INTRODUCTION, 31 



edly met with, is all that the most fortunate dis- 

 coverer can now hope for ; yet still a new voyage to 

 the South Sea appears to me to be important ; 

 there are still so many deficiences to fill up, so 

 many errors to correct. Such a voyage must be 

 considered as the concluding expedition to the 

 South Sea, for the revision of all preceding dis- 

 coveries. It therefore cannot fail to be important 

 to geography and nautical science : and either the 

 English or the French will certainly soon under- 

 take such a voyage. The coasts of all the conti- 

 nents bordering on that sea, and of all the large 

 islands in it, having been surveyed and laid down 

 with admirable accuracy, nothing now remains but 

 to go into the details, that the South Sea may be 

 as accurately known, as the other oceans nearer to 

 us, and in fact there is employment for several 

 years. Thus, for instance, with the exception of 

 some islands accidentally discovered here and there, 

 we know nothing at all of the great Archipelago of 

 the Caroline islands : the Archipelago of Solomon's 

 islands is in like manner, but very imperfectly ex- 

 plored, notwithstanding the valuable labours of 

 D'Entre Casteaux : this is also the case with Louisi- 

 ade, respecting which we are still ignorant whether 

 it is joined to New Guinea or not. Through Lieu- 

 tenant Kotzebue, we have become acquainted with 

 some groups only of an archipelago, wliicli occu- 

 pies an extent of twelve degrees of latitude, and 

 from the knowledge we have acquired through 



