94 AUSTRALIA, OR NEW HOLLAND. 



be found in every stream, where amber was washed up on the 

 beach, where spices perfumed the forests, and pearls were 

 plentiful in the shallow waters near the shore. The wild 

 aspect of the Australian coasts consequently offered little 

 temptation to them. Nevertheless, Spanish, Dutch, and 

 English mariners continued to visit those seas, Dampier, 

 between 1684 and 1700, exploring a portion of the north- 

 western coast, and surveying it in the rude manner of his time. 

 Half a century of further research added little to the world's 

 knowledge of this great region ; but IT 70 brought the advent 

 of Captain Cook, whose immortal memory is associated with 

 so many seas and shores. He discovered the eastern coast of 

 Australia from Cape Howe to Cape York, naming the region 

 New South Wales. Many successive voyagers followed, each 

 of whom contributed some tracing to the sea-board of this vast 

 territory, until Captain Stokes, about eight years ago, made the 

 entire circuit of the island, and first enabled the geographer ac- 

 curately to lay down the leading features of its mighty outline.* 

 The daring navigators of Europe explored the shores of 

 Australia, marking its outlaying islands, endeavoring to dis- 

 cover the mouths of rivers, fixing the position of harbors, and 

 laying down the general outline of the island; while inland 

 discovery commenced much later, and made a slower progress. 

 In the south, ridges of hills were known to exist, and believed 

 to be impassable. Not lofty, but precipitous and rugged, they 

 were intersected by deep chasms and broad, barren valleys, 

 sprinkled with half -blasted trees, and piled with masses of 

 sandstone rock landscapes sublime in their melancholy deso- 

 lation. The blue mountains, so named from their habitual 



* To those familiar with the history of maratime discovery, the mention of such 

 names as New Holland, New South Wales, Tasmania, Van Dieman's Land, De Witts, 

 &c., will at once recall the numerous voyages and voyagers connected with th 

 gradual exploration of Australia. 



