Finding
The Natives Of A Black Colour, With Frizzled Hair, He Named The Country On
That Account New Guinea.
Thus, the memory of Saavedra was then almost lost,
as every thing is apt to fall into oblivion, unless put upon record, and
illustrated by writing.
In June of this year, 1545, one Pedro Fidalgo, a Portuguese, sailed in a
junk from the city of Borneo; but being driven to the north by contrary
winds, he fell in with a large island, the south extremity of which lay in
nine or ten degrees of north latitude, while it stretched to lat. 22 deg. N.
at its other end, which is called the island of Lucones, from the name of
the nation by which it is inhabited. Perhaps it may have some other name,
of which, as yet, we have not been informed. This island runs from the
north for a great way directly south, and then takes a turn towards the
south-east. It is said that Fidalgo sailed for 250 leagues along the coast
of this island, which is in the midway-between Mindanao and China, and he
reported that the land was fruitful, and well clothed with trees and
verdure; and that the inhabitants will give two pezoes of gold for one of
silver, although so near China, in which the relative value of these
metals is so well understood.
In the year 1553, certain ships were sent out from England, which sailed
to the northward, along the coast of Norway and Finmark, and from thence
east, in seventy or eighty degrees of north latitude, till they came to
Muscovy, to which country one of the ships penetrated; but I have not been
able to learn what became of the rest. From the land of Muscovy, a ship
may sail eastwards to Tartary, at the farthest extremity of which China is
situated. It is reported that there is a wall above 200 leagues in length,
between Tartary and China, in about lat. 50 deg. N.
From all the preceding discoveries, it may be concluded, that, as the
whole earth is 360 degrees, and the ancient writers allow 17-1/2 leagues
for every degree, the entire circuit of the earth would thus be 6300
leagues; but as, in my opinion, each degree is exactly seventeen leagues,
the circuit will then be only 6120 leagues. However this may be, the whole
circuit of the globe has been discovered and sailed over, from east to
west, even almost as it is encompassed and visited by the sun in its
diurnal course. It is quite otherwise, however, in respect to the northern,
and southern parts of the earth. For, towards the north pole, there has
only been discovered hitherto to the latitude of 77 deg. or 78 deg., which make an
extent of 1347 leagues; and between the equinoctial and the south pole,
there has only been discovered to the latitude of 52 deg. or 53 deg. south, or to
the Straits of Magellan; which amounts to no more than 960 leagues.
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