256 STORY OF A LOST ARCHIPELAGO. 



Salomon, which were published at the end of the IGth century, 

 made a near approximation to their true position by placing them 

 to the east and at no great distance from New Guinea. Subsequent 

 cartographers, however, were less happy in their guesses at the 

 truth. In the " Ai'cano del Mare," published by Dudley, in 1646, 

 the Solomon Islands were transported to the position of the Mar- 

 quesas, with which they were thought identical. This position was 

 generally received until early in last century, when Delisle adopted 

 a position much nearer to that given in the early maps. M. Dan- 

 ville, however, later on in the century, being unable to reconcile the 

 Spanish discoveries with the more recent discoveries in the South 

 Seas, suppressed altogether the Isles of Salomon in his map of the 

 world ; and his example was followed by several other geographers, 

 who were equally anxious to expunge the lost archipelago from their 

 maps and to relegate it to the class of fabulous lands. 



After the death of Quiros, the Spanish nation ceased to favour 

 any further enterprise in search of the missing archipelagos, which 

 do not appear to have engaged the special attention of any nation. 

 Generations thus passed away, and the Solomon Islands were almost 

 forgotten. But there lingered amongst the sea-faring population in 

 Peru, memories of the missing islands of Mendana and Quiros, which 

 were revived from time to time by some strange story told by men, 

 who had returned to Callao from their voyage across the Pacific to 

 Manilla. Even in the first quarter of last century, the mention of 

 the Isles of Salomon suggested visions of beautiful and fertile lands, 

 abounding in mineral wealth, and populated by a happy race of 

 people who enjoyed a climate of perfect salubrity.- This we learn 

 from the nari-ative of Captain Betagh,^ an Englishman, who, having 

 been captured by the Spaniards in 1720, was detained a prisoner in 

 Peru. He speaks of the arrival, not long before, of two ships at 

 Callao, which, though cruising independently in the Pacific, had 

 both been driven out of their course and had made the Solomon 

 Islands. A small ship was despatched to follow up their discovery: 

 but as she was only victualled for two months, I need scarcely add 

 that she did not find tl^ra. It is very probable that the islands 

 made by the two ships were the Marquesas. 



Not very long after this attempt to find the missing group, 

 Admiral Roggewein,^ the Dutch navigator, in his voyage round the 



1 Pinkerton's "Voyages and Travels," vol. XIV., p. 12. 

 - Dalrymple's "ffist. Coll. of Voyages," vol. II. 



