SIIETLAND, NEW Sotrrn, an extensive tract of uninhabited land, situated to the south of Cape Horn. It is said to have been lirst discovered by Gherritz, a Dutch navigator, in 1599, but some doubt exists with regard to this fact. It was rediscovered in 1819, by Mr. Smith, the commander of an English merchant vessel, in a voyage from Monte Video to Valparaiso. The circumstance which gave rise to the name of New South Shetland being applied to these islands, was their lying in nearly the same degree of south as the Shetland islands are in north latitude. Its appearance is that of a succession of islands, stretching in a northwest direction.
The ingredients of the rock of which the Shetland islands are formed, appear to be quartz, with dissemi nated iron pyrites, and quartz in prismatic concretions, copper green, and copper pyrites. Among the mine rals, is a rose coloured apophyllite, which has not the tesselated structure so common to this substance. The islands, which are almost all intersected with ice bergs, and some of them covered with snow, present a rocky and barren appearance, and, with the excep tion of a few patches of short grass and some moss, are almost totally devoid of vegetation. These is
lands also exhibit volcanic appearances, as smoke had been observed issuing from the clefts in the rock of one of them. In consequence of the scarcity of her bage, it is impossible that any terrestrial animal could exist. But there are several species of amphibious animals, the principal of which are the sea elephant and the fur seal. The first of these acquired its name from the male having a cartilaginous substance, about five or six inches long, extending from the nose, simi lar to the trunk of the elephant. The birds are not numerous. They consist of a small species of pen guin, fresh water ducks, Port Egmont hens, white pigeons, aglcts, snow birds, and grey and blue pete rels. See \Veddell's royage towards the South Pole, 2d edition, p. 129.