Ivi t N T R O D U C T I O n; 



there are others, no doubt, who, too diffident of their owri 

 abilities, or too indolent to exert them, would wifli to have 

 their refle6lions affifled, by pointing out what thofe ufeful 

 purpofes are. For the ufe of fuch, the following enumera- 

 tion of particulars is entered upon. And if there fliould be 

 any, who affeft to tindervalue the plan, or the execution of 

 our voyages, what fhall now be offered, if it do not convince 

 them, may, at leall, check the influence of their unfavour- 

 able decifion. 



I. It may be fairly confidered, as one great advantage ac- 

 cruing to the world from our late furveys of the globe, 

 that they have confuted fanciful theories, too likely to give 

 birth to impracfticable undertakings. 



After Captain Cook's perfevering and fruitlefs traverfes 

 through every corner of the Southern hemifphere, who, for 

 the future, will pay any attention to the ingenious reveries of 

 Campbell, deBroires,and de Buffon ? or hope toeflablifli an in- 

 tercourfe with fuch a continent as Maupertuis's fruitful ima- 

 gination had pidured? A continent equal, at lead, in extent, 

 to all the civilized countries in the known Northern hemi- 

 fphere, where new men, new animals, new produftions of 

 every kind, might be brought forward to our view, and dif- 

 coveries be made, which would open inexhauflible trea- 

 fures of commerce *. We can now boldly take it upon us 

 to difcourage all expeditions, formed on fuch reafonings 

 of fpeculative philofophers, into a quarter of the globe, 



* See Maupertuis's Letter to the King of PrufTia. The author of the Preliminary 

 Difcourfe to Bougainville's Voyage aux IJles Makiiines, computes that the Southern 

 continent (for the exigence of which, he owns, we muft depend more on the .con- 

 jsctures of philofophers, than en the teftimony of voyagers) contains eight or ten 

 millions of fauare leagues. 



-j- where 



