embarraffinents of a labyrinth, now known to be fo intricate,
and the unavoidable fource of danger and delay, we
have the fatisfaction to have difcovered, that a fafer and
more expeditious entrance into the Pacific Ocean, may be
reafonably depended upon. The pafiage round Cape Horn,
has been repeatedly tried, both from the Eaft and from the
Weft, and ftript of its terrors. We ihall, for the future, be
lefs difcouraged by the labours and diftrefles experienced by
the fquadrons of Lord Anfon and Pizarro, when we recoiled,
that they were obliged to attempt the navigation of thofe
feas at an unfavourable feafon of the year; and that there
was nothing very formidable met with there, when they
were traverfed by Captain Cook.
To this diftinguifhed navigator was referved the honour
of being the firft, who, from a feries of the moft fadsfaclory
obfervat-ions, beginning at the Weft entrance of the Strait o f
Magalhaens, and carried on, with unwearied diligence,
round Tierra del Fuego, through the Strait of Le Maire, has
conftruifted a chart of the Southern extremity of America,
from which it will appear, how much former navigators
muft have been at a lofs to guide themfelves, and what
advantages will now be enjoyed by thofe who ihall hereafter
fail round Cape Horn.
IV.
As the voyages of difcovery, undertaken by his Majefty’s
command, have facilitated the accefs of ihips into the Pacific
Ocean, they have alfo greatly enlarged our knowledge
of its contents.
Though the immenfe expanfe ufualty diftinguifhed by
this appellation, had. been navigated by Europeans for
3 near
near two centuries and a half*, by far the greater part of
it, particularly to the South o f the equator, had remained,
during all this time, unexplored.
The great aim of Magalhaens, and o f the Spaniards in
general, its firft navigators, being merely to arrive, by this
pafiage, at the Moluccas, and the other Afiatic Spice Iflands,,
every intermediate part of the ocean that did not lie contiguous
to their Weftern track, which was on the North fide
of the equator, of courfe efcaped due examination ; and if
Mendana and Quiros, and fome riamelefs conductors of
voyages before them f , by deviating from this track, and
holding a Wefterly one from Callao, within the Southern
tropic, were'fb fortunate as ‘to meet with various iflands
there, and fo fanguine as to cdnfider thofe iflands as marks
of the exiftence o f a neighbouring Southern continent $ in
the exploring o f which they flattered themfelves they lhould
rival the fame of De Gama and Columbus; thefe feeble
efforts never led to any effectual difclofure of the fuppofed
hidden mine o f the New World. On the contrary, their
voyages being conducted without a judicious plan, apd their
difcoveries being left imperfeCt without immediate fet-
tlement, or fubfequem^amioatipn,, apc^carcely recorded
in any well-authenticated or accurate narrations, had been
almoft forgot; or were fo obfcurely remembered, as only to
ferve the purpofe of producing perplexing debates about
their flotation apd extent; i f not to fuggeft doubts about
their very exiftence.
* Magalhaens’s Voyage was midertaken in 1519.
t See the particqlays o f ,thpir difcoy^ries fo Mr.' DalrymphPs valuable C o lle to n
of Voyages in the South Pacific Ocean.
V o l . I. b I t