This Account Explains At Once All
The Mysteries Which The Best Writers Upon This Subject Have Found In
The Dutch Proceedings.
It shows why they have been at so much pains
to obtain a clear and distinct survey of these distant countries;
why they have hitherto forborne settling, and why they take so much
pains to prevent other nations from coming at a distinct knowledge
of them:
And I may add to this another particular, which is that it
accounts for their permitting the natives of Amboyna, who are their
subjects, to carry on a trade to New Guinea, and the adjacent
countries, since, by this very method, it is apparent that they gain
daily fresh intelligence as to the product and commodities of those
countries. Having thus explained the consequence of Captain
Tasman's voyage, and thereby fully justified my giving it a place in
this part of my work, I am now at liberty to pursue the reflections
with which I promised to close this section, and the history of
circumnavigators, and in doing which, I shall endeavour to make the
reader sensible of the advantages that arise from publishing these
voyages in their proper order, so as to show what is, and what is
yet to be discovered of the globe on which we live.
CHAPTER XXI: REMARKS UPON THE VOYAGE.
In speaking of the consequences of Captain Tasman's voyage, it has
been very amply shown that this part of Terra Australis, or southern
country, has been fully and certainly discovered. To prevent,
however, the reader's making any mistake, I will take this
opportunity of laying before him some remarks on the whole southern
hemisphere, which will enable him immediately to comprehend all that
I have afterwards to say on this subject.
If we suppose the south pole to be the centre of a chart of which
the equinoctial is the circumference, we shall then discern four
quarters, of the contents of which, if we could give a full account,
this part of the world would be perfectly discovered. To begin then
with the first of these, that is, from the first meridian, placed in
the island of Fero. Within this division, that is to say, from the
first to the nineteenth degree of longitude, there lies the great
continent of Africa, the most southern point of which is the Cape of
Good Hope, lying in the latitude of 34 degrees 15 minutes south.
Between that and the pole, several small but very inconsiderable
islands have been discovered, affording us only this degree of
certainty, that to the latitude of 50 degrees there is no land to be
found of any consequence; there was, indeed, a voyage made by Mr.
Bovet in the year 1738, on purpose to discover whether there were
any lands to the south in that quarter or not. This gentleman
sailed from Port l'Orient July the 18th, 1738, and on the 1st of
January, 1739, discovered a country, the coasts of which were
covered with ice, in the latitude of 54 degrees south, and in the
longitude of 28 degrees 30 minutes, the variation of the compass
being there 6 degrees 45 minutes, to the west.
In the next quarter, that is to say, from 90 degrees longitude to
180 degrees, lie the countries of which we have been speaking, or
that large southern island, extending from the equinoctial to the
latitude of 43 degrees 10 minutes, and the longitude of 167 degrees
55 minutes, which is the extremity of Van Diemen's Land
In the third quarter, that is, from the longitude of 150 degrees to
170 degrees, there is very little discovered with any certainty.
Captain Tasman, indeed, visited the coast of New Zealand, in the
latitude of 42 degrees 10 minutes south, and in the longitude of 188
degrees 28 minutes; but besides this, and the islands of Amsterdam
and Rotterdam, we know very little; and therefore, if there be any
doubts about the reality of Terra Australis, it must be with respect
to that part of it which lies within this quarter, through which
Schovten and Le Maire sailed, but without discovering anything more
than a few small islands.
The fourth and last quarter is from 270 degrees of longitude to the
first meridian, within which lies the continent of South America,
and the island of Terra del Fuego, the most southern promontory of
which is supposed to be Cape Horn, which, according to the best of
observations, is in the latitude of 56 degrees, beyond which there
has been nothing with any degree of certainty discovered on this
side.
On the whole, therefore, it appears there are three continents
already tolerably discovered which point towards the south pole, and
therefore it is very probable there is a fourth, which if there be,
it must lie between the country of New Zealand, discovered by
Captain Tasman, and that country which was seen by Captain Sharpe
and Mr. Wafer in the South Seas, to which land therefore, and no
other, the title of Terra Australis Incognita properly belongs.
Leaving this, therefore, to the industry of future ages to discover,
we will now return to that great southern island which Captain
Tasman actually surrounded, and the bounds of which are tolerably
well known.
In order to give the reader a proper idea of the importance of this
country, it will be requisite to say something of the climates in
which it is situated. As it lies from the equinoctial to near the
latitude of 44 degrees, the longest day in the most northern parts
must be twelve hours, and in the southern about fifteen hours, or
somewhat more, so that it extends from the first to the seventh
climate, which shows its situation to be the happiest in the world,
the country called Van Diemen's Land resembling in all respects the
south of France. As there are in all countries some parts more
pleasant than others, so there seems good reason to believe that
within two or three degrees of the tropic of Capricorn, which passes
through the midst of New Holland, is the most unwholesome and
disagreeable part of this country; the reason of which is very
plain, for in those parts it must be excessively hot, much more so
than under the line itself, since the days and nights are there
always equal, whereas within three or four degrees of the tropic of
Capricorn, that is to say, in the latitude 27 degrees south, the
days are thirteen hours and a half long, and the sun is twice in
their zenith, first in the beginning of December, or rather in the
latter end of November, and again when it returns back, which
occasions a burning heat for about two months, or something more;
whereas, either farther to the south or nearer to the line, the
climate must be equally wholesome and pleasant.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 18 of 50
Words from 17649 to 18799
of 50938
