16 INTRODUCTION TO THE 



tions of his first voyage, was, in the course of his 

 second, soon cleared up ; Captain Furneaux, in the 

 Adventure, during his separation from the Resolu- 

 tion (a fortunate separation as it thus turned out) in 

 1773, having explored Van Diemen's Land, from its 

 southern point, along the east coast, far beyond 

 Tasman's station, and on to the latitude 38, where 

 Captain Cook's examination of it in 1770 had com- 

 menced.* 



It is no longer, therefore, a doubt, that we have 

 now a full knowledge of the whole circumference of 

 this vast body of land, this fifth part of the world (if 

 I may so speak), which our late voyages have dis- 

 covered to be of so amazing a magnitude, that, to 

 use Captain Cook's words, it is of a larger extent 

 than any other country in the known world, that does 

 not bear the name of a continent. \ 



4. Tasman having entered the Pacific Ocean, after 

 leaving Van Diemen's Land, had fallen in with a 

 coast to which he gave the name of New Zealand, 

 The extent of this coast, and its position in any 

 direction but a part of its west side, which he sailed 

 along in his course northward, being left absolutely 

 unknown, it had been a favourite opinion amongst 

 geographers, since his time, that New Zealand was 

 a part of a Southern continent, running north and 

 South, from the 33 to the 64 of South latitude, and 

 its northern coast, stretching cross the South Pacific 

 to an immense distance, where its eastern boundary 

 had been seen by Juan Fernandez, half a century 

 before. Captain Cook's voyage in the Endeavour 

 has totally destroyed this supposition. Though Tas- 

 man must still have the credit of having first seen 

 New Zealand, to Captain Cook solely belongs that 

 of having really explored it. He spent near six 

 months upon its coasts in 1769 and 1770}, circum- 



* Vol. iii. chap. 7. f Vol. ii. p. 202, 



J From October 6. 1769, to March 31. 1770. 



