Taftnáñ, in 11542* in his éxténfivé circuit From Batavia*
through the South Indian Ocean, entered the South Pacific*
at its greateft diftance from the American fide, where it
never had been examined before. And his range continued
from a high Southern latitude-, Northward to New Guinea,
and the iflands to the Eaft o f it near the equator, produced
intermediate difcoveries, that have rendered his voyage memorable
in the annals o f navigation.
But ftill, upon the whole, what was effected in thefe
three expeditions, ferved only to Ihew how large a field,
was referved for future and more perfevering examination*
Their refults had, indeed, enabled geographers to diverfify
the vacant uniformity of former charts o f this Ocean, by
the infertion of fome new iflands. But the number, and.
the extent o f thefe infertions were fo inconfiderable, that
they may be faid to appear
Rari^ n an te s in 'g u r g it e v a f lo v .
And, i f the difcoveries were few, thofe few were made-
very imperfectly. Some coafts were approached, hut not
landed upon ; and pafled without waiting to examine their
extent, and connexion with thofe that might exift at no
great diftance. If others were landed upon,, the vifits were,
in general, fo tran'fient, that it Was fcarcely poflib'le 10 build
upon a foundation, Fo W'e&kly laid, any information that
could even gratify idle curibiity; much lefs fatisfy phflofophical
inquiry, or comribute greatly to the fafety, or to,
the fuccefs of * future navigation. .
Let us, however, do juftice to thefe beginnings of dif-
covery.- To the Dutch we muft, at leaft, afcribe the merit
of being our harbingers, though we afterward went beyond
^ them
them in the road they had firft ventured to tread. And with
what fuccefs his Majefty’s Ihips have, in their repeated
voyages, penetrated into the obfcureft recefles of the South
Pacific Ocean, will appear from the following enumeration
o f their various and very extenfive operations, which have
drawn up the veil that had hitherto been thrown over the
geography of fo great a proportion of the globe.
1. The feveral lands, o f which any account had been,
given, as feen by any of the preceding navigators, Spaniih
or Dutch, have been carefully looked for; and m o l of.
them (at leaft fuch as feemed to be o f any confequence)
found out and vifited; and not vifited in a curfory manner,
but every means ufed to correit former miftakes, and to
fupply Former deficiencies, by making accurate inquiries
afhore, and taking ikilful furveys of their coafts, by failing
round them. Who has not heard, or read, of the boafted
Tierra Australia del Efpiritu Santo o f Quiros r 'But its bold pre-
tenfions to be a part of a Southern continent, could not
Hand Captain Cook’s examination, who failed round it,
and affigned it its true polition and moderate bounds, in the-
Archipelago of the New Hebrides *.
s. Befides perfecting many o f the difcoveries o f their
predeceflors, our late navigators have enriched geographical
knowledge with a long catalogue o f their
own. The Pacific. Ocean, within the South tropic, repeatedly
traverfed, in every direction, was found to-
iwarm with a feemingly endlefs profufion o f habitable
ipots of land. Iflands fcattered through the amazing fpace.
* Bougainville, in 1768, did nb more than difcover that the land "here was-not con*-
n e f t e d , but compofed of iflands. Captain Cook, in 1774, explored -the wlioiegroup* -
See Cook’s Y ° y age9 Vol. ii.'p . 96»-
ofe