5' 48" E.; And The Mean Of
Those Made About Tierra Del Espiritu Santo, Gave 10 Deg.
5' 30" E. This is
considerably more than Mr Wales found it to be at Tanna.
I cannot say what
might occasion this difference in the variation observed at sea and on
shore, unless it be influenced by the land; for I must give the preference
to that found at sea, as it is agreeable to what we observed before we made
the islands, and after we left them.
[1] The word Survey is not here to be understood in its literal sense.
Surveying a place, according to my idea, is taking a geometrical plan
of it, in which every place is to have its true situation, which
cannot be done in a work of this nature.
[2] Mr G.F. says that the aspect of the southern shore of Sandwich
Island was very beautiful, and that its forests seemed more rich and
copious than had been observed to the northward. According to him too,
the small islands which formed the harbour were of inconsiderable
height, but finely wooded with the most tufted trees. - E.
[3] "Mallicollo surprised us again with the beauty and shagginess of
its forests, from whence vast numbers of smokes ascended, sufficient
to prove, that a great part of them was inhabited. The land about the
bay which opened up to our view, was to all appearance extremely
populous and fertile. Two small islands were situated in this bay, and
we feasted our eyes on the richness and luxuriance of the prospect,
when the brightest tints of verdure were properly spread." - G.F.
[4] "Beyond the point which included the bay to the north-west, the
country lost something of its exuberant fertility, and was
interspersed with barren spots, though we saw smokes and habitations
on the highest ridges: And at night the mountains were illuminated in
different places, by several lines of fire, some of which appeared to
extend at least half-a-mile in length. The land, which forms the north
side of Bougainville's passage, appeared very extensive, high and
mountainous, and a number of small islands lay along its southern
coast, which were of a very moderate height, and covered with the
finest forests. The continual fair weather which attended this part of
our navigation, made all these beautiful landscapes appear to the
greatest advantage; and the pleasure of contemplating a great variety
of rich sceneries, made us some amends for the wretchedness of our
diet, which at present consisted of no other than the ship's
provisions." - G.F.
[5] Mr G.F. says some of them had bunches of feathers on their heads,
others a white shell tied on the forehead, and one a sago leaf rolled
round his head forming a kind of cap. They came near enough to the
vessel to receive presents, and shewed a peculiar partiality for
nails, which implied some acquaintance with their value and use. It
was impossible to hold conversation with them by any known language,
but it would seem, that their numerals bore strong resemblance to
those of the Friendly Islands, or were indeed the same. There is
reason to think then, as Captain Cook afterwards notices, that these
are the same sort of people, if not the same individuals, that were
seen on the following day. - E.
[6] "Quiros had great reason to extol the beauty and fertility of this
country; it is indeed, to appearance, one of the finest in the world.
Its riches in vegetable productions would doubtless have afforded the
botanist an ample harvest of new plants, as, next to New Zealand, it
was the largest island we had hitherto seen, and had the advantage of
having never been examined by other naturalists. But the study of
nature was only the secondary object in this voyage, which, contrary
to its original intent, was so contrived in the execution as to
produce little more than a new track on the chart of the southern
hemisphere. We were therefore obliged to look upon those moments, as
peculiarly fortunate, when the urgent wants of the crew, and the
interest of the sciences, happened to coincide." - G.F.
This language is by no means to be imputed to any thing like
disrespect towards Captain Cook, who seems to have stood very high in
the author's estimation; it is, in fact, the natural expression of
disappointment at the unexpected and unintended failure of a favourite
speculation, without any reference to the moral agents by whom it had
been immediately occasioned. It does, however, seem to imply censure
of those, who, in planning the expedition, were far more anxious to
make discoveries, than to extend their importance by the labours of
the naturalist. Considering then from whom it comes, a liberal
interpreter would concede a little allowance to its poignancy of
complaint. Men very naturally attach superior importance to studies
which have long and almost exclusively engrossed their own attention,
and are exceedingly apt to ascribe to ignorance, or something still
more dishonourable, that indifference to them which those who are in
power seem to manifest. Much self-denial, as well as much liberal
observation, is required, to overcome such evil surmisings, and to
induce a candid construction of the conduct that thwarts our own
sanguine prospects. These perhaps are rarely to be met with in young
men, who, in general, are intolerant in proportion to the really
honest industry they exercise in particular pursuits, and their
consciousness of the disinterestedness by which they are actuated. But
time accomplishes two great things for those who are capable of
improvement; it demonstrates the erroneousness of many of the
judgments they had formed of the human character and conduct, and it
discloses within their own breasts, several very disquieting
principles and mortifying drawbacks, which necessitate them to lower
the estimate they had made of their own excellence. Where, from
uncommon circumstances, this tuition has never been applied, we shall
find at forty, the same petulance and conceit which characterised the
clever, it may be, but certainly foolish youth of eighteen; and some
persons there are, who, not quite ignorant of the process, are so much
enraged at it, that they continue through life to display the same
offensive appearances, out of mere spite, and because they have not
the honesty to acknowledge that they ever stood in need of
instruction.
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