DISCOVERY UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS

Poignant's double-column text covers the period from the Portuguese explorers to Ross' antarctic voyage with a footnote on 20th-century discoveries in the New Guinea highlands, and emphasis is on the expeditions per se rather than the indigenous cultures. Unfortunately allusions to anecdotes (which must surely be fascinating) or to a reality behind the perception of Tahitians as ""noble savages"" are seldom followed through, and this has little of the charm of Moorehead's adult popularization, The Fatal Impact. But Poignant's account is well-balanced and makes judicious use of primary sources, and the photos, old maps and prints (many in color) will go a long way toward offsetting its dryness. One of this series' more solid entries.