INTRODUCTION. xj 



pleting the circuit of Tierra del Fuego, they began to hold 

 a Northerly courfe, to the uninhabited ifland of Juan Fer- 

 nandez, their ufual fpot of rendezvous and refrefliment. And, 

 after ranging along the continent of America, from Chili to 

 California, they either reverfed their courfe back to the At- 

 lantic ; or, if they ventured to extend their voyage, by flretch- 

 ing over to Alia, they never thought of trying experiments 

 in the unfrequented and unexplored parts of the Ocean ; 

 but chofe the beaten path (if the expreflion may be ufed), 

 within the limits of which it was likely that they might 

 meet with a Philippine galleon, to make their voyage pro- 

 fitable to themfelves ; but could have little profped, if they 

 had been defirous, of making it ufeful to the world, by gain-» 

 ing any acceflion of new land to the Map of the World. 



By the natural operation of thefe caufes, it could not but 

 happen, that little progrefs fhould be made toward obtain- 

 ing a full and accurate knowledge of the South Pacific 

 Ocean. Something, however, had been attempted by the 

 induftrious, and once enterprifing Dutch ; to whom we are 

 indebted for three voyages, undertaken for the purpofes of 

 difcovery; and whofe refearches, in the Southern latitudes 

 of this Ocean, are much better afcertained than are thofe 

 of the earlier Spanifh. navigators above mentioned. 



Le Maire and Schouten, in 1616, and Roggewein, in 1722, 

 wifely judging, that nothing new could be gained by ad- 

 hering to the ufual paflage on the North fide of the line, 

 traverfed this Ocean from Cape Horn to the Eaft Indies, 

 croffing the South tropic ; a fpace which had been fo 

 feldom, and fo ineffedlually vilited ; though popular belief, 

 fortified by philofophical fpeculation, expe(5ted there to 

 reap the richeft harveil of difcovery. 



b 2 Tafman, 



