322 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



proposal that he should be sent in command of a ship 

 to explore New Holland. One is at first thought some- 

 what surprised to find that Dampier's special wish was 

 to explore New Holland. But he justly refused to accept 

 the few leagues of miserable country he had seen as a fair 

 sample of " this large and hitherto almost unknown tract 

 of land, situated so very advantageously- in the richest 

 climates of the world." To his sun-worshipping nature 

 it appeared that New Holland would have in it " all 

 the advantages of the torrid zone, as being known 

 to reach from the Equator itself (within a degree) to the 

 Tropic of Capricorn and beyond it." " In coasting round 

 it," he wrote in his Journal, "which I designed by this 

 Great voyage, if possible, I could not but hope to meet with 



expectati ns. some f ru itful lands, continents or islands, or both, produc- 

 tive of any of the rich fruits, drugs or spices (perhaps 

 minerals also) that are in the other parts of the torrid 

 zone, upon equal parallels of Latitude ; at least a soil 

 and air capable of such upon transplanting them hither, 

 and cultivation. I meant also to make as diligent a survey 

 as I could of the several smaller islands, shores, capes, 

 bays, creeks, and harbours, fit as well for shelter as defence, 

 upon fortifying them ; and of rocks, and shoals, the sound- 

 ings, tides and currents, winds and weather variation ; 

 whatever might be beneficial for navigation, trade, and 

 settlement ; . . . I intended especially to observe what 

 inhabitants I should meet with, and to try to win them 

 over to somewhat of traffic and useful intercourse, as there 

 might be commodities among them that might befit for trade 

 or manufacture. . . . Though, as to the New Hollanders 

 hereabouts, by the experience I had had of their neigh- 

 bours formerly, I expected no great matters from them." 



An English The voyage, then, was to be to use Sir Joseph Bank's 

 Spice trade. rii r , -i 



useful phrase a voyage of curiosity, a voyage mainly 



aiming, as Dampier always " mainly " aimed, at " more 

 knowledge and experience." But there was also hope 

 that this increased knowledge and experience would 

 lead to increased trade. Tropical New Holland, including 

 under that name New Guinea and the adjacent islands, 



