36 Geography. [Chap. V, 



discovered a number of islands, particularly New 

 Caledonia and the Sandzoich Islands, some of them 

 large and populous, and presenting important ob- 

 jects of commercial and scientific pursuit. His 

 observations threw much light on the manners, 

 the trade, the affmities, and the probable origin of 

 nations. And, finally, to the laudable exertions of 

 this distim?uished vovasrer, and to those of the 

 learned men who accompanied him*, almost every 

 branch of natural history is indebted for great and 

 valuable improvements. And though to these 

 important services his. life was fmally sacrificed; 

 yet seldom has the memory of any man been load- 

 ed with more just and liberal honours, not only 

 by his countrymen, but by the civilised world. 



While capt. Cook was accomplishing the splendid 

 discoveries which have placed him above all vival- 

 ship in the history of modern navigation, the 

 French government, desirous of signalising itself 

 in the same honourable career, began to project 

 voyages for this purpose. Accordingly, in 1766 

 M. Bougainville, a naval commander of talents and 

 enterprise, was sent on a voyage of discovery, in 

 the course of which he circumnavigated the globe. 

 His discoveries were numerous and important, con- 

 sisting particularly of a number of islands in the 

 Pacific Ocean. He displayed great abilities as an 

 officer, observed with accuracy, and reported with 



known to approach so near to each other, that, even setting 

 aside the possibility of passing from one to the other on the 

 ice, the passage might easily have been cllected by means of 

 canoes, or small boatsi 



* Sir Josepli Banks, Dr. Solander, Dr. Forster, and several 

 others. 



