CHAPTER XXIII THE AUSTRALIAN (VICTORIA) QUADRANT (From 00° East to 180° East) ArtHOUGH neither of the great south-polar circumnavigators, Cook and Bellingshausen, en- tered the antarctic circle in this quadrant, yet it was destined to be the theater of the most active and successful efforts to increase the knowledge of Antarctica. First to enter these unknown waters was an English sealer, John Balleny, in the Eliza, with Freeman in the Sabrina. Balleny crossed the circle in 172° E.; 69° S., 220 miles beyond Bellings- hausen’s latitude on this meridian. On February 9, 1839, Balleny discovered five (Balleny) islands, in 164° 29’ E., 66°37’ S. He says: “Saw the appearance of land to the S. W.; at 8 p.M. got within § miles of it, when we saw another piece of land of great height, bearing w. by s. February 10. At 2 A.M. bore up for (the middle island) and got within half a mile, but found it completely icebound, with high perpendicular cliffs . . . . I make the high western points of the middle island, to be 66° 44’ S., 163° 11’ E. Feb. 11. Saw the land bearing about w.s.w., and [235]