this action, which was likely to affect the confidence of the crews, crowded sail on the _Aigle_, and, by passing the _Marie_, showed his determination to maintain his southern course. To reassure his men, he asserted that it was considered a lucky omen to meet with ice, as it was a certain indication of land at hand. The course was continued to the south, and Bouvet's perseverance was soon rewarded by the appearance of land, to which he gave the name of Cape Circumcision. It was steep, covered with snow, and so shut in by large icebergs, that it was impossible to approach to within seven or eight leagues. It appeared to measure from four to five leagues from north to south. "This land was supposed," says M. Favre, judging from Pietergos' charts, which were used by Bouvet, "to be situated in 54 degrees S. lat. and 26 degrees and 27 degrees east of the meridian of Teneriffe, or between 5 degrees 30 minutes and 6 degrees 3 minutes east of that of Paris." Bouvet would much have liked to make closer acquaintance with this region, but the fogs and contrary winds prevented his reaching it, and he was obliged to satisfy himself with observing it from a distance. "Upon the 3rd of January, 1739," says Bouvet, in his report to the Company, "we made up for what we had lost during the preceding days, and about four in the afternoon, the fog clearing somewhat, we distinctly saw land. The coast, broken throughout its entire length, formed several bays. The summits of the mountains were covered with snow; the sides appeared wooded." After several fruitless attempts to near the coast, Bouvet was forced to relinquish the idea. His sailors were worn out with fatigue, discouraged, and enfeebled by scurvy. The _Marie_ was sent to the Isle of France, and the _Aigle_ directed her course to the Cape of Good Hope, which she reached upon the 28th of February.