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.
As to the product and commodities of this country in general, there
is the greatest reason in the world to believe that they are
extremely rich and valuable, because the richest and finest
countries in the known world lie all of them within the same
latitude; but to return from conjectures to facts, the country
discovered by De Quiros makes a part of this great island, and is
the opposite coast to that of Carpentaria. This country, the
discoverer called La Australia del Espiritu Santo, in the latitude
of 15 degrees 40 minutes south, and, as he reports, it abounds with
gold, silver, pearl, nutmegs, mace, ginger, and sugar-canes, of an
extraordinary size. I do not wonder that formerly the fact might be
doubted, but at present I think there is sufficient reason to induce
us to believe it, for Captain Dampier describes the country about
Cape St. George and Port Mountague, which are within 9 degrees of
the country described by De Quiros.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 36 of 97
Words from 18418 to 18964
of 50938
