Ve aptly exchanged for that of Notafta, o f th e fame fenfc with the former,
fout uffed in a- more limited acceptation.* A deferiprion of this
■ country naturally follows that o f 'Afia, and the,
Indian ocean; and will be -properly fucceaded by that o f Poljmefi^or
the- iflands in the Pacific:; which are far remote
coaft, but are eonneded by brief paffages with Auftralafia, the . Sandwich,
iflands alone- excepted, which- may however followed,.by
groups to be difcovered to the S. W, fo as ta.be 'conne&ed with
-Polynefia. Therreader needs fcarcely be reminded that, in • this; quarter
alone of the world this remarkable exception occurs^,-for the,iflands
.belonging to both Americas, to Africa, and to proper, are,-.fuffictentljr
,diftin£t and appropriated, .whfle the name of M a tic jflp ^ en ^ hQ 11.? as
Afia' itfdf, might be diffufed to fuch an extent, as to embroil fop Utipoft
powe^of geographical defbriptioiv and prefent only vague confufion,
inftead o f feientific precifiop, K > It
In foe eye o f fome geologifts the ifles of Sunda, the p i g J P
others in the Indian oceaar are gradually enlarging, .and jnay,in'time,
with Auftralafia and Polynefia, form a vaft new continent. j^wh^^ne
or other of the ancient continents will be iubmerged under,the ocean ;
and i f foe moft exhausted and ufelefs muftfidi, Africa woujd,^erifh.
But fuch inMtginary views are foreign to thepir^ent.defign^which, p l y
attempts & precife defeription of what, really exifts; and foe due. jeon-
ne£tion and relation o f the parts to each other; an objea attended with
many difficulties in this particular region , o f foe globe. Before a proper
arrangement can be followed it will be proper to fix fome limits, between
the Indian and Pacific oceans.
As fop continent o f America divides the Atlantic, or, Great ^eftern
ocean, from the Pacific, or Great Eaftern ocean, (both.4 h -termed in
relation to the ancient-and civilizedworld*) andas Africa-dividea-the
Atlantic from foe Indian ocean, fo, by parallel ufage and deduction,
what is called New Holland may be confidered as the fixed 'divifion
between the Indian and Pacific, thus claiming with juftice the authority
o f a continent, wafiied by the Indian ocean on the weft, and the Pacific
on the eaft; while a line drawn from the moft prominent central capes,
* From the Greek Word notot) the fouth; as auftiK iff in the La tin.
; 8 ; ■ ■ ’ - J®
in the north and. fouth, may be - regarded as a boundary of thefe two
oceans. The fouthern extenfion- of.this imaginary line is o f little
moment; but in thbj north it muft be confidered as a divifion of great
importance to precife difeuflion, 'as the ifles on foe weft muft be confidered
as ftri&ly Afxatic, and intimately ■ connected with the defeription
of A fia ; while thofe on the .right belong to Auftralafia, and Polynefia.
This divifion muft naturmyfoipd unavoidably depend on foe obferva-
tion o f the wideft channel between the Molucca iflands,* and Papua,
or; New Guinea: and the degree of longitude; ifo * ‘*From Loiido’n,
feems nearly'to amount, to.,a, boundary. Hence Amboyna Belöpgs'tp
the Afi^tic jfleSj while>Timor-Iaüt betongsito Auftralafia-, ‘ The meridian
o f ,boundary panes through Ceram ; mui' the proximity o f that to
Amboyna may properly cprinedt it with- the 'Afiatic ifles,' with- winch
Myfol may alfo Be clafled. From the N. W'J extremity'of Papua, o i‘
rather’fome final! iflands lying at that extremity, a cljbkr lifie may be
drawn*, following the fame meridian, and lbaying GlPoib kmong the
Afiatic ifles an the W. and thofe of Pelew "among the- Pölynèfian in the
Pa'cific. This line thehhénding'N. W. .would*in'clude- thp Philippine
iflknids dnd the Balhees, pafling to the S. of Formofa; the other limits
and appellations being fufliciently clear.
Such, may therefore be the aflumed boundary between the Indian
ocean, and Chinde, &c. fea on the W. and the' Pacific 0n‘the E. and
between the Afiatic ifles, and Auftralafia and Polynefia.1 ’ The boundary
between the two latter great divifions may- bè traced in confönance; as
would' feem, with the ideas b f'M . De. Broftès, -by -regarding. what is
called New. Hollarid as a continent, or great-léadih^iifland, with which
fobfe moft, adjacent muft,-be regarded as oonne'£ted.-\dHenee-Papua
belongs nrAuftralafia: and a line drawn in thè latitude-of three or four
degrees to the N. of the .equator, and then palling -S. in the meridian o f
170° E. frpm Greenwich, fo as to include foie New Hebudes,.thence in
the parallel' o f 30° S. gradually ftretching. to 17 V“1 W. from Green-
# This name, originally confined to five fmaiï ifi-a^Fs, has been* extended by. the French
geographers to a large group between Borneo and. New^Guinea.| . >
Mr. Foreft, p. 31, regards'Gfiolo as^ the boundary bètWèéiPthe Indian deean and Pacific.§ |
' 3 K 2 wich,