Chap. V.] Geography. 30 



had been discovered as early as the beginning of 

 the seventeenth century, and, as some suppose> 

 earlier*; but for more than a hundred years after 

 this discovery little was known respecting it. 

 Many supposed it to be a part of the great south-- 

 ^rn continent, for which navigators had been so, 

 long and eagerly searching. In 1770 the celebratfsd 

 captain Cook visited and explored the eastern coast 

 of New-FIolland, to the extent of near two thou- 

 sand miles. In 1773 its insular situation was 

 ascertained by captain Furneaux. Since that pe- 

 riod much geographical and other information re- 

 specting it has been obtained, and presented to 

 the public, by Hunter, Meirshall, Collins, and se- 

 veral others, who have done much toward investi- 

 gating the appearance and productions of some 

 important portions of that extensive country -f , 



To the above may be added the discovery of the 

 Pelew Islands y in 1783, by captain Wilson; the 

 discovery of several islands, a few years afterwards, 

 by captain Shortland, betv^/een Nezv-Holland and 

 Java ; the discovery of another cluster, about the 

 same time, by captain Marshall, in the seas be- 

 tween Nezv-Holland and C/mia ; and the still m^ore 

 interesting information given us by the successive 

 voyages of Portlock, Dixon, Etches, Aleares, and 



solute certainty, whether the whole of this great territory is a 

 continued tract of land, or divided into two or more islands by 

 narrow straits. 



* Mr. Pinkerton, the latest, and probably tlie best systematit. 

 writer on Geography in tlie Englis^h language, seems rather in- 

 clined to adopt the opinion that New-Holland was discovered by 

 the Portuguese and Spaniards, near a centuiy before the Dutch 

 navigators saw Van Diemais Land. 



t Sec the Vo^/a^e of Governor Phillip, 4 to, Ip^fip, 



