348 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



Let But he was in no way discouraged. He had found 



exploit The ^ e continent, and the continent was the continent that 

 Austral had been described by Quiros, From the Cape of Circum- 

 cision he wished to sail round the South of New Holland 

 to Espiritu Santo, and then to return by Cape Horn., 

 He was in love with Espiritu Santo, its spices, its gold, 

 its pearls, its silk. In the spice trade alone, the French 

 might undersell the Dutch, and make ten million a year. 

 The French would find, as Dutch and British had found, 

 that only a great trade can sustain a great navy. So 

 argued the enthusiastic Bouvet. But the French Company 

 was like other Companies, and said No. 



Science But France was waking up. The new Renaissance 



humanity wmc h made the modern world was stirring French minds. 

 Old world-problems were being re-surveyed from the 

 points of view of Science and of Humanity. A new spirit 

 of active inquisitiveness was at work, insisting that more 

 knowledge must be gained in order that the world might 

 be put into order, and that human happiness might be 

 increased. 



Maupertuis In this new spirit, Maupertuis wrote letters to Frederick 

 i^teresTof 16 ^ P russ i a " on the progress of the Sciences," summing 

 the South up what had been learnt, and what remained to be learnt, 

 and recommending research in special directions as " useful 

 for the human race, and curious for scholars." He drew 

 attention to the peculiar interest of the problem of the 

 South. All the world knows that in the Southern Hemi- 

 sphere is "an unknown space in which may be situated 

 a new part of the world greater than any of the other 

 four." Maupertuis is astonished that no prince has had 

 the curiosity to explore these immense solitudes, and to 

 ascertain if they are occupied by land or by sea. He is 

 convinced that huge lands will be found. All those who 

 have navigated the South Sea have seen " points and capes 

 and sure signs of a continent near at hand." Bouvet 

 had seen continual signs of land in the South Atlantic 

 for forty-eight degrees of Longitude, and the enterprise 

 had been abandoned too soon, for Science shows that 

 the visit was a month too early. But a better field of 



