"I Am Very Sorry," Says He, "For The Discontented
State Of This Good Gentleman's Mind, And Most Sincerely Wish That
A
southern continent may be found, as I am confident nothing else can
make him happy and good-humoured!" Mr
Dalrymple seems to have set
no bounds to his expectations from the discovery, and accordingly
thought that no bounds ought to be set to the endeavours to accomplish
it. Witness the very whimsical negative and affirmative
dedication of his Historical Collection of Voyages, &c. "Not to, &c.
&c., but to the man, who, emulous of Magalhaens and the heroes of
former times, undeterred by difficulties, and unseduced
by pleasure, shall persist through every obstacle, and not by chance,
but by virtue and good conduct, succeed in establishing an
intercourse with a southern continent, &c!", A zeal so red-hot as
this, could scarcely be cooled down to any thing like common sense, on
one of the fields of ice encountered by Cook in his second voyage; but
what a pity it is, that it should not be accompanied by as much of the
inventive faculty, as might serve to point out how impossibilities can
be performed, and insuperable obstructions removed! It is but justice
to this gentleman to say, that his willingness to undertake such a
task, was as enthusiastic as his idea of its magnitude and importance.
His industry, besides, in acquiring information in this department of
science, and his liberality in imparting it, were most exemplary. On
the whole, therefore, saving the circumstances of fortune and success,
he may be ranked with any of the heroes of former times!
It would be well to remember, that the Deity is not bound to act
according to our notions of fitness; and that though it may not always
be easiest, yet it is certainly most modest to form our theories from
a survey of his works, rather than the nursery of our own prejudices.
The following observations may be of utility to some readers. The
motion of the earth about its axis is uniform, and quite unaffected by
the irregularities on its surface or of its density. This is a fact to
be admitted, not an opinion to be proved. But in point of reasoning,
it is quite demonstrable, that the highest mountain on the surface of
the earth, bears no larger a proportion to the magnitude of the earth,
than a grain of sand does to that of one of our largest globes, and
can have no more effect on its motion: Besides, as is noticed by Mr
Wales, every body will be in equilibrio, however irregular, when it
is suspended or revolves on a line passing through its centre of
gravity, and will not have either its rest or motion disturbed by any
irregularities lying in the direction of that line, which may be
safely supposed the case with our earth. The simple addition of any
fluid matter to a body so circumstanced, will not cause any
aberration, as it will distribute itself in the parts nearest to the
centre of gravity, without regard to the centre of the body, which may
or may not be the same.
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