VAUGONDY AND DALRYMPLE MAPS 93 



Map," was on a scale of -15 inch to a degree. It is reproduced on 

 a slightly smaller scale ('109 inch to a degree) in Bartholomew and 

 Cramp's Australasian School Atlas of 191 5. l It shows a very distinct 

 expanse of water between New Guinea and Cape York Peninsula. 



A comparison of Vaugondy's two maps, therefore, leads to the 

 conclusion that between 1752 and 1756 the cartographer had 

 become convinced of, or had strong reason to suspect, the ex- 

 istence of Torres Strait. What was the source of his information ? 

 As the raison d'etre of the second map was to help in the correct 

 reading of President du Brosses' work, we naturally turn to that 

 work for an explanation of the change in Vaugondy's views between 

 1752 and 1756; and, strange to say, the text only refers to the 

 connection of New Guinea and the Southern Continent as doubtful. 

 Perhaps something was known to Vaugondy of which du Brosses 

 was ignorant. (SEE MAP A.) 



In rediscovering Torres Strait in 1770, COOK was, in one sense, 

 merely settling a question which was still open to discussion, 

 although he discovered a channel distinct from that used by 

 Torres. Had he read Torres' report of 1607 there would have 

 been no such question for him to settle. It is possible that Cook 

 was aware of the conclusion arrived at by Vaugondy between 1752 

 and 1756, without knowing the ground on which that conclusion 

 was based. 



In these circumstances, it would be well to know at what time 

 the fact of Torres' passage through the strait (which he does not 

 claim as a discovery at all) was given to the world, or " published." 



In accordance with the custom and policy of Spain, the report 

 would be kept a secret as long as possible. Likely enough, as it so 

 happened that shortly after Torres' voyages Spain's interest in the 

 South Sea diminished greatly, the report would soon be forgotten, 

 " pigeon-holed " and lost sight of. 



ALEXANDER DALRYMPLE/ an eminent British geographer 

 (afterwards Hydrographer to the Admiralty), published in 1767, an 

 Account of the Discoveries in the South Pacifck Ocean previous to 

 1764. The chart accompanying the volume bears the date of 

 October, 1767, and shows Torres' route between New Guinea and 

 New Holland, but the text makes no reference to Torres' adventures. 



Dalrymple again, in 1770, issued the same map, with the date 

 October, 1767, in his Collection oj Voyages and Discoveries in the 

 South Pacific Ocean. Although Volume I is correctly described as 

 " being chiefly a literal translation from the Spanish Authors," it 

 contains no reference to Torres' report. 



1 The only omission from the reproduction is that of the legend " Carpentarie en 

 1644 " applied to Cape York Peninsula, or perhaps more correctly to the whole of the 

 land supposed to continue eastward to Vera Cruz. 



2 Born 1737. See Biography in European Magazine for Nov., 1802. Mitchell 

 Library, A 923, 9 C. 



