The south polar lands are equally volcanic, and as deeply ice-bound, as those to the north. Victoria Land, which from its extent seems to form part of a continent, was discovered by Sir James Ross, who commanded the expedition sent by the British government in 1839 to ascertain the position of the south magnetic pole. This extensive tract lies under the meridian of New Zealand; Cape North, its most northern point, is situate in 70° 31ʹ S. lat., and 165° 28ʹ E. long. To the west of that cape the northern coast of this new land terminates in perpendicular ice-cliffs, from 200 to 500 feet high, stretching as far as the eye can reach, with a chain of grounded icebergs extending for miles from the base of the cliffs, all of tabular form, and varying in size from one to nine or ten miles in circumference. A lofty range of peaked mountains rises in the interior at Cape North, covered with unbroken snow, only relieved from uniform whiteness by shadows produced by the undulations of the surface. The indentations of the coast are filled with ice many hundreds of feet thick, which makes it impossible to land. To the east of Cape North the coast trends first to S.E. by E. and then in a southerly direction to 78-1/4° of S. lat., at which point it suddenly bends to the east, and extends in one continuous vertical ice-cliff to an unknown distance in that direction. The first view of Victoria Land is described as most magnificent. “On the 11th of January, 1841, in about latitude 71° S. and longitude 171° E., the Antarctic continent was first seen, the general outline of which at once indicated its volcanic character, rising steeply from the ocean in a stupendous mountain-range, peak above peak enveloped in perpetual snow, and clustered together in countless groups resembling a vast mass of crystallization, which, as the sun’s rays were reflected on it, exhibited a scene of such unequalled magnificence and splendour as would baffle all power of language to portray, or give the faintest conception of. One very remarkable peak, in shape like a huge crystal of quartz, rose to the height of 7867 feet, another to 9096, and a third to 8444 feet above the level of the sea. From these peaks ridges descended to the coast, terminating abruptly in bold capes and promontories, whose steep escarpments, affording shelter to neither ice nor snow, alone showed the jet black lava or basalt, which reposed beneath the mantle of eternal frost.”... “On the 28th, in lat. 77° 31ʹ and long. 167° 1ʹ, the burning volcano, Mount Erebus, was discovered, covered with ice and snow from its base to its summit, from which a dense column of black smoke towered high above the other numerous lofty cones and crateriferous peaks with which this extraordinary land is studded from the 72d to the 78th degree of latitude. Its height above the sea is 12,367 feet, and Mount Terror, an extinct crater near to it, which has doubtless once given vent to fires beneath, attains an