Polynesia, Extending From The Pelew Isles On The West, To The Isle Of All
Saints On The North-East, And The Sandwich Isles In The East, And Having
For Its Other Boundaries The Latitude Of 20 Deg.
North, and of 50 deg.
South, near
the latter of which it joins Australasia, is the only remaining division of
the globe which remains to come under our cognizance, as having been
explored by maritime expeditions; and as it consists entirely of groups of
small islands, we shall not be detained long in tracing the discoveries
which have been made in these seas.
The Pelew Islands, one of the divisions of Polynesia, though they probably
had been seen, and perhaps visited by Europeans before 1783, were certainly
first made completely known to them at this period, in consequence of the
shipwreck of Captain Wilson on them. The Sandwich Isles, the next group,
have been discovered within the last century by Captain Cook, on his last
voyage. The Marquesas, discovered by Mandana, were visited by Captain Cook
in 1774, by the French in 1789, and particularly and carefully examined
during the missionary voyage of Captain Wilson in 1797. Captain Wallis, who
sailed with Captain Carteret in 1766, but was afterwards separated from him
in his course across the South Pacific, discovered several islands,
particularly Otaheite; to this and the neighbouring islands the name of
Society Isles was given. Such are the most important discoveries that have
been made in Polynesia during the last century; but besides these, other
discoveries of less importance have been made, either by navigators who
have sailed expressly for the purpose, as Kotzebue, &c., or by accident,
while crossing this immense ocean.
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