'774* Ocean, it would be neceflary to have the whole fummer be- February. ' _
<■— .---< fore us to explore it. On the other hand, upon a fuppofition
““ ay 1 that there is no land there, we undoubtedly might have
reached the Cape of Good Hope by April, and fo have put an
end to the expedition, fo far as it related to the finding a
continent; which indeed was the firft object of the voyage.
But for me, at this time, to have quitted this Southern Pacific
Ocean, with a good fihip exprefsly fent out on difcoveries, a
healthy crew, and not in want either of ftores or of provi-
fions, would have been betraying not only a want of perfe-
verance, but of judgment, in fuppofing the South Pacific
Ocean to have been fo well explored, that nothing remained
to be done in it. This, however, was not my opinion; for,
although I had proved there was.no continent but what mull
lie far to the South, there remained, neverthelefs, room for
very large iflands in places wholly unexamined: and many
of thofe which were formerly difcovered, are but imperfectly
explored, and their fituations as imperfectly known.
I was befides of opinion, that my remaining in this fea fome
time longer, would be productive of improvements in navigation
and geography, as well as other fciences. I had
feveral times communicated my thoughts on this fubjeCt to
Captain Furneaux; but as it then wholly depended on what
we might meet with to the South, I could not give it in orders,
without running the rifque of drawing us from the
main objeCt.
Since now nothing had happened to prevent me from
Carrying thefe' views into execution, my intention was
firft to go in fearch of the land, faid to have been difcovered
by Juan Fernandez, above a century ago, in
about the latitude of 38°; if I fhould fail in finding
. '3 . ... this
271
this land, then to go in fearch of Eafter Ifland or Davis’s '774-
. - , February. Land; whofe lituation was known with fo little certainty, <— -v-—j
that the attempts lately made toffind it had mifcarried. I Sun ay
next intended to get within the Tropic, and then proceed to
the Weft, touching at, and fettling the fituations of fucb
iflands as We might meet with till we arrived at Otaheite,
where it was neceflary 1 fhould flop to look for the Adventure.
I had alfo thoughts of running as far Weft as the
Tierra Auftral del Efpiritu Santo, difcovered by Quiros, and
which M. de Bougainville calls the Great Cyclades. Quiros
fpeaks of this land as being large, or lying in the neighbourhood
of large lands; and as this was a point which
Bougainville had neither confirmed nor refuted, I thought
it was worth clearing up. From this land my defrgn was to
fleer to the South, and fo back to the Eaft between the latitudes
of 50° and 60° ; intending, if poflible, to be the length
of Cape Horn in November next, when we fhould have the
bell part of the fummer before us to explore the fouthern
part of the Atlantic Ocean. Great as this defign appeared
to be, I however thought it poflible to be executed; and
when I came.to communicate it to the officers, I had the
fatisfaftion to find, that they all heartily concurred in it. I
fhould not do thefe gentlemen juftice, if I did not take fome
opportunity to declare, that they always fhewed the utmofl:
readinefs to carry into execution, in the mod effectual manner,
every meafure I. thought proper to take. Under fuch
circumftances, it is hardly neceflary to fay, that the feamen.
were always obedient and alert; and, on this occafion, they
were fo far from wifhing the voyage at an end, that they
rejoiced at the profpedt of its being prolonged another year,,
and of foon enjoying the benefits of a milder climate.
I now