EARLY HOME. 29 



Cook, who between the years 1768 and 1779 had explored in 

 three successive voyages the whole extent of the Southern 

 Ocean, the veil that had concealed one half of our globe had 

 been rent asunder and the whole civilised world fired with enthu- 

 siasm. The noble example of Cook and his companion Banks, 

 of such men as Solander, Sparrmann, and the two Forsters, 

 inflamed the zeal of other navigators, and led to the expedi- 

 tions of Vancouver and Flinders to the coasts of Australia and 

 New Zealand. 



The zeal thus manifested in maritime discovery was equally 

 displayed in the investigation of unknown continents. Through 

 the policy of Catherine of Eussia, various expeditions had been 

 despatched for the exploration of different parts of the continent 

 of Asia ; those to the northern districts were under the care of 

 Ginelin, Pallas, Georgi, and Giildenstadt, associates of the 

 Academy of St. Petersburg, while Thunberg, also a distinguished 

 academician, was entrusted with the exploration of the provinces 

 of Eastern Asia : and while the Asiatic Society of London 

 undertook the exploration of India, and the various embassies 

 of Great Britain furnished geographical information concerning 

 the countries of Thibet, China, and Java, Niebuhr, Volney, 

 Choiseul-Gouffier, and Le Chevalier contributed, under the 

 auspices of the French Government, most valuable data in 

 reference to Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor, not only as 

 regarded geographical discovery, but also concerning the history 

 of those countries and their natural characteristics. Since the 

 formation of the African Association of London, in 1768, the 

 continent of Africa had in like manner been subjected to exten- 

 sive exploration, and the most important^ information obtained 

 of the northern and eastern districts by the travels of Sonnini, 

 Niebuhr, Forskal, Hoest, Poiret, Desfontaines, Volney, Bruce, 

 Houghton, and Hornemann ; of Western Africa by the expe- 

 ditions of Norris, Isert, Golberry, and Grandpre ; and of the 

 southern regions by the explorations of Thunberg, Sparrmann, 

 Paterson, and Le Vaillant. The spirit of the age led Hearne 

 and Mackenzie, the one as discoverer, the other as explorer, to 

 visit even the polar regions of North America. The time 

 indeed was rapidly approaching when almost the entire globe 

 should be thrown open to the spirit of exploration then 



